Billing pressure for lawyers

MARK COLVIN: Lawyers tend to rank among the worst affected in surveys of depression and one of Australia's top legal practitioners says it may come down to way they bill for their work. High Court Justice Michael Kirby says the minute by minute method of time charging could be adding to the pressures and stresses of the legal profession. Justice Kirby is also worried that not enough young lawyers with good people skills are entering the Australian legal system. Karen Barlow reports. KAREN BARLOW: The few minutes it takes to listen to this story would be worth thousands of dollars if it was advice from a top lawyer. That method of time charging is of concern to High Court Justice Michael Kirby. MICHAEL KIRBY: I think one of the pressures that is new from my day is the pressure of time charging. You don't look at the thing... [read full story]