While the lyrics of Alice Deejay’s 1999 smash hit Do You Think You’re Better Off Alone are not particularly complex, the consequences of deciding to open your own law practice certainly are.
In the summer of 2023, I took the plunge and opened my own family law practice. For some context, prior to this I had been a lawyer for 11 years and had only worked for small family law firms. The experience of opening my own practice has been exciting and liberating. I am bullish about becoming an entrepreneur and have thus far shared my positive experience with my colleagues.
For this article, I wished to take a slightly different approach than many of the other articles on the OBA Sole and Small Firm Practice website and focus on the reasons why you should consider opening your own practice. This article is especially aimed at associates who, like me, had a taste of the entrepreneurial spirit associated with being a lawyer but wanted more. If you are restless in your current role and/or hungry for change, then turn on your incognito browser if you are reading this in the office because I have some news for you. Below are my thoughts on why you should consider opening your own practice:
- FREEDOM – Yes, I wrote that in all caps deliberately because it cannot be emphasized enough. If you feel stifled in your current position or unable to make decisions without the input of others, then, in my respectful view, being empowered is the magic tonic that cures all. In your own practice, you have the freedom to make all decisions regarding your practice. You are filled with untapped agency. You can create a work schedule that suits your lifestyle and create the ideal environment for you to practice law. You can tailor your business to whatever you wish to accomplish and getting what you want seldom gets old.
- Passion – Do you wish to seize other opportunities that may be related to your practice but not necessarily something your current firm would allow you to take on? Well here comes opportunity knocking because with your own practice you can pursue cases and causes you are enthusiastic about, which can only lead to greater job satisfaction. Who doesn’t want to be happier?
- Brand Control – You have the opportunity to establish and grow your own brand, which can be personally and professionally fulfilling. I enjoyed the process of building my website and learning about marketing. For me, the wearing of many hats when you manage your own law practice makes every day a little bit different and exciting. It was refreshing to be able to not wait on anyone and to chart your own course.
- Responsibility is a blessing – I was initially worried about the administrative obligations of running my own firm, specifically the accounting; however, after opening my own firm I realized that many of my worries were misguided. As a lawyer working in a small firm, I already very familiar with the compliance mandated by the Law Society as part of my everyday practice. Overall, I found the training associated with my practice management software to be robust and helpful. I am organized and a self-starter which has served me well and made me ready to take the next step. In short, I had the keys to success all along but didn’t know how to use them or where to find them. I feel that after working as an associate with little to no input in the management of my previous firms, administrative and compliance obligations are blessings in disguise. They keep you organized to run a well-oiled law practice. I am hopeful that the mandatory requirement for sole practitioner lawyers starting next year will give new sole practitioners more opportunities to succeed. Feel free to disagree with me, but I feel that the additional responsibilities associated with the management of your own law practice are good problems to have compared to the alternative, namely being an associate that has no say or knowledge of the inner workings of the business.
- ENTREPRENUERSHIP – Owning your own law practice changes things and how you view the practice of law. Every success is magnified and feels that much sweeter. You, as the face of the company, are empowered to put in the work to make your practice live up to its full potential. As former Toronto Raptor Fred Van Vleet famously said, “Always bet on yourself”. It hasn’t led me astray yet, maybe it will work for you too.
Overall, starting my own practice has been extremely rewarding. I would highly recommend it to anyone considering making a change. If anything, the experience has brought out my passion and entrepreneurial spirit. I enjoy what I do for a living. If you cannot say the same about your current employment situation, then I hope that this article makes you think about what is getting in the way of your happiness and inspires you to pursue your dreams.
About the author
Andrew Sudano is the principal and owner of Sudano Law PC. He practices family and child protection law. He can be found at www.sudanolaw.ca.
Any article or other information or content expressed or made available in this Section is that of the respective author(s) and not of the OBA.