The British Psychological Society has commissioned a study into what impact having kids has on a lawyer’s productivity.
Specifically, the researchers studied how many hours lawyers in Alberta, Canada, had billed their clients in the past year. It found the most “productive” were female lawyers without kids.
Oddly, male lawyers with kids were more “productive” than male lawyers without kids.
The researchers suggest male lawyers are more likely to put in extra hours on the job.
The two researchers also found that family-friendly work practices had a negative effect on the productivity of men but not women.
Dan Slater, who writes the Wall Street Journal law blog, wonders whether women with kids are just used to getting more done with less time.