For months now, law firms have been struggling to get attorneys and staff to stick to a proper in-office work schedule. And interviews with law firm leaders and observers, as well as recent data on office expenses, suggest law firms still haven’t found the right in-office schedules with lawyers and staff.

Law firms’ overhead expenses increased 12.8% in the third quarter this year on a rolling 12-month basis, relative to the same time in 2021, according to the latest Law Firm Financial Index. They are up significantly as a result of firms returning to the office, the report noted.