Georgina Bond
If law firms thought the debate about working from home was now settled, a recent legal salary and benefits guide suggests they’ve got it wrong.
Yes, salary matters, and it’s still the biggest driver of career decisions.
Tyler Wren founder and partner Lisa Gray
But an annual survey of hundreds of legal professionals across New Zealand and Australia, conducted by New Zealand recruitment agency Tyler Wren, points to another issue that’s increasingly shaping recruitment and retention: workplace flexibility.
The Tyler Wren Legal Salary & Benefits Guide 2026/2027 reveals 71% of respondents enjoy flexible working, making it one of the most common benefits on offer.
Respondents also ranked hybrid working as the most valued employee benefit, ahead of KiwiSaver contributions, health insurance and bonus schemes.
Tyler Wren founder and partner Lisa Gray says in a market where experienced lawyers remain in short supply, the offer of genuine flexibility is now a competitive advantage rather than just a workplace perk.
“A large majority of the New Zealand legal workforce still wants to work from home. Firms offering two or three days of working from home are attracting some really good people. Those that aren’t are struggling,” Gray says.
But she says the conversation isn’t as simple as allowing everyone to work remotely. Firms face a genuine challenge – the need to balance the flexibility increasingly demanded by experienced practitioners with the need to mentor and supervise junior lawyers so they develop their skills and learn through osmosis.
Tyler Wren’s guide also reports that offering different work styles and flexibility and considering individuals’ needs are among the ways specialist boutique firms are luring legal talent away from top-tier firms, proving that salary alone is no longer the ultimate deal-winner for some in the job market.
“Flexible working remains a top priority for legal professionals, and a few regional or boutique firms are still open to remote working arrangements. This is particularly true for lawyers with four or more years of experience, allowing firms to access talent beyond their immediate local areas. A few general practice firms now allow their senior solicitors and senior legal executives, particularly within the conveyancing space, to work completely remotely. This level of autonomy has proven to be a massive drawcard, successfully attracting professionals to these teams.” (Tyler Wren Legal Salary & Benefits Guide 2026/2027).
Australian brain drain ‘very much on’
Flexibility becomes even more significant when viewed against the ongoing global competition for talent.
New Zealand firms are still losing experienced lawyers offshore, with Australia the biggest drawcard.
“The Australian brain drain is still very much on,” Gray says, and it continues to create a severe skill shortage for New Zealand law firms, heavily impacting local retention.
In particular, Australia has become a highly attractive destination for New Zealand- qualified lawyers who want to return to the Southern Hemisphere after working overseas, but want to work within a larger legal industry than New Zealand’s.
While higher salaries across the Tasman have been part of that equation for years, Australian firms are now competing on lifestyle as well, Gray says.
“We’re seeing more aggression from Australian employers [who are] now offering their New Zealand staff incentives like extra leave, paying for flights home and allowing them to work from New Zealand. Longer term, it’s difficult to compete when lawyers are being paid between $30,000 and $50,000 more than they’d be getting here.”
Tyler Wren places professionals across Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom and Gray says the UK market, particularly London, is starting to wake up again, drawing even more Kiwi talent offshore.
That’s why local firms are facing increasing pressure to differentiate themselves through more than salary alone.
As well as flexibility, the guide suggests lawyers are looking for a broader employment experience that includes meaningful career progression, a supportive workplace culture and benefits that recognise changing expectations around work and life.
More cautious about moving
This year’s guide also suggests the employment market has become more cautious.
Although many lawyers feel dissatisfied with aspects of their salary and career progression, they are less willing to change jobs than in the past.
“People are more cautious this year,” Gray says. “Even if they weren’t happy with their salary review, they are more cautious to move.”
While big picture economic conditions affect confidence, she says other dynamics put pressure on the legal talent pipeline, such as a persistent shortages of experienced lawyers, more opportunities overseas and lawyers leaving practice altogether.
Other key findings from this year’s guide include:
- The shortage of lawyers with three to seven years’ experience remains one of the market’s biggest recruitment challenges, particularly for in-house legal teams.
- Junior lawyers who stand out with strong academic records continue to secure excellent opportunities, despite wider concerns about graduate employment.
- Regional firms are offering increasingly attractive career opportunities, with lawyers willing to relocate often gaining high-quality experience earlier in their careers.
- Salary growth has remained relatively resilient, despite economic uncertainty, although lawyers are increasingly evaluating the complete employment offering rather than remuneration alone.
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