Creating a law firm from scratch. How to properly open your own law firm from scratch. Law firm staff

There are not many service sectors whose popularity does not depend on seasonality, currency fluctuations, economic situation and other factors.

Due to their constant need, such services are in great demand. These can rightly include legal ones. This category of offers occupies a serious market segment.

At the same time, by engaging in such activities, you can be completely confident in a stable income. After all, regardless of any circumstances, disputes will arise between people and organizations, and it will be necessary to defend their rights and interests. Therefore, legal services will be constantly needed.

This is all the more obvious if we take into account the results of analytical studies. According to them, the number of appeals from citizens and enterprises to various courts is only increasing every year. And in any case, it is impossible to do without the help of a qualified lawyer.

What documents are needed to open a legal business?

Such a business can exist in several variants:

Advocacy

Practicing law is possible only after passing exams and obtaining the appropriate permit.

In this case, the candidate submits documents and pays a fee in favor of the bar association of his region. After some time, you will need to submit documents and receive a lawyer’s certificate of the established form.

Only after this, the lawyer acquires this status and receives the right to defend himself in criminal cases.

No one except a lawyer has the right to defend the accused and defendants. A person who does not have such status will simply not be allowed to be protected.

In addition, the lawyer needs to choose the form of carrying out his activities. He can join a board or work individually. In the second case, it is called a lawyer's office.

Lawyer

In this case, it will be enough to register an individual entrepreneur at the tax office and receive a certificate of registration as an individual entrepreneur. In documents about the type of activity, you will need to indicate legal services.

Then the lawyer will be able to provide services. At the same time, no one will ask for documents that would confirm the legal education received. It is precisely this freedom of action that is associated with numerous demands from the legal community to exclude lawyers who do not have their status and their number of possible participants in the trial.

However, this form of activity is completely legal today and is unlikely to change in the coming years.

Having received a certificate of registration as an entrepreneur, you receive the right to work directly.

Organization of a legal services company

This option is the most difficult because it involves serious investments. After all, you will need to rent or purchase premises. It will be necessary to hire employees and so on.

You can start this business from scratch only if you have financial reserves.

Therefore, for those who do not have the opportunity for large-scale investments, the best option is to provide legal services as an individual entrepreneur.

This will avoid large investments and provide the opportunity to start your own successful business from scratch.

How to choose a direction of activity

The fact is that the range of legal services is quite wide and includes the following areas:

• providing assistance in criminal cases. This may be expressed in the preparation of complaints, appeals and petitions, counseling, as well as the preparation of documents for the courts of appeal and cassation. Work with already convicted people who are serving their sentences can also be included in this category. In this case, we are talking about preparing documents for early release, expungement of a criminal record, etc.;
• providing assistance in civil cases. This is the largest group of services. This activity includes work on cases of alimony collection, consideration of property disputes, and debt collection.

Claims that are filed under the law on the protection of the rights of entrepreneurs also fall into this category. This also includes litigation in family matters, including the division of property.

It seems that it is more correct to choose several of the closest directions and work along them. Thus, you will be able to achieve the best results when starting your legal business from scratch.

Participation in the consideration of arbitration cases. This area of ​​legal services is the most specific. It is regulated by the Arbitration Code and is fundamentally different from any other types of legal activity.

Such cases are dealt with by arbitration judges. They consider claims related to bankruptcy and disputes between enterprises.

As a rule, we are talking about multi-million dollar disputes. Therefore, without the appropriate experience and knowledge, it is not worth trying to succeed in arbitration.

How to Succeed Starting a Legal Business from Scratch

In order to become successful and start earning serious money, you need to follow several rules:

• Don't do things you're not good at. If you need or are interested in trying something new, it’s better to start small. For example, from drawing up statements of claim. And it is better to postpone the direct representation of the client’s interests in court until the time when solid experience has been accumulated;
• In all cases, you need to protect your reputation. There is nothing more important for a lawyer. He will not be able to hide behind another name, like a company. Name and reputation are the things that feed a lawyer. They are the ones who provide the flow of customers. Honesty and literacy become known and bring a stable income. At the same time, the opinion of customers is the best advertising. Few people will turn to a completely unfamiliar lawyer. This is even more true if we are talking about a serious matter. As a rule, such businesses are the most profitable. And a recommendation or positive review will always serve a lawyer well;
• You need to understand that the risk is acceptable, but only in extreme cases. After all, the lawyer does not risk his own interests, but puts the interests of the client at risk. This only increases his responsibility. Therefore, everything a lawyer does goes into his personal piggy bank. Unsuccessful cases or incorrectly drafted claims are not something critical. But deceiving the client, abusing his trust, or even simple non-compliance - these things are unacceptable.

This has not only a moral aspect, but also a completely economic component. Being honest and professional, a lawyer will always be needed and will earn great money.

Many citizens have more than once found themselves in situations where ignorance of the intricacies of the law became the cause of major troubles associated with the loss of property or infringement of non-property rights. Therefore, today few people rely on their own knowledge and strength in this area. When it comes to protecting interests from unlawful attacks, people are looking for lawyers who are able to competently solve the problem for an adequate fee. This is the main basis for a business such as the provision of legal services.

How to start making money on legal services

Many lawyers who have specialized education and experience in their specialty periodically get excited about the idea of ​​​​creating their own legal business. Three main points stop us: lack of start-up capital, fear of competition, lack of faith in our own strengths. But is it really that scary?

Judging by the reviews of successful representatives of the legal business, then no. The main thing is to start wisely and work tirelessly to build the company’s reputation.

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Who can start a legal business?

In fact, today anyone can create their own legal business from scratch in the format of a legal services company. To organize such activities you do not need to have a legal education yourself. It is enough to be a good organizer and administrator, have business connections in this field of activity and have a start-up capital of at least 200 thousand rubles. By the way, a novice entrepreneur can apply for.

In this format of work, the founder of the company attracts hired lawyers and pays them an agreed percentage of the amounts that clients pay as payment for services rendered. Under such contractual conditions, several specialized lawyers can work in a company.

One lawyer can organize an agency to provide legal services on his own. To do this, you do not need to be a lawyer or obtain a special license; the following will suffice:

• register an individual entrepreneur or LLC with the appropriate code for the type of main activity according to OKVED (69.10 - “Activities in the field of law”);
• rent an office;
• conduct an advertising campaign;
• solve assigned problems efficiently.

A law office can only be organized by a specialist who has a certificate to practice law. If a budding entrepreneur has such a certificate, then all he needs is a room for an office and advertising in local media.

If you plan to work as an individual entrepreneur, you will need it. The sequence of actions of a businessman when legalizing a business.

Do you want to create a limited liability company? Then read.

Startup costs

You can start in the legal business with very minimal investments: about 50 thousand rubles - the first payment for renting premises. But such a start is suitable for lawyers who can provide services independently and are willing to go through the transition phase while the young company gains its own clients and achieves positive profit figures. This period can last from three months to six months.

Those entrepreneurs who want to enter the market and immediately make a name for themselves should plan for a larger launch. It must include:

• concluding a contract with one or more reputable lawyers who are already working with clients;
• large-scale PR campaign in the local business community and in the press;
• own website.

The implementation of the above measures will require at least 300 thousand rubles. Separately, office costs (purchase or rental, repairs and furniture) must be taken into account. If you lack your own funds to start your own business, you can take.

Necessary material and technical base for legal business

When planning where to start a legal business, don't forget about a lawyer's office. There are no regulatory requirements for the premises in which legal services are provided, but practice has shown that both the lawyers themselves and clients care about both the office environment and its functional content. Basic requirements from practice:

• business comfort, calm colors and lighting;
• the presence in the interior of details that will help clients relieve emotional stress;
• high-quality and multifunctional office equipment, as well as privacy features (safes, eavesdropping protection, etc.).

Equipment for one such office costs from 200 thousand rubles. If the company has several such offices plus a reception area, then the cost of arrangement will cost at least 500 thousand rubles.

If a law firm has lawyers working full time, then the right solution would be to provide laptops to employees. This step will increase the lawyer’s responsiveness to problems that arise with the client.

Promotion of legal services on the market

Today, the question of how to develop a legal business is one of the main issues on the agenda in the legal business community. There are several problems: false advertising, lack of reliable mechanisms for control over the activities of a lawyer, which causes distrust on the part of clients, difficulties in transitioning legal services to a digital format.

Those entrepreneurs who can effectively solve these problems automatically arouse trust and interest among clients. With such lawyers, you can quickly and competently solve all problems that arise, and, accordingly, these are the main directions of the policy for promoting legal services on the market.

Reliable guarantees for clients are a stumbling block that can only be circumvented in a comprehensive manner: at the first stage, formulate the tasks as clearly as possible and inform the client in detail about the likely results of solving the problem, as well as provide for the financial liability of the lawyer for poor performance of the assigned tasks, and at the second stage, conscientiously comply with the initial agreements.

Establishing communication with clients in a digital format is a promising direction for the development of legal services as a business. Today, there are a large number of young entrepreneurs working in the market in all areas of activity who do not want to waste their time traveling to the office of a law firm, but are willing to work in online consultation mode with an agreed payment. For a law firm that will develop this area, a large-scale market will open up, extending far beyond the boundaries of the city where the office is registered.

Legal services can be not only an independent business, but also one of the areas of activity of an outsourcing company. Read it and see why this format is interesting.

Real estate activities offer good opportunities for earning money. Consider an example. Opening such a company does not require large investments.

Is it difficult to open a law firm? What permissions are needed for this? Where to start and how to finish it? How strong is the competition in the market? From our article you will get answers to all your questions, after which you will not be perplexed by the question of how to open a law firm.

Business Description

The law firm provides paid legal services to private and corporate clients, advising on various issues: from registration of an organizational form to divorce proceedings.

The company can work in several directions:

1. One-time consultations for individuals. This includes all types of law (from civil and criminal to banking and administrative), representation of interests in court and government agencies, acting in the interests of the client by proxy. The advantages of such work are the ability to quickly find customers, the disadvantages are the average and low solvency of the main target group.
2. One-time consultations for legal entities. Legal assistance is provided already at the stage of company registration, upon obtaining special permits, as well as during interaction with government authorities. The undoubted advantage is high rates for services provided, the disadvantage is the possible hidden insolvency of the client (it can be more difficult to collect money from corporate clients than from private clients).
3. Work with legal entities under an outsourcing agreement (subscription services). In this case, the company becomes the client’s partner and takes on all tasks related to legal management and personnel work (registration of employees, contractual relations, interaction with government agencies). The advantage is regular payment, the disadvantages are a wide range of issues to be resolved (from the sale of real estate to appealing against illegal actions and decisions of law enforcement agencies).
4. Services for individuals and legal entities under individual contracts. The premium segment of the market is private consultations for very wealthy clients. Such persons need “their own lawyers” who can be entrusted with confidential information. The advantage is high wages, the disadvantage is difficulties in finding clients.

So, a law firm must take its place in the legal services market, that is, find a niche that is more or less free from competitors. It is worth noting that new areas of work are constantly emerging in this area. For example, 3-4 years ago, registering an online store in payment terminals was an exotic service; today dozens of companies offer it.

Business target audience:

1. Individuals facing legal problems. The range of potential consultations is very wide: family, civil, housing, administrative, tax law. Therefore, it is necessary to decide on a narrower target group and concentrate on certain tasks.
2. Small firms in need of ongoing legal assistance. Such companies engage legal organizations under outsourcing agreements. In fact, the counterparty takes on all the legal work of the partner, establishing the principles of payment (fixed, premium).
3. Medium and large companies that need one-time advice on a complex issue. Questions may arise in the field of economic, customs, and administrative law. To provide effective assistance, law firm specialists must have good knowledge of specific issues.
4. Small and medium-sized companies in need of a specific service. This could be purchasing equipment on lease, obtaining a loan, commercial mortgage, etc. The law firm will accompany the transaction, or select a counterparty, ensure legal security, etc.
5. Foreign companies in need of representation in Russia. These clients are the most interesting, since you can get high payments from them. Foreign companies require a full range of services: registration, submission of reports, obtaining licenses, interaction with government agencies.

Is there a special procedure for opening law firms?

To create a lawyer’s education (office, board, bureau), according to the Federal Law “On advocacy and the legal profession in the Russian Federation,” it is necessary to obtain the appropriate status. Persons wishing to establish such an organization must pass a qualification exam and take an oath. At the same time, the “tests” will be more than rewarded, because lawyers have a wide range of rights and powers: representing the interests of the principal (defendant) in civil (criminal) proceedings, sending requests to various organizations, conducting written surveys of citizens.

In addition, to conduct private notarial activities in accordance with Part 3 of the Federal Law “On Notaries”, it is necessary to obtain a license. To count on it, you will need to pass a qualifying exam, after which you can open your own office. A notary engaged in private practice has the right to rent an office, hire employees, and keep a bank account.

A special permit, according to the Federal Law "On Licensing of Certain Types of Activities", is necessary only for conducting private detective activities (the licensing authority is the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia). This area is extremely promising for such areas of legal work as debt collection, alimony obligations, and transaction support.

For other areas of legal activity, licenses and other special permits are not provided. Moreover: many recognized experts in the field of customs law and foreign economic activity do not have higher education at all.

Finding a promising direction for work

The legal world is very wide, and there are really many areas to work here. Some firms concentrate exclusively on customs law (clearance of goods), others on the construction industry, and still others on registration services. Some areas of activity are disappearing (notarization of real estate transactions), others are just emerging (e-commerce support). Let's try to evaluate several promising areas that currently have average supply, and find out the potential demand for certain services.

We have identified several areas of interest in the modern market:

1. Collection of debts under receipts and loan agreements using legal methods (preparing claims, applications to law enforcement agencies, writing statements of claim).
2. Support of enforcement proceedings (decision, order, ruling that has entered into legal force).
3. Legal services in the field of construction (enforcement of contract performance, claiming penalties, conducting examinations).
4. Legal assistance to foreigners (application to government agencies, purchase of real estate, participation in administrative, civil and criminal proceedings).
5. Assistance in obtaining a residence permit and citizenship (assistance in finding employment in Russia, preparation of necessary documents, support for foreigners).
6. Appealing illegal decisions of law enforcement agencies (resolutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Investigative Committee, the prosecutor's office).

Note: A relevant niche in current market conditions is protecting the rights of borrowers before lenders (for example, the StopLoan franchise).

Assessment of demand for promising areas of activity:

Main methods of promotion:

1. Internet advertising. For all the areas we have identified, contextual advertising Google.Adwords and Yandex.Direct work well. The effect of marketing activities will be felt within 2-3 weeks after the launch of the project. In the medium and long term, good conversion can be achieved by SEO promotion, that is, filling the site with optimized articles.
2. Participation in free consultation services. A number of popular websites for providing legal assistance to citizens allow specialists, when answering questions, to provide their contact information, that is, to advertise. But, given the lack of territorial reference (don’t even think about the vastness of Russia), getting a large number of clients will not be easy.
3. Conducting trainings and seminars. To promote such services as subscription services for legal entities, as well as legal support for foreign companies, organizing working meetings for managers and heads of departments is promising. You can also charge a fee for participation in thematic trainings and seminars, but this is associated with other organizational costs.
4. Preparation of business proposals. When promoting subscription legal services for companies, targeted mailings will help you find clients. In the business proposal, it is necessary to outline possible cooperation algorithms and indicate the cost of the company’s services.
5. "Cold calls". Most small and medium-sized companies cannot maintain their own legal department, but they encounter legal problems with enviable regularity. Targeted telephone conversations with managers will help you find clients. Moreover, such a promotion method is rarely used when selling services in the field of jurisprudence.
6. Successful legal practice. Finally, the notorious “word of mouth” remains an important source of clients. The more useful the help and advice is, the more satisfied clients will share their valuable specialist with their friends.

Advantages and disadvantages of your own law office:

Examples of successful businesses

Summary analysis of service costs

So, the above companies provide similar services, however, Arcadia Law Firm specializes in registration issues (formation and liquidation of legal forms), Angard Law Firm is more focused on accessible services for individuals, and Yurliga Group of Companies provides a wide range of services to both private and to corporative clients. Even a superficial analysis demonstrates how widely prices for work vary. It is not surprising that in Moscow the cost of services is much higher than in Ulyanovsk.

Let us add that the price of the work depends significantly on the status of the lawyer. Famous firms that serve only regular clients can charge 15-30 thousand rubles a day, or even more, for representing the client’s interests. The stakes are especially high in the field of criminal law: when a rich person faces the prospect of being in places “not so remote,” he is no longer so eager to count his savings.

Legal services today are relevant for individuals, individual entrepreneurs, and large companies. The legislative framework is constantly changing, and current regulations often raise many questions. Help is needed when registering and maintaining a business, protecting interests in court, filing bankruptcy, etc. Some people need advice to conclude a major deal, while others don’t know. With the right promotion strategy and tactics, you can open a law firm and build a highly profitable and quickly payback business.

Choosing a direction

To open a law firm from scratch, you need to decide at the initial stage on the format and list of services provided. Several current trends can be identified.

Resolution of legal disputes

This industry is in demand among owners of large and small businesses. Today, government agencies periodically intervene in the affairs of enterprises with inspections, identifying various offenses and imposing large fines. The work of professional lawyers helps to defend the point of view and protect the business, preventing the payment of large fines.

Registration services

In order to open an individual entrepreneur or LLC, a lengthy collection of documents, selection of an OKVED code, and registration are required. Not every beginner or even experienced entrepreneur understands the intricacies and pitfalls of this procedure, while others simply do not have the time to collect a package of documentation.

Collectors services

Such areas of law firms opened from scratch are focused on communicating with debt defaulters. Moreover, their activities are not based on intimidation, rudeness or the use of force (with which most Russians associate the word “collector”), but on establishing contacts with such people, finding out the reasons for non-payment, and legal assistance in debt restructuring.

Registration of intellectual property

During technological and information development, it can be difficult to prove authorship of a certain invention, text information, name or trademark. Intellectual property registration services are in relatively low demand, but this source of finance is stable and brings high income to those who want to open a business.

Opening a law firm from scratch - organizational aspects

A well-developed business plan when opening a law firm from scratch will make it possible to develop a strategic line aimed at effective activities that will begin to make a profit in a short time.

Business registration

To open a law firm from scratch, the business founder does not need to have a special education; anyone can organize it. For further work, you need to register with government agencies and decide on the form of taxation. The optimal form is an LLC, although some lawyers work as individual entrepreneurs.

Advice: in order to open a private law firm from scratch, no license or special permits are required. But this criterion does not apply to the activities of lawyers and notaries, who are required to acquire status and obtain a license.

Personnel policy

With a small budget, many companies that open from scratch start a business together with a partner, without hiring other employees. They provide a narrow range of services, earning a reputation and expanding their client base. After development, you can think about hiring employees. As a rule, such small firms employ 3-4 lawyers. You can hire a student to play the role of assistant and courier, and conduct financial reporting yourself or outsource it.

Staff of an average law firm:

1. highly qualified lawyer;
2. consultant;
3. specialist in working with individuals;
4. specialist in working with legal entities;
5. assistant;
6. courier;
7. assistant secretary;
8. accountant.

Selecting a room

The office is the face of your business. Failure to maintain cleanliness, poor interior design, or remote location can deprive you of clients. The office should indicate the seriousness and professionalism of the company, opened from scratch. To do this, rent a room in the central part of the city, in the business district, next to banks and leading agencies.

The design of the office should speak about the competence of employees, respectability and integrity. To do this, carry out repair work, choosing a strict design and business style. Modern, comfortable office furniture and new office equipment are an indispensable attribute. Also take care of a small room in which clients will wait for an appointment. Cabinets must have a reliable partition to ensure good soundproofing.

Formation of a client base

Having opened a law firm from scratch, you need to take care of finding clients right from the start. To do this, it is recommended to conduct a marketing campaign, distribute your business cards to potential clients - contact various companies and entrepreneurs, leave business cards in the waiting rooms of the chamber of commerce and industry, the tax office, and various business associations. When concluding transactions, ask clients to recommend the company to their colleagues or friends.

The following methods are also effective for business promotion:

• distribution of advertising brochures;
• online promotion, creating your own website, group on social networks;
• ordering souvenirs with the company logo.

It will be possible to form a wide client base only by providing quality services. As a rule, satisfied clients independently refer their friends to the company, and there is no better advertising than word of mouth.

Financial plan

To create a law firm from scratch, you need to make a good impression immediately after opening and create a decent business atmosphere. Therefore, experts do not recommend saving on office decoration and purchasing furniture.

Let's consider the primary costs that are needed in order to open a law firm from scratch:

• business registration, paperwork – 25-30 thousand rubles;
• purchasing furniture and carrying out repair and construction work – 200-220 thousand rubles;
• purchase of office equipment and communications equipment – ​​120-180 thousand;
• concept and corporate identity development – ​​20-25 thousand.

Costs to be paid monthly:

• office rent – ​​80-100 thousand rubles;
• Internet, communication services - 10 thousand rubles;
• carrying out marketing events - 10-15 thousand rubles;
• wage fund – 250-300 thousand rubles.

To open a law firm from scratch, you need to have extra money for strategic planning and further development. You also need to set aside a reserve for unexpected costs.

If the legal business doesn't excite you and you want to work on radically new projects, give it a try.

Advice: when drawing up a financial plan, to the amount received that is needed for opening, add 20% for unforeseen expenses - they will certainly arise in the process of work.

Features of legal business

When answering the question, experts name the scope of legal services. To open your own company from scratch, in the first years, get ready to work on your reputation. But then, as in other types of business, it will work for you. First, you will have to take on any (even the most complex) cases and prove the competence of your company. In the legal market, authority is valued, and sometimes this factor is decisive.

The main resource of any company is qualified personnel, so you should not skimp on wages, you should try to retain professionals in your team.

There is quite fierce competition in the domestic legal market, so when choosing a format and area of ​​activity, carefully study the services provided in the city and try to choose unfilled niches. Don’t skimp on advertising, get ready to fight for every client and prove your professional level.

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The legal services market, despite high competition, is quite promising. By developing a competent development strategy, choosing services that are in demand in the region where the company operates, and hiring qualified employees, you can recoup your initial investment within a year and reach the break-even point.

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