I just happen to be on the leading edge of a whole new way of practicing law. There’s no denying that the practice of law is overdue for major changes in the way services are delivered to clients. I believe the next decade will see many more lawyers abandon the “ivory tower” mentality of thinking that a successful lawyer must have a large office in the high-rent district with all of the “bells and whistles” which necessarily equates to extremely high overhead and stress galore for the lawyer not to mention inconvenience and added stress for the client.

The biggest issues holding many lawyers back from making the change are ego and resistance to change, two problems that are endemic to the legal profession. Many, many lawyers, primarily older lawyers, have the mistaken idea that you can’t be a real lawyer if you don’t have a fancy office, drive a luxury car, and wear an expensive suit. Or at least there must be something terribly wrong with you if your law practice doesn’t consist of these things.

But I can honestly say that I’ve never been happier as a lawyer than I am today operating as a true solo from a home office with very low overhead. I have no more stressful daily commutes, I get to be nearer to my family, and now I run my law office instead of it running me.

And my clients tell me that they appreciate how my law practice is unusual in that it is designed for their convenience. They no longer have to endure a relationship built solely upon the lawyer’s convenience and schedule which requires a client to endure the hassle and expense of taking time off work or hiring a babysitter, only to then get to drive to a lawyer’s office, hunt for a parking space, and sit in a waiting room full of old magazines.

Instead, my clients enjoy the ability to communicate with me from the convenience of their own home by telephone or email and when we need to meet face-to-face, we meet somewhere casual, comfortable and convenient for us both such as a local coffee shop. And get this Steve … I even make house calls.

I was really impressed by your goals. Being a bit of a technogeek myself I’ve been telling everyone how you broke the brick and mortar bonds and went Mac. Good for you. It certainly is liberating.

Steve