Metropolitan law firms are shedding staff and cutting salaries, while regional and rural Australian law firms are in dire need of lawyers, a recent study revealed.

In the Law Council of Australia's latest Rural Regional and Remote Area Lawyers survey, 67% of interviewed principals from WA firms said they do not have enough lawyers to meet demand. The problem is most acutely felt at firms north of Geraldton, where one in three government-funded community legal services agencies have vacancies.

Retention of country lawyers continues to be a major challenge, with 52% of respondents saying they would leave their respective regional area within five years. Michael Lishman of Perth firm Cochrane Lishman believes this is due to difficult living conditions. "Housing is expensive due to a land shortage, there is very little social infrastructure and you can't swim at the beach because of the sharks and crocodiles. Working at a Perth firm is more attractive," he said.

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