For many personal injury lawyers, appraisals are meant to be a moment of clarity.
A chance to step back, take stock and understand where your career is heading next.
But in reality, that’s not always what happens. Instead, we often speak to lawyers across the North West who come out of their appraisal feeling… unchanged.
Not disappointed exactly, not frustrated enough to act, and no clearer on what the next 12–24 months actually look like.
And in a market like personal injury, that lack of clarity can quietly matter more than you think.
The personal injury market has changed. Appraisals haven’t always caught up.
Over the last decade, personal injury has shifted significantly.
Legislative reform, fixed recoverable costs, and the consolidation of claimant firms have all changed what “progression” really looks like.
- Volume work has reduced or become more process-driven
- Fewer firms control a larger share of the market
- Specialist areas like clinical negligence and large loss have become more valuable
But many appraisal conversations still follow an older script:
- Review your targets
- Acknowledge your performance
- Set broadly positive intentions for the year ahead
On paper, that feels fine, but in practice, it can leave out the most important question: Is the work you’re doing actually moving your career forward in today’s market?
Progression in personal injury isn’t always visible year-to-year
One of the reasons appraisals can feel inconclusive in personal injury is that progression doesn’t always show up in obvious ways.
Especially if you’re:
- handling a steady caseload
- hitting your targets
- working in a stable team
You can be doing everything “right” and still not be building the kind of experience that strengthens your long-term position.
For example:
- An EL/PL lawyer might be progressing internally, but still working within tight insurer-driven processes that limit autonomy
- A catastrophic injury lawyer might be working on high-value claims, but only handling discrete tasks rather than developing full case ownership or strategic responsibility
- A clinical negligence solicitor might be assisting on strong cases, but not developing ownership or strategic input
None of these are red flags in isolation, but they are the kinds of details that rarely get unpacked in a standard appraisal.
The questions that often don’t get asked
Most appraisals focus on performance within your current role, but fewer focus on how that role translates externally.
That’s where the gap tends to be.
Questions that don’t always get explored include:
- How is your experience perceived by other firms in the North West market?
- Are you building skills that will still be valued in 3–5 years’ time?
- Is your current work expanding your options—or narrowing them?
- What would your CV actually say about the level of responsibility you hold?
These aren’t always easy questions for an employer to answer directly, but they are critical if you want to stay in control of your career direction.
“You’re doing well” isn’t the same as “you’re progressing”
One of the most common themes I hear from lawyers is this: “My appraisal was positive… but I’m not sure what comes next.”
That’s because positive feedback and meaningful progression aren’t always the same thing.
You can be valued, reliable and performing well, but still be in a role that isn’t stretching you in the right ways.
In a more stable area of personal injury, that can go unnoticed for quite a while. Until you start exploring the market, and realise your experience hasn’t developed in the way you expected.
The risk isn’t immediate. It’s gradual.
This isn’t about alarm bells.
Most lawyers we speak to aren’t in the wrong role, but some are in roles that are… static.
And in a market that’s becoming more specialised and more concentrated, standing still can have a gradual impact.
Not on your current job, but on your future options.
What a useful appraisal should help you understand
At its best, an appraisal should give you more than reassurance.
It should help you answer:
- What direction your career is moving in
- What kind of work you’ll be trusted with next
- How your role will evolve over time
- What skills or exposure you still need to build
And crucially: whether your current environment is the right place to achieve that.
A different kind of conversation
If your last appraisal left you with more questions than answers, you’re not alone.
And it doesn’t necessarily mean anything has gone wrong.
It may just mean the conversation didn’t go far enough.
If you’d find it useful to sense-check how your experience compares across the North West personal injury market, or to understand how your current role is likely to position you over the next few years, a confidential conversation can often provide a bit more clarity.
No pressure. Just perspective.
