Are you tired of working for someone else? Have you always dreamed of being your own boss? Whatever the reason, you may be at a point where you are thinking about starting your own law firm. If you are, it is essential to start planning well in advance of the day you hang your shingle. A great place to start is Lawyers Mutual’s Opening a Law Firm Toolkit. The toolkit will walk you through all the steps you will need to take to open your firm. The guide also provides sample forms for everything from engagement letters to invoice forms to client intake forms.

You will need to decide on a name for your firm and a suitable location. Are you going to lease or own or work from your home?  You will need to purchase insurance for the firm. How much malpractice coverage do you need? What kind of property and casualty insurance should you get? Lawyers Mutual and Lawyers Insurance Agency can help with all these needs.

 You must also decide on what kind of software and practice management products you plan to use. You might want to consult with a law office technology expert like Erik Mazzone for that. If you are insured with Lawyers Mutual, you are entitled to 3 free hours of Erik’s time to assist with these kinds of issues.

You will then need to decide how you are going to market your new firm. Camille Stell at Lawyers Mutual Consulting & Services is a great resource for this. You will also want to find someone who can help you create an effective website that will attract business to your firm.

You will need to set up your trust account and become familiar with the State Bar’s trust account rules. Keep a copy of the North Carolina State Bar Trust Account Handbook available at all times for quick reference. 

These and numerous other issues are addressed in the toolkit. There is a Checklist in the toolkit that you can use to make sure that you address all the matters that need to be handled before you open your doors. 

Assuming you have selected Lawyers Mutual as your malpractice carrier, you can continue to rely on our Claims Department and Client Services staff to help with questions as they arise. You don’t have to wait for a claim to call us. It is what makes us different from other malpractice carriers. We are here to help you not only to respond to claims, but also to provide assistance to make sure a claim doesn’t get made in the first place. 

By taking the time to plan and put procedures in place on the front end, you will be able to more easily shift gears to helping clients once you open your doors.