When Lawyers Seek Advice About Solo Practice
Two common points when Australian solicitors, barristers and consultant lawyers seek practical advice about starting or improving a solo legal practice.
Lawyers usually seek advice about solo practice at one of these two points of practice.
They are either preparing to go solo and want to get the foundations right, or they are already in solo practice and have realised that something needs to change.
These are not case studies.
They are common situations we see in our advisory work.
Preparing To Go Solo
The first is an experienced lawyer who is still employed but thinking seriously about leaving.
They may want to start their own firm, move into a consultant model, or go to the Bar.
They know they can do the legal work. That is not usually the concern.
The uncertainty is around everything else.
What sort of practice should they build?
What work should they do?
How should they price it?
Where will clients come from?
What will it cost?
What systems will they need?
What are the compliance and supervision issues?
How much money should they have behind them?
How will AI affect the work they intend to do?
They need a sober assessment of whether the move makes sense and what needs to be decided before they resign.
Solo practice can provide independence and control but it requires careful planning and preparation which should not be done after the notice of resignation has been sent.
Already In Solo Practice
The second situation is the lawyer who has already been solo for several years.
They are good at what they do.
They have clients, referrals and plenty of work but the practice still feels harder than it should.
They may be busy without being profitable enough.
They may undercharge some clients and over-service others.
They may be accepting work they should decline.
Too much may depend on their memory, energy and responsiveness.
The systems may not be strong enough.
The pricing may be inconsistent.
They may have built the practice around habit and necessity rather than a deliberate model.
They do not necessarily want to build a bigger firm.
They may not want more staff, more offices or more overhead.
They want the practice they already have to work properly.
That means better control over clients, pricing, workflow, capacity, systems and the direction of the practice.
Different Stages, Different Questions
The lawyer preparing to go solo is asking:
“How do I avoid building the wrong practice?”
The established solo lawyer is asking:
“How do I make the practice I have built work better?”
They are different questions and require different advice however both usually come back to the same thing.
Legal competence alone is not enough.
A sustainable solo practice also needs structure, commercial judgment, proper pricing, clear positioning, controlled workflow and a realistic view of the future.
That is where practical advisory work can help by helping them make better decisions about the practice they are building, or the one they already have.
What To Do Next
If you are preparing to go solo, our Strategy Session can help you work through the decisions that need to be made before you leave.
If you are already in solo practice and the practice is not working as well as it should, our Practice Tune Up provides a practical review of what is getting in the way and what needs to change.
Both are designed to give you a clear second opinion and a sensible next step.
Reach out if you want that second opinion or are ready to make that next step here
We work directly with solicitors, barristers, and consultant lawyers on the decisions that shape an independent practice - set up, structure, positioning, pricing, systems, capacity, financial control, AI use, and strategic direction.
This is practical, experience-based advisory work for lawyers who want a stronger, better-run practice and clearer judgment about what needs to change next.
You can work with us through a Strategy Session or a Solo Law Firm Tune-Up.
We also offer practical tools, guides and webinars for lawyers who want to get on top of these issues properly.
Details are on www.paulippolito.com.au
