Going Solo is Simple, It's Just not Easy

I borrowed the title of this post from a little wall decoration hanging in my kitchen that says "Life is simple, it's just not easy."  Boy that is the truth.  Life happens whether we are paying attention or not.  When you look at it that way it is not reasonable to analogize Life to Going Solo, but it is still an appropriate comparison for many reasons. 

The main reason I say Going Solo is simple is because all you need is a law license, a computer, a phone, a printer and an internet connection and you can open up your solo law firm.  When you look at what you actually need to buy, lease, or own to practice law the list is very short.  With that in mind I would say that all licensed attorneys already have the required assets to open a solo law practice.  The next and most important attribute is the desire and determination to make it successful. 

My perspective can be traced back to the period of time in my life that I found myself "technically" unemployed after the solo practitioner boss decided to close up shop after I had been working with him for two month.  At the time I had been out of law school for a year and a half and I was eager to make the transition from a larger litigation firm to an established small estate planning practice.  Needless to say things didn't work out for those plans since the solo attorney decided he wanted to return to his true solo roots.  For the next month I did what any self-respecting product of today's law school career service centers would do, I updated and sent out resumes and cover letters.  I was also taking classes towards my Master's degree in Taxation during that Fall semester.  It did not take long for me to realize that resumes and cover letters were sucking the life out of me.  On top of that I was constantly reminded by friends and family about my unemployed status.  Then it donned on me.  I was a licensed attorney, right?  I had a computer, a printer, and most importantly the time to practice law.  What then separated me from actually practicing law as a solo attorney?  Technically nothing separated me other than my own reluctance to take the plunge.  So instead of answering people's questions about my job hunt or perceived unemployment, I began telling people "Licensed attorneys are never technically unemployed as long as are willing and able to provide legal services."  With those words I unknowingly began my journey into solo law practice.  So armed with my new found confidence, my law license, and my home office equipped with a two year old laptop and an inkjet printer, I decided to take on a few small estate planning matters.  All told my first experience as a solo attorney was great.  But as it is often the case in life, irony decided to peer its ugly head.   After a few weeks out on my own I received a call back from a firm I had previously submitted a resume.  They were very interested and the kicker was it was back in my wife's hometown, Appleton, where we had always planned to move when she was done with school.  The prospect of a full-time job was very appealing to us as our situation at the time consisted of me finishing up my master's of taxation part-time and my wife finishing up her doctorate of physical therapy full-time.  We had a mortgage, student loans and no health insurance.  The call back and the next month and a half effectively quashed my solo dreams.  Life is simple, but the decisions we make are anything but easy.

I retreated from my original foray into solo practice for about 18 months.  That year and a half was filled with great opportunities, great people and great experiences.  On more than one occasion I thought about my one month of solo practice in the Fall of 2005.  In the end the voice in my head became too loud to ignore any longer.  Now I am going into my fifth month of solo practice.  Once again going solo was simple, but it is not easy.  It is a lot of work to build and run a solo law firm.  As the owner and managing attorney you are the face and driving force of the firm. 

If you look at a solo practice as the easy way to practice law or the easy way to make money, I would ask you to think again.  There is nothing easy about the practice of law or about making money.  If it were easy than logic would tell us more people would do it and be successful at it.  It is still work.  Most times it is a lot of work.  However, in my brief experiences as a solo attorney I have found that it is a more rewarding type of work than that of an employed attorney.  There is something to be said about building something with your own blood, sweat and tears.  There is also something about seeing your thoughts, actions and advice flying under the flag of your own law firm.

At the end of the day you just have to decide upon one of the many paths that are present at the proverbial fork in the road and then you have to stick with it.  I am convinced that life is whatever we desire it to be.  I asked a wish woman once what one thing she hoped to achieve during her lifetime.  Her answer has intrigued and baffled me for over 5 years including 3 years of marriage.  She said all she hoped for was to be content.  I asked why she didn't say that she wanted to be happy, since that is typically what everyone says.  She said that being content encompassed happiness and avoided the emotional roller coaster associated with never appreciating what you have.  When you decide upon a path and you dedicate yourself to following that path you may just be content with your pursuits.  It also helps you appreciate the things you have so that you don't take them for granted. 

If you are asking yourself if you can start your own solo law practice, then my answer would be that you definitely can.  But, do it because you have decided, wholeheartedly to take that path in life.  Also do yourself a favor and keep it as simple as you can.  Believe me you will be happy you did.

Comments

[Susan Cartier Liebel]

Nathan,

Isn't it funny. When you look back on your trepidation before opening your practice would you have believed in such a short period of time you would be writing as you are? Or is it possible (and more realistic) you would have definitely been writing as you are because you knew you had a dream and just were waiting to arrive at this point in the journey? As many of my guest bloggers write...the only thing holding them back is the self-imposed fear...but the desire for this type of practice has to be there or you can never reach the 'contentment.' Congratulations.

[St. Louis Solo]

Thanks for the great post. As someone who is in the planning stages of starting his own firm, you story was inspiring. I particularly liked your comments about choosing the solo "path."

I am not looking for something that is easy - I am looking for something that is uniquely tailored to my strengths and allows me to lead the life I choose.

[Paul Rabalais]

Nathan,

Just wanted to say I enjoyed reading your posts. I started my solo estate planning practice 14 years ago. Since then, I've helped my wife raise our five kids, coached 40+ ball teams, never missed a game or activity, and couldn't live without the freedom and control. Sure, I've worked hard but the benefits of solo life are huge. Keep up the good blogging. Later.

Paul Rabalais