Canadian Lawyer

w w w . c a n a d i a n l a w y e r m a g . c o m N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 23 technical side, all the law society rules; for example, bookkeeping. I had a very unpleasant law society audit the first year because I was doing all my bookkeep- ing on Excel, which is a big mistake. I learned from that very quickly." The early considerations included how to get clients, what kind of office space he required or if he needed any at all and if he needed any help. As he maneuvered his way and found his footing, Grinhaus started fielding calls from other lawyers wanting to set up their own practice. Those calls didn't slow down as time went on, so now he advises lawyers starting their own practices as an extension to his corpo- rate and commercial practice, which involves advising professionals about the business and regulatory aspects of their professions. Typically, Grinhaus sees three types of lawyers interested in going at it alone: experienced lawyers like himself, new ones who want their own business right away and the lawyer who is not far from retirement and wants to end their career practising on their own terms. About two-thirds of the lawyers Grinhaus has advised have established practices in urban centres. But the other third, who have gone outside of major centres, are often moving from a big city, he says. Generally, those rural practices can be less expensive to operate because of cheaper rent and labour. But both set- tings have their own unique challenges. A big difference in operational require- ments is the substantive area in which the lawyer is practising — some areas need more specialized resources. The lawyers who have sought help from Grinhaus are looking for practical advice on day-to-day issues in addition to the information made readily available to the profession. They want to hear his thoughts on the various software available, hiring practices, pay scales, regulatory and professional concerns and what they need to get the ball rolling. For the most part, Grinhaus says, starting a firm has become significantly easier and cheaper, thanks to the tech- nological revolution. But the days of simply hanging a shingle and watching the business come in are gone. Getting clients takes work, and having a solid plan in place for business and market- ing will help in the overall process and provide future goals and direction. But going at it alone means taking on the responsibility for everything, including the tasks typically done by support staff in larger firms, such as get- ting professional registration and insur- "It's very rewarding and the reward is not just financial. You really feel like you're making a difference." Peter Harte, Yellowknife Master the law. Canada's leading law school offers a graduate degree in four unique streams: Business Law Canadian Law in a Global Context Innovation, Law and Technology Law of Leadership Apply today. Visit gpllm.law.utoronto.ca Questions? gpllm@utoronto.ca ntitled-6 1 2018-05-25 11:45 AM

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