Problems Facing Solo Lawyers
I have coached and consulted to solo lawyers for a long time. Solicitors, barristers and consultants.
Most of them were struggling in one way or another.
There was usually a blockage of some description. Something holding them back. Something stopping them going to the next level. A lack of know how. A lack of confidence. Imposter syndrome creeping in - this one, lots of this.
Rarely were these lawyers struggling because they were bad lawyers. Quite the opposite.
Most of the time, it was purely because they were running their practice and business alone and at full steam, doing everything at once and not knowing what to do next or who to turn to for advice.
The same themes came up and continue to this day to come up again and again.
Isolation. Inconsistent work. Cashflow pressure. Too many hats. Trying to do everything with not enough support. The solo lawyer conundrum and dilemma.
That combination above pretty much sums up the typical exhausted solo lawyer who turns up for coaching, mentoring or consulting to us.
If any of this sounds familiar, please note - you are not alone and you are not doing anything wrong.
The issues I identify above are common, quite predictable given the very nature of solo lawyering and fixable when they are addressed properly with professional help.
What follows are the most common problems in more particular detail that I see solo lawyers struggling with in practice.
Isolation, Confidence and Lack of Support
No colleagues to bounce ideas off
Listening to everyone and anyone, but having no trusted adviser
Limited mentorship or guidance for fear of feeling weak
Professional, physical and social isolation - add working from home to this.
Second-guessing major practice changing decisions instead of planning them properly with a professional
Procrastination and hesitation in important decision-making
Finding Clients and Maintaining Consistent Work
Difficulty attracting enough of the right clients
Knowing what the right clients look like
Inconsistent and unpredictable referrals
Inconsistent or non-existent lead follow-up
Fear of selling or being seen as too salesy or unprofessional
Not knowing how to market or sell
No clear niche
Not being known for something specific
Being known for something everyone else is
Cashflow, Pricing and Getting Paid
The dilemma of cashflow and workflow never equating
Getting paid late or not at all
Reluctance to follow up fees
Unpredictable income and cashflow to allow you to pay yourself a regular salary
Pricing pressure in light of AI
Lack of confidence in setting and increasing fees
Poor or irregular fee tracking
Too Many Roles and Not Enough Time
Acting as lawyer, administrator, marketer, salesperson, bookkeeper and IT support, all at once!
Not delegating enough
Not outsourcing enough
Consistently feeling overwhelmed
Poor organisation and time management
Poor work/ life boundaries
Uncertainty about how to grow and scale the practice by putting more people on
Knowing what type of support to put on and when.
Not knowing how to be a manager or leader
Systems, Tools, Automation and AI Confusion
Uncertainty about which practice management system to use
Uncertainty regarding what AI to use
Not using the existing system properly or fully
Lack of documented systems and processes to allow scaling
Inefficient use of available tools such as checklists
Not knowing what to automate and what not to, especially due to AI
Not reviewing or monitoring existing systems regularly
Keeping systems simple
Uncertainty about how to use automation effectively
Lack of clarity about AI and its practical applications to client facing work and as a thought partner
Wellbeing and Sustainability
Overwork becoming normalised
Lack of productivity
Inability to integrate work and life
Wellbeing taking a back seat
Fatigue becoming a normal part of everyday practice
Not knowing what to do next!
These Problems Are Fixable
If you recognised yourself anywhere above, none of these issues should be seen as personal failures.
The problem is rarely a lack of legal ability as I mentioned at the beginning. More often, it is the result of running a practice and a business alone, without the appriate time to stop and reflect.
The solution however is not to just work harder. It is to work smarter. I know this sounds cliche but it is so true. Work smarter not just harder.
That means stepping back, getting clear on what is working and what is not, setting proper priorities, and putting practical changes into action that deliver value sooner rather than later. These are things we do regularly with our coaching, consulting an mentoring clients.
There are two ways I can work with you as a solo lawyer, if you want, depending on what you need right now.
If you want a short, practical review of what is working, what is not, and what to fix first, the Solo Law Practice Tune-Up is a focused 30 minute diagnostic session designed to give you clarity and immediate priorities.
If you are thinking more broadly about the direction of your practice, including niche, pricing, systems, growth and sustainability, a Strategy Session of about 60-90 minutes provides the space to step back and design a practice that actually works for you.
Both are structured, practical, and grounded in long experience working with solo lawyers.
The worst thing you can do is feel overwhelmed, lost and directionless - sit there alone in your office, going over the same issues without taking action - expecting things will be different tomorrow, next week next month or for that matter next year.
If the problems outlined above really resonated with you, it is time to do something about them.