4 Mistakes New Law Firm Startups Make

mistakes new law firm legal startup lawyer errors

There’s a lot of potential when it comes to setting up a law practice, but it’s no easy task. While the founders may have the education to back up their talk and also have some experience, they’re also operating in an industry that doesn’t necessarily need another player. That, of course, doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t get their practice underway, but it does mean that success can be slower to arrive than they might expect. To make things less challenging, it’s important to avoid some of the common mistakes that new law firm startups make. We take a look at a few of these below. 

Swanky Offices 

If you have the money to have plush, modern offices, then go ahead: they can give you a slight advantage over your competition. But if the money for offices isn’t there, then they’re not important. New lawyers can think that where they’re working will greatly add to their prestige, but if renting the offices means you have to cut corners elsewhere, then it’s just a foolish decision. Work from wherever you can afford, and wait until the money starts to roll in before you upgrade. 

Not Working With Other People 

You might be trying to set up your own law firm, but that doesn’t mean you should be doing everything by yourself. A law firm will always need other people to help! But it’s not just enough to bring people on board; it’s important to work with the right people. For instance, it’s not advisable just to hire a receptionist; instead, it’s better to work with a company that specializes in law firm answering services. This is because the people who are calling a firm will expect to speak with someone who understands the legal system and associated terms, and a general secretary won’t be able to. Whoever you hire for your business, make sure they’re comfortable in the legal world - it’ll make everything much easier. 

Out Of Their Depth 

In the race to become a success, new lawyers can make bad decisions. Specifically, they try to take on legal cases that they know they’re not ready to handle. You have to learn how to walk before you can run. A law firm might get a boost in the short-term by taking on a complicated case, but it’ll only cause long-term damage if the firm does a substandard job just because they were never really comfortable with the task. 

Forgetting It’s A Business 

It’s the digital age and people are finding their law firms via the internet. As such, it’s imperative that new firms dedicate plenty of effort to marketing their services online. They can do this by ensuring they have a website with excellent SEO, writing blog posts (both for their website and guest blogs), encouraging reviews from clients, and outlining exactly which legal issues they can help with. 

Law Firm Startup Success

Beyond the above, it’s about showing patience, working hard, and ensuring that they’re driven by a desire to help (as opposed to, say, just in it for the money). Avoid these mistakes and your law firm team will be the toast of the legal community!


I hope you enjoyed this blog post about major mistakes to avoid making when you are a law firm startup.

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