This week in Things I Wish I Knew, Joleena Louis, discusses how she plans to use the holiday slow season to get her solo law practice ready for 2015.
The time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is very interesting for family law practitioners.
While I am busy settling holiday visitation disputes and attending last minute court appearances for my current clients, there is a sharp decrease in the amount of new client consultations.
The time of year impacts my new client traffic.
People usually do not want to start a divorce this time of year because the holidays is typically a time people think about coming together.
Even the work for current clients will die down after the 15th when everyone is focused on the holidays. Some may even be trying to make amends.
This slow time makes me panic a bit.
When I was working at other firms, I enjoyed the holiday downtime because it meant less work for me and it did not affect my pay either way.
As a solo attorney, this slow time makes me panic a bit. Less work means less money and I have to make the best of that time to ensure I am doing everything possible to continue my firm’s growth even during this slow time.
Turning panic into productive activity.
Once the panic subsides, I plan on using the downtime to be productive and take care of some tasks that I have been too busy to do the last few months. These activities include:
1. Updating my website.
Over the past year, I have really narrowed down the particular areas of family law that I want to place my focus. My website could better reflect that focus and I think it would be better for my overall business in the long run.
2. Contemplating my business goals for next year.
It is always good to have goals for ourselves and there are many things I want to accomplish next year. Setting a plan will only help me in better achieving these goals.
3. Catching up on blogging.
After taking the time to ponder my business goals for next year, I am sure to come up with many new blog post ideas that might be able to help or inspire others to do the same.
4. Making an appointment with my accountant for the new year.
It’s impossible to get the ear of your accountant after the New Year so I have slotted my time early.
5. Taking a couple of days to just relax.
I am going to spend a few work free days with friends and family before things pick back up in January. It is always good to get back to the basics and doing this will only help in me being productive for my firm.
Productivity is essential in the practice of law and a shared space can help foster that mentality.
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Joleena Louis is a matrimonial and family law attorney at Joleena Louis Law, a firm she founded after leaving a boutique matrimonial firm in Brooklyn. Joleena is a client in Law Firm Suites’ start-up program in Downtown, New York. Her weekly blog series Things I Wish I Knew… explores her thought process and experiences in her transition from small law firm employee to successful solo practice entrepreneur.
on said:
Those are great ideas for using the downtime. Make sure you go to holiday parties and other gatherings, too, so you can meet people and make new connections. And of course, the holidays are a very stressful time, so I imagine you will have a lot of new business in January!
Great post!
Paul Spitz