When you’re a new attorney trying to pay the bills, you take any work that comes your way. At least that’s what I did.
If someone needed help and had a few bucks, I was your guy.
If I didn’t know what to do, I figured it out. It wasn’t as though I was taking time away from other better-paying work. In the early days, there wasn’t any.
So I did what I had to do and (eventually) built a successful practice.
If you’re just starting out, this might be a good plan for you. If you’re not starting out, however, this is not a good plan.
You can’t take “anything”. You have to be selective.
That means turning down work that doesn’t pay well. The small cases and clients, the work that doesn’t align with your vision and goals.
You can’t afford to take the small stuff because it takes time away from the big stuff.
Ah, but what if you’re not that busy? What if your dance card isn’t currently filled with high-paying clients and life-changing cases?
You have two options.
Option one is to take the small case, not for the money necessarily but as a marketing strategy. Help someone with a small case today, tomorrow they may bring you a big case. Help the start-up get going and they may one day have a steady stream of business for you.
The “low-paying” work you do for these clients is an investment in the growth of your practice. You earn less today so you can earn (a lot) more tomorrow.
I’ve done this. I’ve taken small cases that paid little or nothing and was rewarded with some fat, juicy cases down the road.
If you consider this option, the idea is to think in terms of clients, not cases. The case isn’t important, the client is. If it is a client who knows a lot of people, for example, they could send you a lot of business, even if their own case isn’t much to write home about.
Capiche?
Option two is to stick to your guns. Turn down (or refer out) the small stuff or the work that’s not in your primary practice area. When you do that, you can use the time this gives you to focus on marketing and bringing in the types of clients and cases you really want.
I’ve done this too. It was key to my going from “just getting by” to building a big practice.
So, both options work.
What also works is to do a little of both. Turn down most of the “wrong” work but take some of it when it makes sense to do that.
I know, it’s complicated.
Which option is best for you? You might find the answer by looking at a spreadsheet or your bank account. Or by trying it one way and then the other and seeing what works best.
If that sounds even more complicated, you might do what I did.
Stop counting beans and start trusting your gut.
