If I Were Opening a Law Firm Today, These Are the 7 Things I’d Do (EP 211)
Episode Summary
Most lawyers open a firm because they’re good at law, not because they know how to run a business. A few years in, the pressure catches up with them.
In this episode, I share the seven things I’d do from day one if I were starting again. I built my own firm to the point where it ran without me, and I’ve since coached hundreds of firm owners. The pattern I see most is building a practice first and a business later. Whether you’re about to launch or ten years in, this is a practical look at how to manage a law firm on solid foundations.
It’s always easier to build structure in than bolt it on.
What We'll Cover
- Designing your firm before you open the doors
- Pricing for profit, not just revenue
- Documenting systems from your first matter
- Why referrals alone aren’t a growth strategy
- The right first hire, and the one most owners get wrong
- Building AI and technology into your foundations
- Protecting time to work on the business
What You'll Learn
- How to manage a law firm as a business, not just a busy practice
- Seven practical actions you can start this week
- Why support from law firm coaching or a peer group saves you years
Free Resources
- Exit Readiness Scorecard to find out the one score that reveals how saleable your firm really is.
- Book a free law firm growth call to talk through your billing and cashflow setup
Are You Building a Practice or a Business?
If you didn’t do any of this at the start, you’re in good company. As a law firm business coach, I help owners rebuild the structure underneath their growth so the firm doesn’t rely on them for everything. If you want to learn how to manage a law firm that runs better without you, book a law firm growth call with my team.
Structure creates freedom.
Who Do You Know Who’s Thinking About Going Out on Their Own?
Know a lawyer who’s about to open their own firm? Or an owner a few years in who’s working harder for themselves than they ever did for someone else? Maybe they’re still doing all the admin, or every question in the firm still comes back to them.
Send them this episode. It might be the nudge they need to build the business, not just the practice.
And if this episode made you look at your own foundations differently, I’d love to hear about it.
Share your biggest takeaway on social media and tag me. I love seeing the changes you’re making in your firm, even small ones like blocking out two hours of owner time or recording your first SOP. Over time, those small changes make a big difference.
- Apple Podcasts: Listen on Apple
- Spotify: Listen on Spotify
- YouTube: Watch on YouTube
