Is Your Solo Practice Sustainable?

A Short Self-Assessment For Solo Lawyers

Many solo lawyers are busy.

Fewer are properly in control.

This short self-assessment is for solo lawyers who want to take a quick look at whether their practice is sustainable, profitable and properly structured.

It is not designed to give you every answer.

It is designed to help you see whether the practice needs closer attention.

Who This Is For

This is for solo lawyers who are already in practice and want to take a practical look at how the practice is working.

That includes solo solicitors, barristers, consultant lawyers, small practice principals and senior lawyers rethinking the next stage of practice.

It is especially useful if you are busy, but not sure the practice is working as well as it should.

The 5 Questions That Matter

For each question, mark yourself as green, amber or red.

Green means this area is reasonably controlled.

Amber means this area is exposed and needs attention.

Red means this area is fragile and should not be ignored.

1. Profit

Am I making enough profit for the effort, risk and responsibility involved?

Green / Amber / Red

2. Pricing

Am I charging properly, or am I undercharging, discounting, writing off time, over-servicing or avoiding difficult fee conversations?

Green / Amber / Red

3. Clients

Am I working with the right clients, or am I accepting too many poor-fit matters?

Green / Amber / Red

4. Control

Does the practice run through proper systems, or does too much depend on my personal energy?

Green / Amber / Red

5. Direction

Do I know what kind of practice I am building, and what needs to change over the next 3 to 12 months?

Green / Amber / Red

What Your Answers May Mean

Mostly Green

The practice appears reasonably controlled.

The next issue may be refinement - better clients, better pricing, better systems, clearer positioning, better use of technology or a clearer next stage.

The Solo Practice Sustainability Checklist Kit may help you go deeper.

A Solo Practice Triage may also be useful if you want quick clarity on the next sensible step.

One or More Amber Areas

The practice may be working but it is exposed.

This is common.

You may have clients and work, but not enough structure, profit, capacity or control.

The full Solo Practice Sustainability Checklist Kit is a practical next step.

A Strategy Session may be useful if you already know the issue needs proper attention.

Any Red Areas

A red area means something important is not being properly controlled.

The issue may be pricing, workflow, systems, client mix, cashflow, positioning or direction.

The issue is not necessarily effort. Often, it is structure.

A Strategy Session is likely to be the better next step.

What To Do Next

If this short self-assessment raises issues you already suspected, there are three practical next steps.

You can work through the full Solo Practice Sustainability Checklist Kit.

You can book a Solo Practice Triage for quick clarity on what needs attention first.

Or you can book a Strategy Session if the practice needs a more detailed review.