Imagine epic sandstone mountains punctuating the skyline around you, as you reply to client emails from your phone. It can be your reality like it was mine, as I finished my latte at a cafe in the Company Gardens in downtown Cape Town, South Africa, while a local band performed in Xhosa. Later that day, I struggled to beat the impending sunset (and keep up with my husband), while we hiked Lion’s Head, one of the city’s popular peaks.
I put the flexibility of my virtual law firm to the test and, once again, systems of automation, the power of technology, and the connectivity of social media allowed my practice to run seamlessly all the way from South Africa.
It was early March 2020 and, while I had been running my firm virtually for several years, in the coming weeks, nearly the entire legal industry would be forced to go virtual in response to COVID-19 lockdowns. I made it back to the U.S. just days before the lockdowns started and immediately began fielding questions from other attorneys on how to run a virtual practice from home.
While for many, this shift was temporary, others found it to be the ideal solution for work life integration. With a large number of attorneys working from home for the first time, some wonder how they can make the shift to at-home work permanent.
Is Work Life Balance Possible in the Legal Profession?
In the U.S., many lawyers working in Biglaw work more than 60-70 hours per week. With the responsibilities of child care still falling disproportionately on women, the legal profession has struggled to retain female talent. But the traditionally inflexible nature of the legal industry is not an issue that only affects women. Men and women alike experience burn out, particularly in large firms, leading to higher incidences of depression and substance abuse than compared to other professions.
In other industries, a more appealing example of work life integration that leverages technology to provide freedom and flexibility is gaining popularity. Working from home during lockdowns may have given legal professionals a small taste of this alternative. However, when you’re working for someone else you are still bound to their schedule, limited in your annual leave, and most likely fitting your other priorities, like family and even self-care, around your career.
Hanging your own shingle in a flexible, virtual law practice can make a freedom lifestyle business possible within the legal profession.
A Virtual Law Practice is Not For Everyone, But Ideal For Some
If it’s so great, why isn’t everyone starting a virtual law practice? Well, to start, perhaps even a majority of people enjoy the security and certainty of a paycheck and others truly love their workplace and colleagues. Not every practice area lends itself as well to this model. Also, there are many lawyers who desire more freedom, but they are afraid to go out on their own. However, for those willing to take the plunge, it can be life changing.
Tips for Running a Profitable Virtual Law Practice that Fits Your Lifestyle
Practicing law this way requires you to do things differently than the traditional law firm model. Here are a few tips for running a profitable virtual law practice that fits around your other priorities in life:
- Have a crystal clear vision.
In law school, you probably considered one of many prescribed paths for your career. But what would your work life look like if you really gave yourself permission to dream?
Maybe you would build a practice that allows you to accompany your spouse when they travel for work, pick your kids up from school everyday at 3 o’clock, meet your mom for a long lunch each week, attend a late morning yoga class, teach a course at a local university, or even homeschool your children.
If you don’t have a crystal clear vision of how you intend to structure your practice, the pressure of what you should be doing and what your legal career should look like will get in the way.
- Choose a flexible practice area.
While some tasks like legal writing or even client meetings can be done virtually in nearly every field of law, it is important to consider your needs for flexibility when choosing a practice area for your firm. For example, areas of high litigation will cause court hearings to dictate your schedule and generally require your in-person appearance.
Remember that just because you have always practiced in a particular area does not mean that you can never branch out and do something new. You can gain competency and expertise in a new area by taking courses online, finding the right mentors, and making a plan to gain experience in that new practice area.
- Make a plan to bridge your income gap.
Common concerns of lawyers who are considering going solo include how long it will take to retain clients in a new practice and how to manage a gap in income after leaving their current employment while they build up enough business.
A few tips that will benefit most new solos are to:
- Set budgets for your household and business and stick to them.
- Save 6 months of living expenses before going solo, if your family depends on your income.
- Create another income stream through a side-hustle. Freelance writing is a great option that likely won’t create any conflicts even if you’re still with your employer.
- Leverage technology to automate tasks and processes.
The more tasks that can be completed in your business without you personally doing them or hiring someone else to do them, the better. This will allow you to save time and money. If you’re working on a flat-rate fee model, utilizing software systems and tools that can automate time-sinking tasks will help you achieve your income goals while working fewer hours, freeing you up for life’s other personal priorities.
- Streamline your client acquisition system.
When it comes to marketing, your goal should be to occupy the position of expert in your field in the minds of as many people as possible. You can achieve this by constantly increasing your visibility and demonstrating your knowledge and expertise.
Pay attention to where your ideal clients spend their time online and deliver value to them in that space. Then, streamline the process from prospect to client as much as you can. You can do this by using appointment booking software and a client management system that fits your firm’s needs.
Running a Virtual Practice Requires Innovation
While it’s easy to idealize the virtual law firm model, it takes innovation and action. You’ll be sharpening your business skills and always learning how to operate and market more efficiently and effectively. Your confidence as a business owner and savviness with legal tech tools will strengthen over time. And, most importantly, you’ll be in the driver’s seat of your life and legal practice.
Kailey Jacomet is a mom of two, IP attorney, and founder of Lawstyle, a community of like-minded attorneys building law firms that fit around their lifestyles. When her daughter was born, Kailey left her job as a trial attorney and embarked on a journey to create a new type of practice model—one that put her life and family first. Now, Kailey coaches other lawyers on how to build and grow a flexible, virtual law practice through the Lifestyle Law Firm Accelerator program. Connect with Kailey on Instagram at @kaileyjacomet or at [email protected].
