b'Local Government Lawyer 5Table 2: What are your main strategies for coping with future demand? the respondents predicted that the workload is set to decrease (See table 1). This figure has risen since 2019, when 50% 58% 58% of heads of legal predicted the workload to 49% rise significantly.Back then, departments reported that 39% increased commercial activity, regeneration 35% and child protection were to blame for the 30% increased demand.20% Our latest research shows a slightly 15% 14% different picture, with respondents citing 9% 8% pressures from adult social care, housing, planning, contracts and childrens services as Restructuring the department into specialist teamsthe areas experiencing the most growth.One commenter summed up the problem areas at their council as: Housing (previously untapped demand), childcare (increased demand), planning (untangling the phosphates backlog), property/contracts (service/asset devolution).Others noted a rise in housing disrepair cases in the wake of Awaabs Law, while some complained about being bogged down by an increase in planning enforcement cases.These new pressures raise the question of Table 3: In the foreseeable future, do you expect your budget for external legal services to: what departments are doing to cope.How legal departments are managingDecrease significantly (-10%) 5% A lot has changed in local government over the last five years, but one area that appears to have stayed the same is how legal Decrease slightly (-5% to -10%) 25% departments plan on tackling the increases in workload.When asked what the main strategies Stay more or the less the same (+/-5%) 52% departments are employing to cope with future demands, the same three approaches that topped the list in 2019 top the list today.Increase slightly (5%-10%) 16% These are: Sending more work to private practice, recruiting more permanent staff, and helping train client departments to undertake the earlier stages of routine legal work (See Increase significantly (10%) 2% table 2). Using private law firms tied with boosting permanent recruitment is the most popular approach to handling the increased Table 4: In general, how easy or difficult is it to retain good lawyers in the present market? workload, with 58% of respondents reporting implementing both solutions.However, many departments predict that their budget for external legal services will fall Very difficult 18% as their councils continue looking for savings. Thirty per cent of respondents said Quite difficult 58% their budget for external work would either decrease slightly or significantly, while 52% said it would stay the same, and 18% reported Quite easy 24% that it would increase (See table 3). There is no more money in the system, Very easy 0% so we have to do more with less, one person commented.At other councils, the strategy is to reduce sending work to external firms and take'