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AVoiceOfReason · 07-17-2005, 02:24 PM

I'm an attorney with my own office. I'm currently a sole practioner, although I have had other attorneys working for me in the past.

I came to be a solo after spending three years working for a man that had a larger office (five to eight lawyers on staff) and before that, I was a deputy prosecuting attorney. I made the jump from the private firm to an office sharing arrangement with another attorney. He was a big help in the transistion phase, as we shared his staff as well, and my bookkeeping system was put into place at that time.

I never struggled, really; no bank loans to stay afloat, no deep dipping into my pocket to pay the light bill and staff. I advanced my office a few thousand when I started, and paid it back shortly thereafter. I remember having to do it one other time in the first couple of years, but that was due to drawing out too much a few months before--it didn't really matter to me if I took the money from the business account, savings or from the brokerage account, because it was all my money anyway.

I like the freedom of being my own boss, although technically, I'm not--I have as many bosses as I have clients, but I'm free to fire my boss if I want to. I can schedule as few clients in a day as I want so I can be out of the office to play golf. I am long over the fear that the phone will never ring again and that I'll never get another client. It will, and I will.

And when you get that part of it whipped, being in business for yourself is very rewarding.

07-17-2005, 02:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
AVoiceOfReason Psycho Location: Greenwood, Arkansas	I'm an attorney with my own office. I'm currently a sole practioner, although I have had other attorneys working for me in the past. I came to be a solo after spending three years working for a man that had a larger office (five to eight lawyers on staff) and before that, I was a deputy prosecuting attorney. I made the jump from the private firm to an office sharing arrangement with another attorney. He was a big help in the transistion phase, as we shared his staff as well, and my bookkeeping system was put into place at that time. I never struggled, really; no bank loans to stay afloat, no deep dipping into my pocket to pay the light bill and staff. I advanced my office a few thousand when I started, and paid it back shortly thereafter. I remember having to do it one other time in the first couple of years, but that was due to drawing out too much a few months before--it didn't really matter to me if I took the money from the business account, savings or from the brokerage account, because it was all my money anyway. I like the freedom of being my own boss, although technically, I'm not--I have as many bosses as I have clients, but I'm free to fire my boss if I want to. I can schedule as few clients in a day as I want so I can be out of the office to play golf. I am long over the fear that the phone will never ring again and that I'll never get another client. It will, and I will. And when you get that part of it whipped, being in business for yourself is very rewarding. __________________ AVOR A Voice Of Reason, not necessarily the ONLY one.