New lawyers graduate each year from Law School. Associates leave Big Law practices every day. Everyone is pursuing the American Dream of owning their own business; to be your own boss. As a manager, it is important that you consider the tools you intend to employ in your legal practice.
There are practical tools to support those who have chosen the Solo Practitioner path. One very important tool is a library of legal forms. Instead of borrowing from friends who are in the same boat as you, consider an online service that provides unlimited access to all of your forms. They offer unlimited downloads at a price that fits Solo Attorney’s budget.
Having been in the legal industry for over five years, I find that the conversations I have with new law school graduates are the same over and over again. When I ask them why they’re signing up, they reply, “I’m tired of borrowing from my friends” or “I spend more time on the phone looking for a form than actually doing the legal work on the form.” Time is precious to everyone involved; you, your friends, and most importantly, the client.
What’s even more interesting is when freelancers, who have been practicing law for years or decades, continue to sign up for the service. They are amazed when they find the library, they are impressed when they see the quality. Some can use the legal forms service on a daily basis, while others can only download one form every two months. Either way, the fee structure for this type of arrangement is affordable and practical for the attorney alone, as it eliminates timed usage and additional charges. In fact, they charge a flat fee.
When considering a library for your practice, keep these common situations in mind:
- A client walks through your door and needs a power of attorney, simple will, or bill of sale. CONDITION!
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The opposing council sends him a motion he has never had practice with, and he must respond within twenty-four hours.
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It’s the end of the day, or worse, it’s the end of the day on Friday. You must file a motion before court closes.
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It is the weekend. You don’t want to go to the office. You want to do work from home.
An online legal forms library solves all of these problems. It has online access so you can access the library from anywhere at any time. The library is always open, at any time of the day. The quality is high, this particular library provides state-specific forms and multi-jurisdictional forms for use in legal practice.
Particularly with newly graduated attorneys, having a resource like this is affordable given the realities of going it alone. While traditional publishers will charge you through the nose, let your logic be your guide. The first goal is “how do I get my practice off the ground and not get more in debt than I already am?”
Consider tools like the library type discussed here. And while you’re at it, consider other non-traditional providers/publishers in this Internet age. The days when the legal industry was dominated by traditional publishers are fading, companies like FormsPass are instrumental in making the legal profession more effective and efficient with the lone attorney in mind.