News•Mar 11, 2026
The Big Stay: Lawyers Reluctant to Move in 2026
Australia’s legal market is entering a “Big Stay” phase in 2026, with lawyers opting to remain at their current firms rather than pursue new opportunities. Gartner’s Q4 2025 talent monitor shows confidence at a three‑year low of 55.7, and SEEK reports a 5.3% YoY drop in legal job ads for December 2025. Applications for specialist roles such as tax, insurance and IP have fallen sharply, while hybrid work and stronger retention programs have softened traditional drivers of lateral moves. Consequently, firms face a smaller active candidate pool, longer time‑to‑fill and a shift from “why join” to “why leave” conversations.
By Legal Practice Intelligence