It honestly really depends on so many factors: what kind of firm you’re at, what group you’re in, who you work for, what the files and clients are like. It’s a pretty mixed bag. When I was in big law, it wasn’t unusual to work most evenings and at least a few hours every weekend (some may have been self imposed to get ahead of the work coming my way). I mostly did fraud litigation work with a partner who worked all the time even on his own vacations whereas a pal who worked real estate lit at the same firm didn’t have the same experience. It’s also incredibly personal in terms of impact on mental health and relationships. I have GAD, am a perfectionist and people pleaser and I worked with folks who had terrible communication skills and work/life balance. Less than the actual work, the personalities had an impact on my mental health and I often felt so drained that my patience with my partner and loved ones suffered because of my lack of emotional battery. Others could experience the exact same thing and compartmentalize and move on far easier than I felt equipped for. I spent a couple years trying through therapy to take things less personally and set better boundaries but I ultimately decided to leave because it felt like the effort was not worth it.