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One of the biggest problems in the modern practice of law is that people have the wrong viewpoint of what it means to be a lawyer.

What is going on with the practice of law? Everyone seems depressed or stressed out.

Samuel Stretton Chester County lawyer Samuel C. Stretton. Courtesy photo

Unfortunately, when one reads articles about the legal profession, or one talks to colleagues, it does appear that many lawyers find the practice of law too stressful and too demanding. Certainly, law has become too expensive to practice as this writer has noted in previous articles. Doing civil litigation now requires outputs of $50,000-$100,000, and most firms are not in a position to afford that. The stress has always been known though. Many years ago, the American Bar Association published a study that the average age of a criminal defense lawyer was 55 because of the stress. A recent article noted that 25% to 30% of all law students are seeking help from Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers due to addiction or mental health issues. That is probably the most frightening statistic of all.