The number of solicitors contacting helplines has risen sharply in recent weeks, the Gazette has learned, with many of the calls relating to redundancy.

Some callers have been considered to be at risk of suicide.

Both the pastoral care line LawCare and the Solicitors Assistance Scheme (SAS) advice line have reported a significant rise in redundancy-related calls.

The SAS saw a spike in redundancy calls last September, with high numbers throughout the rest of 2008. There was a drop in calls during March and April, but it is now experiencing a ‘second wave’, with a 29% rise in the past two months.

SAS administrator Duncan Finlyson said he had seen ‘huge increases’ in the number of calls and was now receiving ‘dozens’ every week from solicitors who have been made redundant. The total number of calls rose from 254 in April to 328 in June.

LawCare reported that calls relating to redundancy or financial problems had risen to 29% of all calls, from a norm of around 7% before the economic downturn. It has taken calls from 281 lawyers so far this year.

Finlyson said: ‘Last year, the calls were from solicitors in smaller firms practising probate, conveyancing, legal aid and family work. Now we are finding people being made redundant from bigger firms, working in commercial property and corporate work.’

He added: ‘We are still coming across a substantial number of firms which are using the economic climate to get rid of people they don’t want. A lot of them are women who are just about to, or have just had, a baby.’

LawCare chief executive Hilary Tilby noted that ‘a handful’ of callers had sounded suicidal. She said instances abroad of lawyers committing suicide, for example in the US, were on the rise. LawCare staff have been trained to deal with suicidal callers.

Finlyson said anyone who says the worst of the recession is over ‘should be at the sharp end’.

  • For pastoral care call LawCare on 0800 279 6888.
  • For confidential legal advice to solicitors in trouble call the SAS on 020 7117 8811.