Canada’s hiring market has become a high-stakes challenge for legal employers. Fortunately, The 2025 Canada Salary Guide From Robert Half is packed with insights to help law firms and corporate legal departments thrive in this environment, including exclusive data on legal career salaries, succession planning hurdles and the rise of hybrid work models. Let’s run through some of the major legal salary trends covered in the guide.
Legal managers surveyed for the Salary Guide know they will have their work cut out for them to build and maintain strong teams in 2025. An overwhelming 86% are worried about retention, while 80% struggle to find highly skilled candidates. Adding to these concerns, 79% of employers are grappling with skills gaps in their teams, and 77% fear they can’t hire fast enough to secure top talent in a competitive market.These pressures are reshaping hiring strategies. Managers are now looking beyond technical skills, emphasizing soft skills that enable new hires to effectively support seasoned staff. They’re also keenly focused on identifying candidates with long-term potential who are likely to stay with their organizations.The competition for talent is sure to stretch budgets, with 97% of managers in both corporate legal departments and law firms highly confident that compensation will rise in 2025.
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As the baby boomer generation leaves the workplace, succession planning has become an urgent focus for law firms and corporate legal departments. According to the Salary Guide, 38% of managers cite the retirement of key employees as a significant succession challenge. This exodus of experienced professionals threatens to drain institutional knowledge and leadership skills from the legal sector.But what’s holding employers back from smooth succession transitions? The guide reveals several key obstacles:Lack of suitable candidates (40%)Insufficient upskilling programs (36%)Candidates uninterested in leadership roles (34%)Absence of a formal succession plan (28%)To address these challenges, forward-thinking legal employers should implement strategies such as:Developing robust mentorship programs — Connecting succession candidates with mentors can boost their abilities in critical soft skills such as communication, empathy and diplomacy.Investing in leadership training for mid-level associates — Step up professional development efforts for those selected as succession choices. Job rotation is an excellent way to help candidates gain additional knowledge and experience. Consider having potential successors assume some of the responsibilities of managers who are taking vacations as a trial run.Creating clear career progression paths — Pinpoint succession candidates by looking for people with the skills necessary to thrive in higher positions, regardless of their current titles. In private meetings, explain to each protege that they’re being singled out for positions of increasing importance.Enhancing knowledge transfer processes — Be proactive with a plan to prepare for all contingencies. Consider the day-to-day impact of critical roles and how operations would be affected if the person currently in that position left. This helps identify where to focus knowledge transfer efforts to ensure continuity.
Hybrid work arrangements have emerged as a popular compromise between the pre-pandemic office-based model and the full remote work of the pandemic era. Nearly 4 in 10 legal employers now offer hybrid work options to attract and retain top talent, while 45% provide flexible schedules. This shift reflects the changing preferences of legal professionals, including these points from the Salary Guide:50% want to pursue roles that allow them to work off-site at least part of the time45% would prefer a fully remote positionHybrid work allows firms and legal departments to reap the benefits of in-person interaction while still offering the work-life balance many professionals have come to value. To make the most of hybrid arrangements, legal employers should focus on keeping lines of communication open and providing the right tools for seamless teamwork, regardless of location. For legal workers, thriving in a hybrid setup often comes down to nurturing client relationships and maintaining confidentiality, whether at home or in the office.
Certain roles and competencies stand out as particularly valuable in the current environment. High-demand positions include:Corporate counsel at all experience levelsLaw clerksLawyers at all experience levelsLegal assistantsWhen it comes to skills, legal employers are placing a premium on:Leadership and management experience (49%)Compliance and risk management (35%)AI and automation (33%)Research and information analysis (31%)Data analytics (30%)For legal professionals looking to advance their careers and command higher salaries, focusing on these areas can provide a significant advantage in the job market.The guide also highlights several industries that are actively hiring legal professionals, including:Finance, insurance and real estateHealthcareProfessional servicesTechnologyTransportation and public utilitiesTo gain a more comprehensive understanding of legal hiring trends and salaries in Canada, including detailed breakdowns by role, experience level and region, explore the full 2025 Canada Salary Guide From Robert Half today.
