
Infrastructure
The first thing you would need to start your solo practice is office space. You will have to be prepared to be able to shell out a good amount of money on infrastructure. You would need to rent out an office, buy furniture, and also invest in staff. However, if you try to work from home or get into the trend of the virtual office, you may be able to save some of the infrastructure cost. Even if you save on office investment, you would still need to spend on computers, printers, business cards, and other software to be able to cater to clients. You could easily save on all these investments if you decide to join a law firm, but the choice is entirely yours.
Sell yourself
Marketing tools are in abundance. Based on your budget, you may choose to use them. Some of the essential tools, which give great results include:
- Business cards
- Brochures
- Websites
- Mailers
- Display Ads
- Networking
Keep in touch with clients
Communication is another great channel to be in touch with your clients. You can generate a list of clients and can communicate with them. You could update them on any new law that may affect their lives, and you could even send them thank you and birthday cards. Other effective means to keep you in circulation include attending seminars, writing articles, taking lectures, public speaking, etc.
Earnings
Joining a firm gives you a possibly limited but assured income every month. Starting your own firm requires you to be prepared for some months or maybe even some years of lean income. You will need to work extremely hard with excellent client service and marketing skills to be able to establish yourself and your firm. Once that is done, then of course there is no looking back.
Conclusion
You may wish to practice law on your own, or you may prefer to join a law firm; both these options, however, have their advantages and disadvantages. It is entirely up to you to decide what you want to do. Starting a solo practice, when you have just finished your school may involve some initial hiccups like investment, infrastructure, building a client base, and most important selling yourself. On the other hand, joining a firm will save you from all these hassles. You will have a ready office, fixed salary, ready clientele, and professional guidance to name just a few. However, you will miss out on being your own boss. If that is important to you, you may not be satisfied working in a firm. A wiser choice would be to work for some years with a firm, gain experience, learn the nitty-gritty of the trade, and then move on to establish your own firm. The choice is completely yours.
Solo Practice | Group Practice |
Implement your own philosophies. | Need to follow firm’s philosophies. |
Initial investment needed. | Zero investment. |
Service can be customized. | Must follow company policies. |
Work independently. | Group head dominates. |
May be professionally secluded with no quality check. | Team of professionals may provide better insight. |
No guarantee of earnings. | Fixed salary. |
You may lose focus due to administrative work. | You can remain totally focused on the case. |
One person may not be suitable to handle all cases/clients. | Cases can be handled by different team members based on their expertise. |
May not be taken seriously. | Firm's name sufficient for clients' comfort level. |
Need to build up client base. | Ready client base. |