 Want to spark an interesting debate among lawyers?
Just ask lawyers if they think initial consultations with potential clients should be free or not. There seems to be no consensus. We can only conclude that there is no right answer (other than the answer lawyers love to give: “It depends.”) There are valid reasons to charge, and not to charge, for an initial consultation. In this post, we look at those reasons and how to determine the best choice for you and your legal practice. Why You Might Want to Offer Free Consultations: Marketing: Many lawyers offer free consultations to market their services and to generate leads. Free consultations open the door to potential clients with the theory that the more leads you have, the better chance of finding paying clients. Free consultations are then seen as a cost of doing business. Standard Practice: A lawyer may offer free consultations if it is the norm for their practice area or geographic location. For example, personal injury lawyers, or those working on contingency fee arrangements, often offer free consultations. Or, if all the other lawyers in your town offer free consultations it might make sense to follow suit. Type of Clients: Who your clients are may also help you decide whether to charge a fee or not. For example, a free initial consultation might be appropriate for legal aid clients. Or perhaps you work with sophisticated clients that have high-volume or high-value legal work. These clients may be interviewing and assessing several lawyers or law firms to find their long-term legal advisor. It would not make sense to charge a fee in this situation. You Are Not Providing Legal Advice: If the meeting is simply a get to know each other meeting and you are providing generic information (explaining your fees, your experience, how you work in general, etc.) then it may not make sense to charge for your time, especially if you are not providing any advice on the merits of the potential client’s case or legal problem. Why You Might Want to Charge for Initial Consultations: Too Many “Tire-Kickers”: Depending on your practice area, sometimes clients like to meet with as many lawyers as possible to seek as much “free” legal information as they can about their case, with no intention of ever hiring a lawyer. Or they like to “kick-the-tires” with several lawyers to see who will tell them what they want to hear. Even worse, some litigants will purposefully consult with a lawyer to conflict that lawyer out of possibly working with an opposing party. If your practice area attracts these types of clients, charging a reasonable fee for a consult will likely act as a gate-keeping function. If the client is willing to pay a fee, it indicates that they are taking their legal matter seriously and are willing to invest in it. Also, if the client is paying for your time, they will respect it. You Are Providing Legal Advice: If you are gathering information from the client and providing an assessment of what your views are on the matter at hand and your opinion on next steps to reach resolution, you are providing value to the client and should be paid. Our knowledge and our experiences are valuable and should not be given away for free. Steady Flow of Work: If you are a lawyer that has paying clients turning to you on a regular basis through word of mouth or trusted referral sources, the need to advertise free initial consultations is likely diminished as part of your marketing plan. Time is Money: Free consultations may cost you money. Spending 2-3 hours a week offering free consultations to people who do not retain you means you have lost out on 2-3 hours of billable work. If you have the billable work to keep you busy, focus on that. Other Options: Does not Have to be Just “Fee or No Fee” If you still cannot decide whether to charge a fee or not, there are other options. Some lawyers charge a fee up front for the initial consult and then if they are retained by the client, they offer a credit for that time for future work. Or a lawyer could offer the first 30 minutes of a consult for free and anything after that will be charged. The lawyer will likely know within the first 30 minutes if this is a client they want to take on or not. There is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for dealing with initial consultations. Whether you charge a fee or not is a decision lawyers must make within the context of their own practices. What works best for your practice? Do you charge an initial consultation fee? Is your time filled with free consultations? Let us know if we can help. Hiring a freelance lawyer or law clerk to assist your practice will give you more time to attend initial consultations. Want to learn more? Start Here.
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 Networking and making connections is a key aspect of business development for lawyers. We know it is definitely harder to make and maintain those connections in our current world. But there are some alternative ways to keep in touch and one of those ways is through virtual networking events.
We've curated a list of some upcoming events where hopefully you can connect with some other lawyers to build your network and meet potential referral sources. Take advantage of the chat function and the break out rooms to meet someone new and make sure to follow-up after the event! Check out some of the virtual events below: JANUARY 15, 2021 – 5:00pm – 6:30pm – The Advocates’ Society. Online Cooking Class with Chef Ran Ai. TAS Members: $20.00 + HST. Non-Members: $35.00 + HST JANUARY 19, 2021 – 6:00pm-7:30pm. The Advocates’ Society. Ottawa Big Mingle. Exclusively for law school, articling, and LPP students, NCA candidates, and judicial law clerks. FREE JANUARY 26 or 27, 2021 – 5:30pm-7:00pm. The Ontario Bar Association (Women Lawyers Forum & Global Lawyers of Canada). Speed Mentoring Event (two evenings). Members: FREE, Non-Members: $20.00 + Tax. JANUARY 28, 2021 – 6:30pm-8:30pm. The Ontario Bar Association. Business Law Section Winter Social. Exclusive to OBA Business Law Section Members only: FREE. JANUARY 28, 2021 – 8:00pm-9:30pm. The Advocates’ Society. National YASC Social: How to Network Online and Build Your Brand (involves a virtual Escape Room). Members: FREE, Non-Members: $10.00 + tax. FEBRUARY 4, 2021 – 5:30pm. Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL) Ontario Chapter. Women Committee’s New Year Social. FEBRUARY 10, 2021 – 5:30pm-7:00pm. The Advocates’ Society. Virtual Mentoring: Built to Last (speed mentoring event for young advocates). Members: $10.00 + Tax (Members Only event). FEBRUARY 22, 2021 - 5:00pm-7:00pm. The Ontario Bar Association - Your Virtual Community Block Party to celebrate Black History Month. Free for Members. FEBRUARY 25, 2021 – 5:30pm-7:30pm. The Ontario Bar Association (Women Lawyers Forum & Taxation Law Sections) An Evening of Networking with Prominent Women Tax Lawyers (with CLE/CPD component as well). Member: $99.00, Student Member: $50, Non-Member: $152.00 (discount for group rates) MARCH 4, 2021 – County of Carleton Law Association. Women’s Speed Mentoring Event. Details to be posted soon. Know of any other upcoming virtual social or networking events for lawyers? Let us know! And we hope to "see" you at some of these events soon. (Please double check dates/times/prices directly on the associations’ websites as this information may change).  Last year we published a similar blog post with a list of mental health resources for lawyers. This year, we feel the need is even greater as many of us will be celebrating the holidays a little differently, some of us alone, and some of us without members of our extended families. Lawyers may also be stressed with a year end surge of work or stressed due to a downturn in work this year. The struggle is real after an already hard year.
We all know it is important that lawyers focus on our mental health. Often we let work take priority over our physical and mental health. Let's try to stop that. There are several resources available to lawyers who wish to make their mental health a priority: 1. The Law Society of Ontario’s Member Assistance Program (MAP) The MAP is a confidential service funded by (but fully independent of) the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) and LawPro. The MAP is provided by Homewood Health and provides secure telephone access to counselling, coaching, online resources and peer volunteers. Members can get professional help with issues related to addictions, mental or physical health, work-life balance, career, family and more. This program is open to lawyers, paralegals, law students or paralegal students. Similar lawyer assistance programs can be found in each province. 2. Your Employer’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) If you are employed by a law firm or you are in-house or work for the government, your employer likely has an EAP that you can access as well. An EAP is similar to the MAP discussed above but is provided by your firm/company. 3. The Canadian Bar Association’s Wellness Subcommittee This committee exists to help legal professionals manage personal, emotional, health and wellness challenges. Their website provides several resources including a free online course: “Mental Health and Wellness in the Legal Profession”. 4. The LSO’s Coach and Advisor Network (CAN) While the CAN does not provide counselling or therapy, it provides an opportunity to reach out to Coaches or Advisors who are practicing lawyers and paralegals. Sometimes stress can be alleviated by simply talking through a legal issue with another lawyer. An “Advisor” provides a one-off 30-minute phone call to deal with substantive law or procedure in the context of a particular client file. Being paired with a “Coach” is a longer commitment (approx. three months) that deals with assistance with practice management systems or skills development. This program is free. See our blog post on this service here. 5. PracticePro by LawPro PracticePro is an online source that provides risk management, claims prevention and law practice management information to Ontario Lawyers. They have a section on Wellness and Balance that provides some helpful information. 6. The Ontario Bar Association’s Mindful Lawyer CPD Series The OBA has archived videos that are complimentary for OBA members focusing on mental wellness. There are over 20 different videos with helpful topics ranging from: "Adjusting to a New Normal: How to Manage Stress and Anxiety" and “Re-Setting Your Priorities: How Can You Be a Happier Lawyer?” to “Support Networks for Lawyers Who Work Alone” and “Avoid Burnout: Train for Resilience”. 7. Lawyers with Depression – Blog This is a blog by an American attorney, Dan Lukasik (and guest authors) to help law students, lawyers, and judges cope with and heal from depression. 8. Federation of Law Associations - Mental Health Resources FOLA has a resource page with resources for lawyers from across the country. 9. Flex Legal Network Yes, we can be a resource as well for lawyers struggling this season. If you are a lawyer who is overwhelmed with work, consider outsourcing some of your tasks to our qualified freelance lawyers. Most of our work is litigation based (although we do assist with some corporate work as well). In particular we can assist with drafting, legal research, court appearances, etc. For more information see How We Help, our Services page and our FAQs. We also prepared a blog miniseries addressing mental wellness called “Balancing the Bar” that features three mini-mental-workouts: Mindful Breathing; Managing Stress by Expanding Your Vision; and Transform Tension. We hope this blog post helps and if you know of any other resources we should add, please reach out: info@flexlegalnetwork.com  As the current global pandemic continues to restrict physical boundaries, thousands of lawyers worldwide have transitioned from their office to home, facing a prominent struggle to find their work-life balance in the midst of personal and professional challenges. Here are 5 effective tips to ensure a healthy balance in your life, while maximizing productivity.
What is work life balance? Life is not all about work, although it can feel at times like it is. It is important to try to create a balance between the physical and emotional demand of a job and a healthy control on your life. Maintaining a balanced schedule helps reduce stress and promotes productivity. Work life balance is personal and varies per individual, integrating various aspects of a healthy lifestyle such as exercise, relationships, passions, etc. 1. Create a solid routine + stick to it When you wake up in the morning and you don't have a structured schedule for your day, it can feel impossible to get anything done, let alone balance your work, your health and happiness. Creating the right schedule can help decrease levels of stress and in turn produce a major increase in productivity, but how can we make an effective schedule that will work? Establish a routine or schedule that helps you regain momentum and control on your life, yet is flexible enough to take into account your life outside of the office. Whether that be your daily run or time with the kids, or just time for yourself; don’t let yourself burn out from work, make sure you have time for yourself. 2. Daily schedules make us more efficient and save time, our most valuable resource. Time is a simple daily aspect of our lives, but it is deeply invaluable. Every second that passes, we can’t get back, therefore it is incredibly important to use this resource wisely. Being able to create an effective schedule, makes our lives more efficient and enjoyable. It enables us to make clear and quick decisions on daily tasks, prioritizing what is most important to us. When one task is completed, we have a clear path allocated for us afterwards. It allows us to spend less time planning our daily tasks and rather allocate that time in more productive, efficient and less-overwhelming activities. Once a schedule, what we plan to do in our day, becomes routine, a plan we do everyday, these habits can take less energy and determination and can become another part of our lives. 3. Plan ahead When we set goals, we often focus on the destination . However, in the long run, this is not a sustainable system. If you plan ahead, you would have more ability to process and respond to challenges that come along the way. Effective planning also gives you time to change your schedule and add minor changes to your life. Without planning, you don’t have physical deadlines to hold yourself accountable, therefore there is a lack of a sense of responsibility and stability. 4. Self care Self care encompasses a variety of things, almost anything, an individual does to be good to themselves. It is a broad term, but in simple terms, self care is the deliberate manner in which we take care of ourselves, to maintain or improve our well being. Self care is universally important, yet unique to each person. It revolves around finding activities YOU enjoy and help you create positive energy around you. It can be hard to track down your interests and self care favourites, but it all comes down to what you value in your life, what you love and how much time you are willing to spend. Having the ability to detach from work and practicing your interests, can help reduce stress, and balance your life between work and other activities. 5. Let out your emotions on paper Journaling often involves exploring our thoughts and feelings in response to life events through a diary or a journal. There are various forms of journaling, all dependent on personal preference. People journal for a variety of reasons, whether it be a stress management mechanism, or a self exploration tool. Journaling allows people to organize and clarify their thoughts, often helping them either come to a conclusion on their emotions or just let it out in general. Journaling, when done consistently, can help decrease stress and organize your life. It also improves our cognitive thinking, in addition to our self awareness. Takeaway The one takeaway to get from this post is that prioritizing your health- both physical and mental - is the most important thing right now. This year has been far from smooth and easy. It is ok if you don’t feel OK, but be kind to yourself. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and look after yourself. Find what balance works for you, to maximize your happiness, productivity, and health. Here at Flex Legal, we establish strong connections between freelance lawyers and law firms, helping stressed and overworked lawyers find their balance and success, while saving money. Our mission is to help you bring flexibility into your life during overwhelming times such as now. ----------- This was a guest post by Flex Legal's current apprentice Parnian Ashrafi. Parnian is a wise-beyond-her years high school student who was matched with Flex Legal's founder, Erin Cowling, through FLIK - a community that connects and womxn apprentices with female founders.  (Updated November 9, 2020)
A lot of lawyers have asked me, "How do you keep networking and making connections during a pandemic?" I know it is definitely harder to maintain those relationship now. There are no in-person events where you can run into acquaintances and catch up on their practice, business and anything new in their lives. But there are some alternative ways to keep in touch and one of those ways is through virtual networking events. We've curated a list of some upcoming events where hopefully you can connect with some other lawyers to build your network and meet potential referral sources. Take advantage of the chat function and the break out rooms to meet someone new and make sure to follow-up after the event! Check out some of the virtual events below: NOVEMBER 4, 2020: 5:30pm-7:00pm. The Advocates’ Society. Virtual Mentoring: Facing the Fear Factor. TAS Members $10.00 + Tax. NOVEMBER 5, 2020: 4:00pm-6:00pm. Hamilton Law Association. Women in Law: An Event to Encourage, Inspire, & Support Women in the Legal Profession. HLA Members: $85 + HST, Non-Member Lawyers & Other Professionals: $95 + HST; Articling Students, LPP Candidates, Non-Practicing Members & Paralegals: $70 + HST: Law Firm Staff & Clerks: $65 +HST. NOVEMBER 6, 2020: 12:00pm-1:30pm (PT). The Advocates’ Society. 3rd Annual British Columbia Big Mingle: Virtual Edition. NOVEMBER 12, 2020: 8:00pm-9:30pm (EST) The Advocates’ Society. Young Advocates’ Standing Committee National Social: Mixer & Mixology. TAS members: Free; Non-Members: $10 + tax. NOVEMBER 16, 2020: 6:45pm-8:00pm. Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (Ontario). Not-So-Distant Connections: FACL Speed Networking 2020. Free. NOVEMBER 17, 2020: 12:00pm-1:00pm. Hamilton Law Association. 19th Annual Sopinka Legal (Virtual) Luncheon. Registration fee: $25. NOVEMBER 18, 2020: 5:30pm-7:00pm The Advocates’ Society. Class Actions Bench & Bar Reception. TAS Members: Free; Non-Members $25 + tax. NOVEMBER 19, 2020: 8:00am. Women's Law Association of Ontario. Virtual Morning Meet & Check-In. WLAO Members Only. NOVEMBER 19, 2020: County of Carleton Law Association. Virtual Trivia Night. More details will be provided closer to the date of the event. NOVEMBER 19, 2020: 5:00pm-6:00pm. Hamilton Law Association. Drinks with a Trustee: Virtual Networking Mixer. Limited to articling students & 1st year calls. Register by November 12, 2020. NOVEMBER 24, 2020: 12:00pm-1:00pm. The Advocates' Society. Anecdotes with Advocates. The arbitration and mediation advocacy practice group fall networking event. TAS Members: FREE; Non-Members $25 + tax. NOVEMBER 25, 2020: Women’s Law Association of Ontario. Holiday Gift Guide Presentation. Registration opens soon. NOVEMBER 29, 2020: 11:00am-12:30pm. The Advocates' Society. TAS Jolly Jamboree (virtual visit with Santa Claus and online family events). TAS Members only. FREE. DECEMBER 1, 2020: 7:30pm-8:45pm. The Advocates' Society. The Art of Networking for Women Advocates' Today and Tomorrow. This event is open to TAS members and non-member lawyers from 8 – 22 years of call. TAS Members: FREE; Non-Members: $25 + tax. DECEMBER 9, 2020: 7:00pm-8:00pm. The Advocates' Society. President's Festive Member Mingle. TAS Members Only: FREE Know of any other upcoming virtual social or networking events for lawyers? Let us know! And we hope to "see" you at some of these events soon. (Please double check dates/times/prices directly on the associations’ websites as this information may change).   Another successful solo-preneur has been kind enough to share with us her insights and advice for starting your own law firm. Read on for Michelle Fernandes' tips on what to do (and not to do) when starting out on your own:
1. Tell me a little about your law firm/practice. I love what I do. I practice criminal defence law exclusively and have my entire career. It is the best of all possible worlds; no two cases are the same, nor the clients. I have the chance to delve into constitutional law, trial and appellate advocacy. From bail hearings to jury trials, I have the opportunity to defend all manner of charges and appear in all levels of court. At my firm, my primary focus is on the vigorous defence of charges, but I take a more holistic approach to my clients’ cases. People who walk through my door are facing one of the most stressful periods of their lives. Some are at their lowest. Some struggle with issues that contributed to their case, so I suggest services to address those. It has a positive impact and puts them in a better position to fight their charges. Being able to provide a strong, experienced, and compassionate defence for these individuals…it’s just amazing. 2. Why did you start your own firm? How did you make this decision? I was a partner at Rusonik, O’Connor, Robbins, Ross, Gorham and Angelini L.L.P. (now Rusonik, O’Connor, Robbins, Ross & Angelini, L.L.P.), a large criminal defence trial and appellate firm from 2011 to 2017 in downtown Toronto. In 2017, I left to open my own firm to better serve my clients because I wanted to provide a more holistic approach to criminal law. There are underlying issues and stresses that contribute to people winding up in the justice system. I wasn’t satisfied merely being another part of the revolving door, so I offer external resources to anyone interested. Venturing out on my own took several months of consideration and working on my exit plan. I reviewed materials provided by the Law Society of Ontario and consulted with several lawyers of my vintage, who had already left to start their own practice. I amassed savings to cover business and living expenses for the first two years as well as to provide a psychological poultice against an uncertain income flow. I also established tenancy where there were others practicing criminal law. 3. What are some of the benefits of running your own firm? I experienced all the benefits that would readily spring to mind: a more satisfying work/life balance; the freedom and independence that comes with being your own boss; as well as greater flexibility. What I didn’t expect were the cost savings, increased and upgraded client service offerings and improved quality of life that resulted from abandoning traditional forms of overhead. There are virtual assistants, virtual meetings, shared office spaces and staff that can be obtained for a fraction of the cost and time required to run a traditional brick and mortar style firm. COVID19 has highlighted the weaknesses of the old, outdated modes of practicing the law and forced change that should already have been ushered in a decade ago. I can also cherry pick my colleagues and mentors. While working for a firm, you end up spending a lot of time there and consequently with the people who work there when you’re not in court. As wonderful as the people in your firm may be, to really grow as a lawyer you have to expose yourself to other ways of approaching cases and thinking about the law. Some level of groupthink and resistance to change is inevitable in long established firms and practices. My work is, in part, my legacy, as it is with many other lawyers. At some point you have to ask yourself, what will be your unique footprint in this world? How are you shaping the law and the practice of it? The way “things have always been done” are rarely the best ways to do it and certainly not the only ways. Be brave. Be better. Challenge the status quo. Make your unique contribution. 4. What are some of the challenges of running your own firm? How have you tried to overcome them? Starting out I was terrified I would not be able to make ends meet. That fear was unfounded, but you do have to learn how to effectively market yourself and not just throw money at the problem, or do what you see others doing. One problem I did not anticipate was having new clients banging down your door when you are buried in trial work for weeks on end and unable to assist. I had great lawyers to refer work to, but who weren’t always able to return the favour due to the nature of their practice or other constraints in their lives. I developed a network of lawyers that I respected as colleagues and on a personal level, whom I could refer work and who would refer work back. Just like in your personal life, reciprocity is vital to a healthy, long term business relationship. I approached more senior or established lawyers who had a lot of work, but not the staff to handle it. They used me on a case by case basis when they were too busy to prep their matters themselves, or as co-counsel on large, complex cases. It’s a great way to build relationships and your reputation when starting your own practice. I also developed relationships with lawyers outside of criminal law. Often there are complementary practice areas which overlap with your own. Forging relationships with such lawyers brings needed diversity to your own work, allows you to develop alternative sources for referrals and support when you have queries that are outside your area of expertise. 5. What advice would you give to a lawyer thinking about starting their own firm? Develop a network of lawyers you feel comfortable sending a text, email, or even picking up the phone and calling at the drop of a hat before you go out on your own. Be considerate when you reach out. Select times, days, modes of communication and time durations that work for them. Everyone has their own pressures and commitments, so unless a short deadline has been imposed on you that’s beyond your control, give others a lot of time to respond. Send a gentle reminder to them if they haven’t responded in a reasonable time period and always express gratitude. Appreciation and consideration will take you much further than an attitude of entitlement and indifference. Expect to feel fear, anxiety, and self-doubt. It gets better as you go along, but don’t expect those feelings to ever disappear entirely. Everyone has them, whether or not they will admit to them. Find people in your professional and personal life to share those thoughts with so they don’t overwhelm you. Most importantly be kind to yourself and don’t compare yourself to others. This job is not without its stressors and detractors. Don’t be one of them. ------------------------------------------------------ Thank you Michelle for your honest and helpful advice and guidance. You can reach Michelle at michelle@fernandesdefence.com ICYMI our previous posts featured Laura Chaves Paz, Diane Ulman, Sara Forte, Darielle Teitelbaum Darlene Tonelli, Amy Grubb, Emilia Coto, Karen Kwan Anderson, Shamim Ara, Mitchell Rose, Lisa Feldstein, and Ellen Low. Stay tuned for more profiles coming soon.... Do you have a busy law practice but you are not ready to make your first full-time hire? Let us help. Our freelance lawyers and law clerks assist on an as-needed project basis.  We are excited to welcome our fall intern/apprentice Umang Dhingra to Flex Legal!
Umang was matched with Flex founder Erin Cowling through FLIK, a program that connects "driven womxn with female founders and leaders for a 3-month remote apprenticeship". Umang Dhingra is a high school junior from New Delhi, India who is passionate about applied social sciences and anthropology and aims to eventually pursue human rights and criminal litigation. She created Office of Dead Letters a community blog that aims to amplify the voices of GenZ in a safe, inclusive space. She presides over Girl Up Songbird and spoke at the Girl Up Global Leadership Summit 2020 with the likes of Michelle Obama, Megan Markle, and Priyanka Chopra. Umang also founded Project Destinytion that aims to uplift migrants, refugees, and international students by reducing the intense cultural shock and rather, celebrating cultural differences- a community that has reached 10+ countries in less than 3 months. She is also an Impact Incubator Fellow, a Nu School Fellow, and a Counter Speech Fellow with Instagram. She loves to read, write, and watch cute animal videos in her spare time. We are excited to have Umang join us to work on some research & writing projects over the next few months!   Meet this week's talented law firm founder, Laura Chaves Paz of Chaves Paz Legal and read about her advice on how to successfully start your own law firm:
1. Tell me a little about your law firm/practice. Chaves Paz Legal is a boutique law practice based in Ottawa, Canada. We help our clients navigate the challenges of crossing cultures and legal systems with ease. We provide legal advice to professionals, businesses, families and students on all matters relating to the immigration and citizenship process in Canada. We also have expertise in contract law, public and private international law, corporate governance, public procurement and legal research for lawyers. 2. Why did you start your own firm? How did you make this decision? As an immigrant who arrived in Montreal in 2006, I faced several hurdles to establishing my law career in Canada. Overcoming the challenges of going back to law school after having practiced for more than decade in Argentina and in Washington D.C. made me a more resilient, and empathetic, lawyer. Both qualities that are essential in starting your own firm. After finishing my articling and maternity leave, I found that establishing myself in the job market was easier said than done. Not everyone recognized what a Latina lawyer with many years of international experience and an accent could bring to the table. So partly due to these challenges, and my own desire to do something that would give me flexibility and allow me to help others like me, I felt it was best to start my own firm. I’m not afraid to say that at first, it was scary. I was anxious about all the same questions anybody who starts a business is consumed by: Will I have clients? If I have doubts about something, who do I consult? Do I have the experience to be on my own? After several years on my own, I now know that I made the right decision, even though these questions never truly go away. With the experience I’ve gained, I’ve learnt to enjoy being my own boss and to work on files that I like. 3. What are some of the benefits of running your own firm? The biggest benefit is the flexibility. The possibility of working from home—or from Argentina when I visit my parents—really gives me peace of mind. The flexibility in choosing the files that I want, and to be able to focus on the areas that I am most passionate about, is certainly the biggest benefit for me. While I have very busy periods where I work many hours to support my clients, I also have down times where I can focus on my family and my hobbies. 4. What are some of the challenges of running your own firm? How have you tried to overcome them? As a service provider, the biggest challenging is client relationships. As you build a reputation and learn from experience, you can’t be very selective. But over time, it’s important to ensure there is a good right fit with the clients you’re working with. As a sole practitioner, "who is your client and how do you get along with them" is much more important than when you work in-house or for a big firm with many lawyers who contribute to a file. I was fortunate to benefit from the advice of a mentor, who was a senior attorney at one of the largest firms in Canada. Although his reality was different, he helped me define who my clients should be given my personality, experience and way of working. This has helped me build trusted relationships with my clients which is critical to obtaining positive results. Another challenge for independent lawyers is the administration, invoicing, and the numerous obligations we have as members of the Law Society. Paperwork is certainly not my favourite part of my job! Best way to overcome this is building a strong network to share tips about practice management, and even just to share frustrations and fears and how we manage the self-doubt that inevitably pops up. As lawyers, we can tend to be perfectionists, and to set high expectations for ourselves that often don’t match the reality of our daily lives. It is important to be able to talk about these issues with other lawyers. One of the best things I did was to serve on the Board of the Canadian Hispanic Bar Association. It gave me confidence, brought me together with peers who had a similar background and helped me find my place in the Canadian legal world. 5. What advice would you give to a lawyer thinking about starting their own firm? My advice is to take some time to think about whether you understand the pros and cons to be an independent lawyer and practice on your own. Talk to other sole practitioners, build a support network and make conscious efforts to keep in touch. This is more important now as we’re living through a pandemic. And I can’t stress this enough—keep the cost of your practice as low as a you can so you can focus on client relationships. You’ll get so much more return on investment from the time you spend on nurturing your network and going the extra mile for your initial clients, than you will from an office with an expensive address and high overhead. -------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you Laura for taking the time to share some of your valuable advice. ICYMI our previous posts featured Diane Ulman, Sara Forte, Darielle Teitelbaum Darlene Tonelli, Amy Grubb, Emilia Coto, Karen Kwan Anderson, Shamim Ara, Mitchell Rose, Lisa Feldstein, and Ellen Low. Stay tuned for more profiles coming soon.... Do you have a busy law practice but you are not ready to make your first full-time hire? Let us help. Our freelance lawyers and law clerks assist on an as-needed project basis.   Ready for some more tips on how to successfully start your own law firm? Today's post features advice from Diane E. Ulman of Integris Law: 1. Tell me a little about your law firm/practice. Integris Law is a nimble, modern practice that uses technology to make dealing with legal matters simpler and less time consuming for our clients. I co-founded Integris Law with a high school friend, Brandon Lee, after we reconnected a few years ago. We are headquartered in Oakville with additional satellite locations in Mississauga and Waterloo. We provide legal services across the Greater Golden Horseshoe and regularly see clients in Mississauga, Toronto, Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Brampton, Dundas, Hamilton, and Stoney Creek. My primary focus is residential real estate with a secondly focus on wills/POAs. 2. Why did you start your own firm? How did you make this decision? I was at cross-roads in my career. I decided it was time to stop looking for an Associate position at a firm to instead go out on my own with a high school buddy who happened to be looking for his next venture. 3. What are some of the benefits of running your own firm? There is a lot of flexibility in how to structure your new firm. We could have easily gone with tradition of signing up for a 5-year lease or buying a retiring lawyer’s practice. This approach has worked for many, but I was very opposed to starting in debt from day one. Instead we grew organically by cold-calling agents, mortgage brokers, and reached out to friends/acquaintances to develop our client base. 4. What are some of the challenges of running your own firm? How have you tried to overcome them? Becoming an employer/manager is a challenge because I have never done it in the past. It is a welcomed challenge and absolutely necessary to have a team helping with managing real estate files. This allows me to focus on business development and business strategy. 5. What advice would you give to a lawyer thinking about starting their own firm? Do you need to be entrepreneurial? Ask me again in 5 years! I do not consider myself entrepreneurial but have still gone out on my own. I certainly believe there are traits that have helped me so far. Being comfortable being uncomfortable Although I may be stressed, I can manage my way through unknown territory and can figure out a solution. Flexibility is essential It is a fine idea to have a 1-, 3-, 5-year plan to help point the business in the right direction. What I fine much more difficult is sticking to a daily to-do list because urgent matters will pop-up and that daily schedule to tossed out the window. If you have a spouse... They must be on your side. I think Sheryl Sandberg of Facebook is right on point when she said that the most important career choice you will make is choosing your spouse. I lucked out that my spouse is my number one cheerleader. At times he had more confidence in me than I did in myself. If you don’t have a spouse... Instead have a trusted friend or mentor that will help dissect a business problem. Even if they can’t give you precise guidance it helps to hash out a dilemma out loud verse in your head. Any tech you can’t live without? Our requirement is that all programs we used be cloud based. I’m often on the road at meeting with agents, brokerages, and clients and need access to our files at all times. Although we do have bricks and mortar offices now, they are absolutely not necessary. I can’t live without Zoom for client meetings and an online booking platform to schedule them. I can’t live without podcasts about entrepreneurship. I find it invaluable to listen to other founders’ experience, successes, and most importantly struggles. It helps to know you’re not the only one who doesn’t have all the answers when you’re starting out. I habitually listen to How I Built This, The Pitch, and Without Fail. Any advice on how to get clients? Talk. To. Everyone. I find it amazing how chance encounters turned into an opportunity months down the line. It also helps that I am genuinely interested in people’s stories and backgrounds. Several people I have randomly met at events, weddings, coffee shops, etc. have contacted me to help them in the future. My advice for those first starting out, and especially new calls, is as much as you don’t want to turn away business, don’t be afraid to. Use those deductive skills you honed in law school and make sure the deal, situation, and information from the potential client adds up. We had a few cold calls in our early days that were questionable. They may have called us because we were a new firm, but fortunately I am not a new call so had enough experience to politely turn away the potential client. When should you make your first hire? At first, I was closing our real estate files from beginning to end. It was just my partner and I doing everything to get Integris Law off the ground. I was fortunate enough to have worked at a firm in Hamilton where the senior clerk and principle lawyer really took me under their wings and taught me the practical side of the file. Of course, as lawyers we’re trained on the academic side of property law, but if you don’t know how/when to request a postponement, how/when to request a mortgage payout statement, etc. you’re at a great disadvantage. After we grew to a point where I was spending too much time on the admin side of the files, I was introduced to a law clerk service who would bill us per file. Their team was amazing and we had a fantastic experience working with them. This was an ideal relationship when our deal flow was inconsistent. It was a relief to know that if we had a slow month, this was a variable cost and not a fixed cost if we had jumped ahead and hired too early. Eventually, we reached a point where we were consistently closing enough deals per month that it was more economical with hire our first employee. We did a similar calculation in relation to how much time my partner and I spent filtering though emails, following up on document requests, and answering routine questions on the phone, we realized it made sense to also hire a Legal Assistant.  Thank you Diane for taking the time to share some of your valuable wisdom. ICYMI our previous posts featured Sara Forte, Darielle Teitelbaum Darlene Tonelli, Amy Grubb, Emilia Coto, Karen Kwan Anderson, Shamim Ara, Mitchell Rose, Lisa Feldstein, and Ellen Low. Stay tuned for more profiles coming soon.... Do you have a busy law practice but not ready to make your first hire? Let us help. Our freelance lawyers and law clerks assist on an as-needed project basis.
 Running an efficient law firm doesn’t just mean being a good lawyer. It requires several different factors which can be hard to manage! Here are a few of the important habits to implement to make sure your firm is running to its maximum capability:
1. Set up standard processes and procedures. Establish a standardized system (for client intake, file management, file closings, etc.), in order to maintain consistency and order. There are lots of services out there to assist law firms with implementing these standardized systems including Clio, Cosmolex, Lawmatics, etc. Implementing such protocols increases customer results and streamlines your firm’s development. Making sure that these are set up as soon as possible is a key factor in minimizing your overall workload. If issues arise, you can deal with them efficiently and quickly. While keeping this in mind, make sure to remain flexible with these rules. It is important to remember that we are constantly evolving, therefore our systems evolve too! Make sure to stay up to date regarding policy changes. 2. Adapt to new technology. This is one of the hardest parts of running an efficient law firm. Some lawyers may not be very well versed in the technological side of the business and may skip learning how to use the new program or service. They may feel like it is easy to just keep doing things the way they have always been done. This is short-sighted thinking. Dedicating some time to learn and understand these technological systems can greatly benefit you in the long run. 3. Find your niche! This brings a couple different benefits. Most importantly, finding your niche reduces the risk of the firm being spread too thin. It can be stressful for lawyers to get up to speed in unfamiliar areas of law and there is the risk of potentially negligent conduct if you are not competent in that area of law. By specializing in a few specific areas, you can develop the firm’s presence in those practice areas. This can also help with the reputation and marketing of the firm. By limiting your marketing to certain areas, you are able to focus on a more defined group of people. 4.Understand Your Firm’s finances. You are running a business, therefore, you need to understand how to properly manage the working capital within the firm. Having a better understanding of finances can help to make the firm's billing activity much more streamlined and efficient. Additionally, if the process is made simple by the firm, it can make it a lot easier for clients to pay. This increases the overall profitability of the firm. 5. Lastly, a necessary quality of successful law firms is providing excellent customer service. The atmosphere of the firm and lawyers is very important when it comes to creating a relationship with the clients. The communication between lawyers and their clients is a huge component of showing the firm’s respect and values. ------------------------------------------------------ This guest post was researched and written by Flex Legal's summer intern, Alicia Jacob. Alicia is entering her third year of Honours Life Sciences at McMaster University. She is interested in global justice, advocating for education, and marketing. She hopes to pursue a career in law in the future. |
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