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 appropriate 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.

If you want a short, practical review of what is working, what is not, and what to fix first in your practice, the Solo Law Practice Tune-Up is a focused 30-minute paid diagnostic session designed to give you clarity and immediate priorities.

This session is intended for established solo practices that want better direction around issues such as pricing, systems, workload, growth and sustainability.

If more detailed strategic planning or restructuring is needed, this can be discussed at the end of the session.

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