Practice Management

Do You Know Home Office Lawyers That Have Failed?

By chucknewton

It is a very interesting question that was asked of me, and the answer is yes.  I have know great successes, great failures, and a lot of in betwees.  We have to face it that people fail in all walks of life.  To suggest that someone is immune from failure because they move their office home just would not be true.

The reason for most failures of which I know is a lack of priorities, definition and marketing.

I should really go with marketing first.  No private law practice makes it without clients.  Too often too much attention is given to the act of moving home and the virtual practice of law than the thought and planning necessary to secure sufficient paying clients.  Too many move home before having a clear understanding as to what area of law they will practice.  This is where definition comes in.  You have no staff and limited time.  You have to know the type of client you need so you can spend a reasonable amount of time finding them, or helping them find you.  In this respect, the home office practice of law is no different.  It is just more targeted.  Attorneys who refuse to do this, will generally not make it.  Or, at least that is my impression.

If you are moving home you need to know why you are doing so.  You need to prioritize what niche in which you will practice, what your typical client looks like, and how to get referrals.  In my mind, all of the other stuff, such as where you will put your desk, and what kind of phone system you need are just counterproductive.  Get a laptop, Skype, and broadband, and forget everything else.  As you succeed the rest will fall into place.  Forget about how you are going to socialize and the like.  Most of this is frivolous compared to the important matter at hand -- paying clients.

We all, and I am no different, concentrate too much on those things that truly are unimportant in the overall scope of things.  You can practice anywhere and under most conditions.  Yet we stress over these matters before looking at those things that will make us truly successful.

Most people that I know that failed, just did not have their heart into it.  They were at home not because they wanted to be.  There was no planning.  As such, their failure was a self-fulfilling prophecy.  If you agonize over being at home as your plight, it will be.  If you are unhappy about it, you will make yourself unhappy about it.

I can tell you this.  The benefit of a home practice is overhead of lack thereof.  Even if you fail, it will not be a spectacular flame out as in most offices that go bust.  Also, because expenses and costs are so low, it is just harder to fail.  You really have to work at it.  Plan correctly and do not get yourself in this position.   

Full post as published by Chuck Newton on February 13, 2008 (boomark / email).