HCBA Lawyer Magazine Vol. 29, No. 2 | Page 56

tips on BeCoMing a profitaBle solo or sMall firM praCtitioner
Solo & Small Firm Section
Chairs: Matthew Crist – Crist Legal | PA & Gian-Franco Melendez – Law Office of Gian-Franco Melendez, LLC
in writing your strategic
business plan, there are
several ways to keep
your overhead low and
S
ome people think of
solo practitioners as the
lawyers who could not
make it in the big firms,
the renegade lawyer who will not
conform, or the lawyer who is
not serious about practicing law.
These perceptions could not be
more wrong. Solo and small firm
lawyers are not just lawyers who
could not cut it in the “big law”
sand box. They are entrepreneurs
looking to find a new path to
success through their own efforts.
Although solo practitioners often
practice in one or two specific
areas, they can offer their clients
a wide range of legal services by
establishing a referral network with
other solo practitioners or hiring
contract lawyers when their clients
have new needs.
There are many moving parts
to establishing a small firm, and
a strategic business plan is the
roadmap for where you want to
take your practice. In writing your
strategic business plan, here are
some ways to keep your overhead
low and at the same time make
your firm efficient and productive:
1. Technology. There are many
software programs available that
can facilitate work, including for
at the same time make
your firm efficient
and productive.
© Can Stock Photo / Marti157900
email, case management, client
relations management, docketing,
billing, accounting, and the like.
Be sure to ask colleagues or others
for referrals because sales people
will tell you anything just to get
you to buy their program.
2. Staffing. With remote access
and virtual assistance available,
it is not necessary to spend a lot
of money on payroll, benefits,
parking, etc. Often an in-office
legal assistant is all you need for
on-staff help. Any administrative
or timekeeper functions, including
administrators and paralegals, can
be outsourced less expensively
than in-house staff.
3. Office space. Solo and
small firm practitioners can reduce
their rent overhead by leasing
professional offices together. This
way, each lawyer gets a professional
office and can share common
areas with other attorneys and
split the rent. In terms of client
referrals, you should consider
renting space with other lawyers
who practice in different areas.
4. Virtual offices are
more common today than
ever. With remote capabilities,
fax, Skype, FaceTime, and email,
lawyers can effectively work from
home. You can rent an executive
room or conference room space on
a per-hour or per-day basis where
you can meet clients when necessary.
When you go out on your own,
you don’t work for your firm, you
ARE the firm — whether you are at
the office, at home in the evenings,
spending time with your family, or
on vacation. Work/life balance is
important for everyone. As a solo
practitioner, it can be tricky to
achieve that balance because you
don’t want to miss a telephone call
that may be a potential new client.
Nor do you don’t want to wait too
long to answer that email. By using
the right resources, you can be an
efficient, productive, cost-conscious,
and profitable solo or small firm
practitioner
and, as a result,
successful and
happy with your
law career.
Author:
Elizabeth Miller
– Management
Consultant
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54
NOV - DEC 2018
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HCBA LAWYER