At YouConnect, we believe it is essential to closely monitor the legal labor market and its developments in order to provide our clients and candidates with well-founded and high-quality advice. Over the past year, we once again observed an increasing demand from law firms for experienced lawyers. To determine whether this reflects a broader sector-wide trend, we consulted the data to see how mobile the Belgian business lawyer really is.
A closer look at Belgian business law firms
Within the legal labor market, law firms continue to play a central role, as one in two law graduates starts their career at the bar[1]. In the summer of 2025, we analysed the career paths of more than 3,500 lawyers[2]. In doing so we mapped nearly one-fifth of all practising lawyers in Belgium, as approximately 20,000 lawyers are active in the country[3]. In line with YouConnect’s expertise, we focused on lawyers working in Belgian business law firms holding a Belgian law degree.
Our analysis confirms that more lawyers in business law firms are switching firms or leaving the bar altogether. Approximately 9.5% moved to a different firm, a rise of one percentage point compared to the previous year. The outflow from the bar also increased by 0.7 percentage points, reaching 8.2%. However, the figures vary significantly across experience levels.
Trainee Lawyers: loyal to the profession, not necessarily to the firm
For several years, the highest lateral mobility has been found among trainee lawyers. For them, the traineeship does not appear to be a barrier to seeking out another firm: 16.5% of lawyers with one to three years of experience change firms each year. This percentage has remained relatively stable compared to previous years.
On the one hand, this shows that younger generations of lawyers are willing to explore the market when the work content, guidance, or firm culture does not align with their expectations. On the other hand, it indicates that law firms are increasingly interested in this group, who require less intensive onboarding and training than entry-level hires due to their initial work experience.
This trend is reinforced by the 2% headcount growth in Belgian business law firms. That growth is primarily driven by lateral hires of lawyers with one to five years of experience. The number of starters has remained almost unchanged compared with the previous year. For some, this may be surprising, as various voices claimed that the rise of legal tech and AI tools would lead firms to hire fewer junior lawyers. For now, this does not appear to be the case for Belgian business law firms.
Although the traineeship does not hinder young lawyers from switching firms, it does function as a brake on leaving the profession altogether. With the exception of the most senior lawyers, this group is the least likely to exit the bar. Only 5.8% of lawyers with one to three years of experience left the bar last judicial year, a strong indication that those who choose to become a lawyer as a starting point are generally motivated to complete their traineeship.
Registered with the Bar, but for how long?
Completing the traineeship is a moment of reflection for many lawyers. This is clearly noticeable in the numbers: lawyers with three to five years of experience leave the bar proportionally the most, and more than before. The share increased from 13.5% to 14.9%. In this same group, we also observe a substantial rise in lateral moves: 13.6% switched firms, compared with just 10.5% the year prior. In total, no less than 28.5% of this cohort left their firm in the past judicial year.
Up to about eight years of experience, lawyers remain relatively mobile. Those with five to eight years of experience are somewhat less active on the job market than their younger peers, but with 12.1% lateral switchers and 14.7% leaving the bar, the differences are limited. These lawyers have built solid legal expertise, can generally work independently, and are therefore attractive to the legal market both within and outside the law firm industry. At the same time, their financial expectations tend to be more moderate, and they often look at their career with a longer-term perspective.
From eight years of experience onwards, mobility declines noticeably. Among lawyers with eight to ten years of experience, 6.3% changed firms and 9.8% left the bar. Lateral movements in particular decrease sharply. This can partly be explained by the hiring strategy of many law firms, which tend to target lawyers with fewer years of experience for lateral hires. Senior lawyers, meanwhile, often have visibility on a concrete growth track within their current firm and are more likely to expect additional perspectives, such as a counsel position or a partner track, when considering a switch. Not every firm can offer these, especially if they aim to promote internal talent.
Furthermore, senior lawyers often attribute a decline in job satisfaction not to their firm but to the profession itself, making a firm switch feel less like a sustainable solution.
Ten years at the Bar: locked in for life?
The lowest labour mobility is found among lawyers with more than ten years of experience. In this group, only 5% changed firms, and 4% left the bar.
This is hardly surprising. Lawyers with at least a decade of experience have typically made a deliberate long-term career choice. They have established practices, built stable client relationships, and taken on clear roles within their firm’s structure. Many are on a partner track or already partner, making a switch to another firm, let alone leaving the bar, far less likely.
Conclusion
The data confirms that Belgian business law firms remain a dynamic labor market. Internal mobility continues to rise, and the outflow from the bar is also increasing slightly.
Younger lawyers are less tied to one firm, actively explore the market, and adjust course more quickly when the work culture, level of guidance, or career perspectives fail to meet their expectations. The days when firms could assume that trainees would complete their entire traineeship at the same firm appear to be over.
From roughly eight years of experience, mobility stabilises, and from ten years onwards, lawyers tend to become firmly anchored in the profession.
For law firms, the message is clear: attracting talent is important, but retaining talent is essential. Firms that invest in clear growth paths, mentorship, strong team culture, work-life balance, and a fair and competitive remuneration policy create an environment where lawyers not only want to start, but also want to stay.
At the same time, each new generation will always include lawyers for whom being a lawyer is not the final career destination. For them, a move to an in-house role, consultancy, or another sector is a logical choice driven by personal preferences. This outflow is a reality that firms must accept and anticipate. But there is also a substantial group of lawyers leaving the bar for whom certain adjustments could have made a difference. That is precisely where firms can work proactively if they want to retain more talent. Conducting quality exit interviews can already provide valuable insights into where potential pain points lie.
Does this mean that young lawyers should switch firms more often? It depends on the context. Sometimes a change is necessary for your professional growth. At the same time, loyalty builds trust. For a firm that invests heavily in training and mentorship, your departure can be painful. Lawyers who change firms almost every year will eventually find it more difficult to grow into senior roles. Loyalty can increase your chances of progressing within a firm, because trust is ultimately the cornerstone of a successful long-term collaboration.
[1] As shown in YouConnect’s Legal Labor Market Study 2022 (https://youconnect.be/blog/leg...
[2] YouConnect collected data for this sample through the websites of business law firms and LinkedIn, and used this information to analyse lawyer mobility and compare it with data from previous years. This analysis covered the period from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025, thereby encompassing the 2024–2025 judicial year.
[3] The Ordre des barreaux francophones et germanophone reported 8,447 registered lawyers as of 1 December 2024, and the Orde van Vlaamse Balies stated that it represents more than 11,000 Flemish lawyers.
Read the full article (including images/graphs) here.
Authored by Diether Vandenbussche
