Practicing after Articling

[Beanie324]

Hi,

I wanted to know if it was possible to start a solo practice immediately after articling? 

[CleanHands]

It's "possible" in that it's allowed and people have done it.

Whether it's a good idea is another question.

[Beanie324]

What do you think could go wrong if I did? And have other people been successful at it?

[123]

28 minutes ago, Beanie324 said:

What do you think could go wrong if I did?

You could not find enough work to pay the bills. If you don't know what you're doing, you could screw up the practice management side of things and get in trouble with the law society. Without oversight and mentorship, you could screw up your files and get sued or disciplined.

28 minutes ago, Beanie324 said:

And have other people been successful at it?

Yes they have. That doesn't say much about how you would do. Going out on your own is a perfectly viable option in law. It's a good thing to think about. But it's a highly individualized decision. It requires you to be able to honestly assess your readiness to do so, as well as your ability to acquire and competently execute client work. Provided this is about you, at the undergrad stage, you're several years away from being able to start that assessment.

Edited July 29, 2022 by realpseudonym

[Beanie324]

Okay, thank you.

 

 

[DennisNextDoor]

On 7/29/2022 at 9:32 AM, Beanie324 said:

What do you think could go wrong if I did? And have other people been successful at it?

From my experience in the field, not only does going out on your own immediately after articling produce financial hardship, but it also produces lawyers who did not have the experience of other lawyers to continue to teach them. I find a lot of those lawyers have some basic gaps of knowledge that would be helped by having some other legal minds around. 

[hiccups]

As a junior lawyer, sometimes the development on various litigation cases absolutely shock me. They're not contrary to rules but just different from what you expect. I would have no idea what to do if there are no senior lawyers around to guide me. 

If you are gravitating towards going solo because of the autonomy, there are many law firms that also offer that and you can get a fee split compensation that covers your fees and admi cost. It's pretty much the same thing as going solo except without feeling like you're all alone.