Tips on Starting your Own Criminal Law Firm

If done right, starting your own Criminal Law Firm could be your best career move. When you run your own Criminal Law Firm, apart from winning cases for your clients, you learn a ton about other things including managing people, delegating tasks to your subordinates, scheduling activities etc. Thinking about running a successful Criminal Law Firm is one thing and doing it right is an entire new ball game. Especially, when the competition is so huge. According to one report, Australia is producing around 12,000 law graduates a year – a startling figure that has drawn much-concerned industry and academic commentary. To keep things in perspective, consider this- there are only 60,000 working lawyers in Australia!. However, the fact remains that there is tremendous competition in each and every field. And therefore, if you are planning to open your own firm and if you do certain things right, you will easily get ahead of your competitors. We are sure that the following tips will make your journey smoother.

Do the basics right.

Once you have decided to start your own criminal law firm, treat it like a proper business. Getting the basics right is everything in business. As you begin your journey, you need to clear few hurdles which will help you build a solid foundation on which your Criminal law firm will rest. Clearing the hurdles means not just doing the paper and legal work right but it also means clearing any mental blockade including your fear of Failure. You might have this fear because of various factors including lack of experience, information etc. More than anything else, these are mental Barriers. You need to tackle these challenges head on.

Doing the basics right also mean that you need to decide very early how you are going to Schedule various activities, Volunteer when required, teach your subordinates and most importantly when and how are you going to spend time with your family. You also need to Invest in yourself and set Goals for the firm and yourself. The goals should be clearly identified as short term and long term goals. Another important thing to do initially is to develop a Budget keeping “Absolute Necessities” in mind. You also need to factor In Estimated Taxes, rentals, insurance, staff salaries, stationeries etc.

Moreover, once you develop a budget, you need to adhere to it. Start with Small Steps and keep things simple.

Lastly you need to have active Law License. malpractice Insurance etc. ready.

Select your Business Name and Location wisely.

The right business name is very important because all other business legal decisions are based on the business name. Needless to say, your business cards, stationery, and office forms will carry the business name.Moreover, firm’s advertising and marketing materials will feature your business name. Therefore, Your business name will become your identity. As time goes, people will recognize you more from your business name. Choosing the name also means choosing the domain name for your firm’s website. It’s possible that the domain name you are looking for is already taken. You should therefore find a domain name which is more or less similar to your business name.

Similarly, location decisions can have a big impact on costs and revenues. A firm needs to decide on the best location taking into account factors such as:

Clients- is the location convenient for clients?

Staff – Will the location attract good talent with the right skills?

Cost – How much will the premises cost? Premises situated in prime locations, for example city centres, are likely to be far more expensive to rent than edge-of-town premises.

Work on your digital presence.

Do you think that all of your potential clients will visit the physical address of the law firm? If so, it’s high time you to acclimatize to this digital world.In this digital age if your business isn’t listed online, you are missing out on great opportunities. 30% of small businesses with a web presence generate more than 25% of their revenue online.

Irrespective of your business, you need to have an online presence. Yes, your speciality isn’t Search engine optimization(SEO), Social Media Marketing(SMM), building websites etc. but fighting cases for your clients. But if you want to make it big, you need to have a highly optimized digital presence. In this ‘Google’ age, people look for businesses using search engines. For example, people might use the keyword, “best criminal law firm in Sydney” if they are looking for criminal Lawyers in Sydney . If your website and your firm’s online presence is optimized to show results for this keyword, you have a better chance of attracting that client.

Build an easy to navigate Digital Library.

Most of the Criminal Law Firms have a well organized Library. Having an organized library of previous judgments and other helpful resources help you tremendously. Your library can also contain templates for petitions, affidavits, appeals etc. Though the type of case a firm gets may vary, more often than not, you will observe that the ‘new’ case you get has already been adjudged in the courts in some form or another.

Your knowledge of those judgements can make a whole lot of difference. Thankfully, you don’t have to remember thousands of cases. If you have a carefully organized digital library with keyword search facility, things which could take days can be done in a matter of minutes. For example, if you wish to go through the judgement given by the court in Mr. A’s case, you just need to  type keywords related to this case to find the judgement. You may be a hard copy person but having a digital library will serve you in the long run.

Client Satisfaction should be your priority. Always!

Every Law Firm knows how important their official interaction with a new client is. That consultation can make or break your shot at a new contract. Yes marketing your firm through various channels will bring clients every now and then but to get your name out there, you will have to make sure that your each and every client goes out of your firm feeling satisfied.

According to the experts at Sydney Criminal Lawyers, a leading Criminal Law firm in Sydney,  All too often, law firms get clients who go to them after their first previous law firm (or law firms!) let them down. In many cases, the lawyers fail to properly communicate with them, or misadvise them, or fail to fight for their case to be dropped, or didn’t push for the result, or overcharged.

As a Criminal Law firm, your aim should be simple. To serve your client to the best of your abilities. Winning or losing a case is different. However, if your client is sure that you are giving your 100%, he or she will remain satisfied. Moreover, you can expect a lot of referral clients through this. If your firm has dedicated itself towards giving results to your client, it will be reflected in your work, irrespective of the outcome of a case. As a new firm, you might need to work extra hard to win the heart of your first client even if it requires taking advice from experts outside your firm as your firm reputation depends on how satisfied your client is.