Let big law bad habits be a thing of the past as you launch your small law firm

For lawyers who have recently left large law firms, shaking those big law bad habits can present a challenge. Here are some tips for finding better balance in your independent law career.

Big law bad habit #1: Long hours

It begins in law school. Late hours and success defined by cutthroat competition and trying to win the favor of the partners. Clients expecting round-the-clock access. Long court proceedings and low flexibility in schedules.

U.S. News confirms this reality:

“If one of your top priorities is obtaining balance, think twice before pursuing a job in Big Law. Large companies employ these massive law firms and pay high premiums for the exacting work they perform. Working in Big Law will afford you little ability to set your hours or schedule.

Areas with a high likelihood of litigation also allow for little flexibility. In more litigious areas, judges and courts will often be the ones dictating your schedule.”

Now that you have jumped off the big law hamster wheel, you might find yourself slipping into old and unhealthy routines with regard to your time, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Big law bad habit #2: No set schedule

Early morning meetings and late-night oil-burning or even middle-of-the-night emails, notifications and phone calls. Lack of a clear-cut work schedule means you wear your lawyer hat 24/7, and that’s not a sustainable way to live.

When you run your firm, you get to set the hours – and the overall culture. Whether you start on day one or year 10 in business, a schedule that clearly outlines regular working hours will help you reclaim your life. Yes, you can allow for client emergencies, but those should count as rare occurrences.

Creating a clear schedule that delineates work hours vs off hours allows you to reclaim time for rest and personal interests, which in turn supports better focus and more effectiveness during working hours. Entrepreneur magazine expands:

“Work-life harmony is a cornerstone of success for entrepreneurs, ensuring sustained success and personal happiness. Without a healthy mix, entrepreneurs, who are often too busy managing their businesses, burn themselves out. Awareness of the need for integration not only preserves mental and physical health but also improves the quality of decision-making, creativity and overall productivity.”

Communicate your hours to clients and do your best to stick to them unless a true emergency arises. Your clients will catch on and most will understand that you, too, need time away from work.

Big law bad habit #3: Trying to generalize

Traditional law firms often try to maximize revenue by offering broad services, but independent lawyers benefit from going deeper within a niche practice area.

As an independent lawyer or small law firm, you logistically cannot meet the needs of all potential clients. Find a preferred specialty and figure out a way to reach untapped markets within that specialty.

Specializing in one niche with a few related service offerings focuses your marketing and business development efforts and frees up time and mental energy.

Big law bad habit #4: Focusing on billable hours

If you only measure success by billable hours, you fall into the big law trap of more is more. Do yourself and your clients a favor by offering non-traditional billing models and measuring different metrics of success.

Big law bad habit #5: Signing long-term leases for office space

That professional office space brings cache and a sense of professionalism to your law firm, but that comes at a high cost.

From a financial perspective, that lease locks you into a several-year commitment and places pressure on you to work and bill more to cover the cost. In terms of culture, you may feel compelled to spend all of your time in the office and expect any staff to do the same.

Alternative office options for lawyers can help you break these habits. Coworking spaces or shared offices offer professionalism and structure without the financial and mental pressure.

Creating better habits as an independent lawyer

As an independent lawyer, make these changes to create a better balance that actually allows for a personal life, sleep, relationships/friendships and more meaning:

  • Work less (who says 40+ hours has to be the norm?)
  • Stick to a schedule
  • Network with likeminded people who also have a life outside of work and law
  • Consider your personal values and build a firm culture around them
  • Create structure that allows for focused work and time/space to innovate

You can break the habits you learned in big law. Together, independent lawyers and small law firms have begun to change the face of modern law firms.

Looking for a place to grow your law firm sustainably and in a community of likeminded law professionals? Reach out to us.