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It gets much much better; you need to get out asap and find you referral sources to start having a stream come in. The first year can be brutal, especially the first 6-7 months. You just gotta stick it out & run the firm as lean as possible. You can even make money on the side doing independent contractor work for other firms; demand letters for PI firms, motions for civil lit firms, etc.
Keep at it; it really does get better with time.
Depending on what type of law you practice, you should check out Marble Law. You can get a steady stream of cases but they do take a considerable cut, should be good to get you some volume here at the start
I checked into this. It is not available in my state but thank you for the recommendation.
Have you joined any local women’s networking or remote work groups? You can create an informal coffee house meetup to work and socialize for an hour or two on a regular basis. Most of the time when someone finds out you’re a family law attorney they’ll either need help or know someone who does. Also, have you signed up for your bar’s lawyer’s referral service? If yours works the same, you can at least charge something for a consult even if it’s a reduced rate after 30 minutes.
What about sitting in on family court hearings where cases involve child custody? You can stand up and offer to serve as GAL if neither party has one in mind (and even then sometimes judges will appoint the person who’s already there out of convenience).
Also consider that November to around now is slow for family law. Most people who you met with were probably waiting to get past the holidays, are waiting for tax refunds, etc. Most family court business near the end of the year is from people cramming onto dockets for final hearings so they don’t drag things into the new year.
I did attempt to get involved with a BNI group but after I heard that you could only miss 3 meetings per calendar year, I backed off. That doesn’t seem very conducive for families with small children as I have a 3 year old with special needs. Meeting weekly was impossible. Also, since I am a family law attorney, it’s hard to commit to those type of meetings because judges in my area typically set emergency hearings first thing in the morning on their dockets. I love the idea of those type of meetings but I need something with a lot more flexibility than BNI was able to offer.
I haven’t yet signed up for my local bar’s referral service. I’ll be honest, I completely forgot that was even a thing. I’ll be doing that this week! Thank you for the recommendation!
Network. Tell EV.ER.Y. one you know that you started your own firm. Contact colleagues and ask for referrals. Contact friends who may somehow be able to refer to you and ask for referrals (example, my friend is in banking. I asked for her creditor work). Have former clients from somewhere else? Contact them. Literally ask everyone you know for referrals.
I don’t know what state you’re in but my state has a list of attorneys to be appointed as curators to serve for out of state/missing residents/military, etc. Contact your clerk’s office and see if that’s something that’s a possibility. It’s not a ton of money, but it’s something.
You may even be able to contact some bigger firms and see about some contract labor.
Hang in there. It gets so much better.
I started my own family law practice about a year ago. Like another person posted, I partnered with Marble as a contractor and have kept up that relationship. It has been a wonderful situation while I am building my practice. Every state is different so not sure if they are in your state, but I would highly recommend checking it out.
Thank you! I did check and unfortunately, Marble is not available in my state.
what makes you stand out? try to define a niche that matches your expertise. that might take some research and intense CLE. what about pre-nups or alternative agreements for unmarried couples? unusual custody situations? do you speak a foreign language? knowledgeable about protecting family-owned businesses through a divorce? pro bono might be a way to meet potential referral sources and sharpen your skills- it sounds like you have the time for this now— but not for much longer 😃
So funny story…I actually reached out to our Legal Aid program to offer my time for simple divorces. The first client I was assigned ghosted.
Have you explored working with legal insurance companies like ARAG, MetLife, or Texas Legal? It’s a great place to start (even though they don’t pay a ton per client) because they refer you business and then word of mouth can work for you.
What kind of case law and what state? People here always looking to refer cases
Kentucky family law
Are you in the fb lawyer on the beach group? There are a lot of solo family practitioners in that group, and maybe you can get more practice-specific advice?
I actually tried to join early last week but I’ve not been approved yet. Hoping to get approved soon because this was recommended on another platform.
Hustle and take some coverage attorney cases on days when you’re free. You can easily stack 4 small claims cases on one calendar and earn a quick couple hundred dollars. Look at Docketly as an example.
Perhaps also host a free clinic for first responders on basic wills (if that’s a comfort area). Easy way to get your name out and garner some free press
Hang in there. The goal of year 1 is always to get to year 2.
I supplemented income in the past by teaching business law part-time at the local college. It didn’t pay great but it was an easy gig one night per week. The school provided the curriculum and lesson plans. I just showed up and lectured for an hour or two. I suspect many schools are in the middle of filling spots for summer and fall so maybe it’s a good time to reach out if you’re interested.
You’ve got to run your practice like a business.
Out of the gate.
So right now I would be speaking with other firm owners and doing coffee every day with someone that can refer you business. Get with every pi lawyer and lawyers in other areas of practice and ask for referrals. Build relationships.
Every day.
Coffees are your cheapest marketing option.
Also did you put thought, time and effort into building your personal brand on LinkedIn? It takes time and effort but is definitely worth it.
As 1 other poster said, “marketing, marketing and more marketing.”
Do you have a business plan with all the boxes ticked off? Financing options, strategic alliances, sales and marketing etc?
There are a lot of options for free resources for new law firm owners to get very valuable information and guidance, like podcasts etc. it requires daily study.
I’m also happy to talk offline.
The issue with a post like this and singular responses of “you should do x” is there is no singular right answer. And it’s a complex question because every situation is unique.
If your savings are almost depleted you’re not in a great place to start building unless you can figure out the short term, medium term and long term issues. You have to get cases in the door. Hope is not a plan.
Did you get a line of credit before opening your practice?
Sounds like you have a hard time signing clients. How are you closing the conversation? If they are going to sign with you, they will do it right there. If they are interested, print a retainer and have them sign it during the consultation. Rammit sethis earnable class if focused on general entrepreneurship but has applicable principles.