How do I draft a business plan for a law firm?

Misbah Jalal Siddiqui

A business plan is a road map for the first three to five years of a law firm’s existence.[1] It is an important business management tool as it allows your law firm to develop a strategy for making a profit before you even open your firm.[2] If you intend to ask for outside financing, banks and private investors will want … Read More

I want to open my own law practice, what are the first steps?

Misbah Jalal Siddiqui

Opening a law practice can be challenging for an attorney. Many attorneys don’t have business degrees and have never run a business in the past, so it can be overwhelming for them to know where to start when opening a law firm. The following is a high-level overview of the steps to take when opening a law firm: Step One: … Read More

Can general accounting programs like QuickBooks send out bill batches?

Misbah Jalal Siddiqui

Many general accounting programs can generate identical invoices for multiple clients at one time through a process called .[1][2] This is different from printing or emailing personalized invoices to clients through a or process.[3][4] Since law firms create personalized invoices, they do not need a batch invoicing feature in their accounting program.  What firms need is for the program to … Read More

What is a break-even analysis?

Misbah Jalal Siddiqui

Law firms, like most businesses, are created to generate a profit for the partners.[1] Generating revenue alone does not guarantee that firm will earn a profit because businesses only generate profits when their revenues exceed expenditures.[2] The “” is the point at which the revenues begin exceeding the firm’s expenses.[1][2] The first step in a break-even analysis is to determine … Read More