What is Solo Law Practice?
Solo practice means running your own law firm as a single attorney, without partners or other lawyer employees. You're responsible for everything: finding clients, doing the legal work, managing finances, and running the business side of your practice.
About one-third of all practicing attorneys in the United States are solo practitioners. They range from new attorneys "hanging their shingle" right out of law school to experienced attorneys who've left firms to build practices aligned with their values and lifestyle goals.
Solo Practice by the Numbers
% of Lawyers: ~33% are solo
Median Income: ~$100,000
Top Earners: $300K-$500K+
Startup Costs: $5K-$15K typical
Overhead: 30-50% of revenue
Time to Profit: 6-18 months
Solo Practice Income Potential
Solo income varies dramatically based on practice area, location, marketing effectiveness, and years in practice. There's no salary floor but also no ceiling - you earn what you can generate.
| Practice Area | Year 1-2 | Year 3-5 | Established (5+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Injury (Contingency) | $30K-$80K | $100K-$200K | $200K-$500K+ |
| Family Law | $50K-$80K | $100K-$150K | $150K-$300K |
| Criminal Defense | $40K-$70K | $80K-$130K | $130K-$250K |
| Estate Planning | $50K-$90K | $100K-$175K | $175K-$350K |
| Immigration | $60K-$100K | $120K-$180K | $180K-$400K |
| Small Business/Transactional | $50K-$80K | $100K-$150K | $150K-$300K |
Note: These are gross revenues. After overhead (30-50%), take-home pay is lower. Location significantly impacts these ranges.
Best Practice Areas for Solos
Not all practice areas work well for solo practitioners. The best areas have steady demand, manageable complexity, and don't require teams of lawyers or massive capital.
Great for Solos
- Family Law: Steady demand, emotional clients who want personal attention, repeat referrals
- Personal Injury: Contingency fees mean cash flow challenges but high upside. Can build with marketing.
- Criminal Defense: Constant demand, can specialize (DUI, drug cases). Cash business.
- Estate Planning: Recurring clients, referral-based, scalable with systems.
- Immigration: Growing demand, repeat clients, flat-fee friendly.
- Real Estate: Transaction-based, scalable, relationships with agents.
Challenging for Solos
- Complex Litigation: Requires teams, expensive discovery, years to resolve.
- M&A/Corporate: Sophisticated clients expect large firm resources.
- Securities: High barriers, regulatory complexity, institutional clients.
- Patent Prosecution: Technical requirements, USPTO relationships favor firms.
- Class Actions: Requires capital for years before payout.
Startup Costs for a Solo Practice
Minimum Viable Solo Practice: $5,000-$15,000
Required (~$3,000-$5,000)
- State bar dues and registration: $200-$500
- Malpractice insurance: $1,500-$3,000/year
- Basic technology (computer, software): $1,000-$2,000
- Business registration and EIN: $100-$300
- Bank account and trust account: $0-$500
Recommended (~$2,000-$5,000)
- Practice management software: $50-$200/month
- Professional website: $500-$2,000
- Virtual office or mailing address: $100-$300/month
- Legal research (Westlaw/Lexis): $100-$400/month
- Accounting software: $20-$50/month
Optional but Valuable (~$0-$5,000)
- Physical office space: $500-$2,000/month
- Marketing budget: $500-$2,000 to start
- Virtual assistant or answering service: $200-$500/month
- Professional headshots and branding: $300-$1,000
Lean Startup Approach: Many successful solos started with just a laptop, malpractice insurance, and a cell phone. You can add office space, staff, and other overhead as revenue grows. Don't over-invest before you have clients.
How to Start a Solo Law Practice
1. Choose Your Practice Area(s)
Focus on 1-2 practice areas initially. Consider: your training and experience, local demand, competition level, profitability, and personal interest. Niching down makes marketing easier and builds expertise faster.
2. Handle Legal Requirements
Register your business entity (LLC or PC), obtain malpractice insurance, set up trust accounting, register with state bar, and ensure compliance with all attorney advertising rules in your jurisdiction.
3. Set Up Your Systems
Choose practice management software (Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther), set up billing systems, create engagement letters and fee agreements, establish document management, and create intake processes.
4. Build Your Presence
Create a professional website, set up Google Business Profile, establish social media presence, print business cards, and create your online attorney profiles (Avvo, Martindale, etc.).
5. Start Marketing
Tell everyone you know. Join bar associations and networking groups. Build referral relationships. Consider paid advertising (Google Ads, LSAs). Write content that demonstrates expertise. Get reviews from clients.
6. Get Your First Clients
Take court appointments, do contract work for other attorneys, offer free consultations, tap your personal network, and consider competitive pricing while building your reputation.
Marketing Your Solo Practice
Marketing is the #1 skill that separates successful solos from struggling ones. You must consistently generate new clients while serving existing ones.
Free/Low-Cost Marketing
- Referrals from happy clients
- Referrals from other attorneys
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Content marketing (blog, videos)
- Social media presence
- Bar association involvement
- Community networking
Paid Marketing
- Google Local Services Ads (LSAs)
- Google Ads (PPC)
- Facebook/Instagram ads
- Lawyer directories (Avvo, FindLaw)
- SEO services
- Sponsorships and events
- Legal lead services (use carefully)
Golden Rule: The best marketing is doing great work for clients. One satisfied client who refers 3 friends is worth more than any ad campaign. Focus on client experience first, then amplify with marketing.
Pros and Cons of Solo Practice
Advantages
- ✓ Complete autonomy and control
- ✓ Keep 100% of profits (after overhead)
- ✓ Choose your clients and cases
- ✓ Flexible schedule and location
- ✓ Direct client relationships
- ✓ Build equity in your own business
- ✓ No office politics or billable requirements
Challenges
- ✗ No guaranteed income
- ✗ Must handle all business operations
- ✗ Isolation - no colleagues to consult
- ✗ No employer benefits (health insurance, 401k)
- ✗ Marketing is your responsibility
- ✗ Cash flow can be unpredictable
- ✗ Hard to take time off
When to Start a Solo Practice
Good Candidates for Solo Practice
- Self-motivated and disciplined
- Comfortable with uncertainty and risk
- Good at business development and networking
- Some savings or financial runway (6-12 months expenses)
- Practice area experience (2-5+ years ideal)
- Strong local network or niche expertise
- Entrepreneurial mindset
Maybe Wait If...
- No savings and significant debt obligations
- No experience in your intended practice area
- Uncomfortable with sales and self-promotion
- Need structure and oversight to be productive
- Strongly prefer team environments
- Risk-averse personality
Essential Tools for Solo Practitioners
Practice Management
Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther, or Smokeball. Handles calendaring, billing, time tracking, and case management.
Legal Research
Westlaw Edge, Lexis+, Fastcase (often free through bar), or CaseMine. Essential for quality legal work.
Accounting
QuickBooks Online or Xero. Track income, expenses, and ensure trust accounting compliance.
Document Automation
HotDocs, Lawyaw, or Woodpecker. Create templates for common documents to save time.
Communication
Zoom for video calls, Dialpad or RingCentral for business phone, Slack or Teams for messaging.
E-Signature
DocuSign or HelloSign. Get engagement letters and documents signed quickly.
Learn from Successful Solo Attorneys
Connect with solo practitioners who've built thriving practices. Get real advice on starting out, finding clients, and building a sustainable law firm.
Find a Solo Practice Mentor