I distinctly remember the looks on the faces of those with whom I shared my plans to launch a completely web-based law practice. It was a cross between skepticism that clients would actually work with an attorney online and pity that I was naïve enough to think they would.

Things have changed in the past three and a half years.  Technology continues to permeate our lives and more people are seeking legal services online. Other attorneys now contact me for advice on how to start web-based practices. When they do, I often share the article I wrote last year and pass on a few more lessons I’ve learned along the way.

Informative Content Increases Website Visibility

One of the significant challenges of starting a web-based law practice is being found online. Unlike hanging a shingle in a small town, for example, no one will see your shingle if it is buried on page twelve of Google.

This was a problem one attorney who contacted me was having. He heard that getting others to link to his site was the key to getting better search engine ranking, so he asked whether I would be willing exchange links with him.

I shared an article I’d read recently that explained how Google was penalizing sites trying to artificially boost their rankings through excessive link exchanges or by purchasing backlinks from paid link schemes. Search engine ranking is not related to simply increasing the number of websites that link to yours, but rather to creating high quality content that readers will want to link to and share.

It’s easy to want to cut corners, especially when it appears that so many others seem to be gaming the system. But I’ve found that consistently writing and sharing useful and informative content is the best way to increase my website’s visibility. It takes time and a lot of effort, but it’s worth it.

Building credibility and trust takes time 

A man who was eager to get started with his estate planning called me one evening. He was married and had several children, one of whom was disabled and receiving government benefits.

This man had recently retained a financial advisor, who became alarmed when he noticed that the disabled child was listed as a beneficiary of some insurance policies and retirement plans. The financial advisor recommended that he contact an attorney immediately to arrange that all assets left to this child be transferred at death to a special needs trust to prevent jeopardizing any government benefits.

Although the financial advisor gave him the names of several attorneys in his area, he called me. He explained that he had been receiving and reading my monthly newsletters for two years and knew that if he ever got around to it, I would be the attorney he called.

“You didn’t know I was your client, but you’ve been my lawyer for a long time,” he said.

Building credibility and trust takes time. Sometimes two years!

Seniors are comfortable with technology

When I started my solo practice three and a half years ago, I expected that the vast majority of my clients would be people in the 25 to 45 year old age group. I assumed that people who were older would not feel comfortable interacting with an attorney online nor be technologically savvy enough to do so. Boy, was I wrong!

According to a recent Pew Research Center study, as of April 2012, more than half of American adults 65 and older used the internet or email, and a little over a third of seniors engaged in social networking on sites like Facebook.

I remember being amazed when a senior client told me he had sent me a “self-extracting zip file.” A couple of months ago, I worked with a couple in their eighties who found me and worked with me online without any assistance. At least half of my clients are over the age of 45.

Seniors like working with an attorney online, too. They’re increasingly comfortable with technology and like being able to communicate with an attorney from the comfort of their homes.

Business development is important for success

The concept of a “virtual law office” is attractive to many recent graduates who would like to start a solo practice but are trying to minimize start-up costs. I get a lot of emails and phone calls from new attorneys seeking advice on how to start one. From my visits with them, I’ve found many underestimate the challenges of building a successful solo practice.

Many young attorneys who contact me are under the misconception that clients will come knocking down their virtual door as soon as their website goes live. It’s not as easy as that.

Regardless of whether it is web-based or brick-and-mortar, building a law firm takes a lot of time and hard work. All firms need a business development strategy that engages new clients and cultivates relationships with existing clients and referral sources. An attorney could have outstanding credentials and provide excellent representation, but without clients a law practice will not survive.

Before I launched my solo practice, several trusted mentors recommended I spend at least several hours each week focusing on business development, regardless of how busy I felt at work. This could include connecting with someone personally, accepting an invitation to write or speak, calling a client to wish him a happy birthday, or thanking a referral source for the new client she referred.

It’s sometimes hard to justify doing things that seemingly are “non-billable” time, but my practice has continued to grow because of this excellent advice.

Happy Clients Refer Family and Friends

I know an attorney who’s mentored me for more than two decades.  I worked as a secretary at his firm a couple of summers while I was in college, and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. I’ve always appreciated his honesty and integrity and have learned a lot about what it takes to be a good lawyer from him.

There are few people I know who are more natural rainmakers. He not only has a knack of attracting new clients, but inspires loyalty in his existing client base as well. His clients rave about him. As a result, while other firms have been shedding lawyers over the past several years, his firm has been growing.

So when I decided to start my own solo practice, I asked him for some nuggets of wisdom. “What’s your secret?” I asked. “I like to help people,” he answered.

According to a recent Gallup poll, lawyers rank among the least-trusted professions. The stereotypical lawyer is viewed as greedy, arrogant and self-serving. So imagine what a positive impression it makes when an attorney is compassionate, responsive, and genuinely interested in helping a client solve his or her problem.  That’s the kind of lawyer he is and I strive to be each day.

Every client who walks through an attorney’s door (virtual or otherwise) has a problem that needs to be resolved. Attorneys with a client-centered approach earn their clients’ loyalty and trust and the referrals of their family and friends.

Conclusion

Building a solo practice has been a lot of hard work, but the past three and a half years have also been some of the most professionally rewarding of my career. I’ve had the opportunity to work with amazing clients and achieve the work-life balance I hoped for.

Embarking on this journey was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I’ve learned more than I could have imagined through my experience. I am grateful for the support of family, friends, and so many colleagues who have mentored and inspired me.  And if I could go back in time, I’d make the same choice all over again.