Starting A Solo Solicitor Practice? Start With The Right Checklist
Starting your own practice involves much more than being able to practise law.
You are also starting a business.
All of the above means becoming responsible for regulation, insurance, banking, trust money, technology, client intake, pricing, cashflow, marketing and the systems behind the legal work.
Most new solo solicitors do not struggle because they cannot practise law.
They struggle because nobody showed them how to set up and run a practice in a deliberate, orderly way.
That is why we developed The Solo Solicitor Practice Set-Up Tool.
We have now revised and expanded it as we launch the Version 2 — September 2026 edition.
What needs to be in place before you go solo?
There is no single checklist that can tell every solicitor exactly what regulatory requirements apply.
Those differ between jurisdictions.
Nonetheless the practical foundations of a solo practice are remarkably similar.
You need to think through things like:
regulatory permission, insurance and business structure
banking, tax, trust money and cash reserves
client intake, conflicts, engagement and practice risk
technology, cyber security, backups and AI
pricing and commercial viability
marketing, referrals and business development
what actually needs to be operational on day one
Why use a checklist tool?
You can piece together your own list from articles, conversations and half-remembered advice.
Many do.
The problem is that scattered information rarely gives you a clear sequence and it is easy to discover what you have overlooked only after you are already in motion.
The purpose of the tool is simple:
fewer blind spots, fewer avoidable mistakes and more structure before you launch.
It is not a substitute for legal, accounting, financial, regulatory or insurance advice.
It is a practical tool to help you work out what needs attention before you open your doors.
The point is not to do everything at once.
The point is to stop guessing.
