It is a common practice in India that after graduating from a law school, young lawyers start working under some senior established lawyer or a law firm to gain experience. Many fresh law graduates, though, contemplate starting their own law firm at the start. However, many experts advise against such an idea as getting clients would be almost impossible because of a lack of experience and a name in the legal fraternity. It is advised that a lawyer should think of setting up his/her own law firm only after gaining a few years of experience under a reputed and established law firm. Many law firms have failed because of varied reasons, mostly because of the failure to adapt to modern technologies. Whatever the case may be, there are certain things that should be kept in mind while Setting up LLC in India.
Choose the Right Name for Your Law Firm
The first thing you need to do when you decide to start your own law firm is to choose an appropriate name. Getting the name right is very important. The name must indicate your area of expertise. For instance, if you specialize in a particular branch of law the first name must indicate that. Also, make sure to avoid using generic phrases like associates, company, etc. Instead, simple straight forward names should be preferred indicating your niche. Naming your law firm in such a way would help your prospective clients in easily finding you in their online search. Also, for search engine optimization purposes, try using keywords in your firm’s name which is unique in your practice area.
Create a Website
According to available data, the majority of small law firms failed either because they did not have a website or they did not regularly update their website if they had one.
Though the nature of the legal profession is such that a majority of clients are acquired through referrals, not all clients come to your physical office directly. With the advancement in technology and the proliferation of the internet, many potential clients search for a lawyer or legal firms in india online. It is, therefore, paramount that you have your own website containing all the information about your law firm. The website should be user-friendly and be optimized for better search engine results. Since most of the searches happen through mobile devices, the website should be responsive to adapt to different devices and different screen sizes. The website should have an appropriate logo and be designed in such a manner that it reflects your firm’s ethics and culture.
Have a Fixed Physical Address
Having a permanent physical address of your law firm is crucial for the success of your law practice as it becomes easier for clients to locate, whether they come through referrals or online search. Frequently changing your address can adversely affect your law practice. Google Places identifies the physical address to locate your law firm. So, it becomes difficult to locate your address through online searches which may hamper your online marketing efforts. Therefore, try to choose a physical address where you can stay for a long period of time. If possible map your office address on Google maps so that your potential clients do not have any difficulty in locating you.
Focus on Your Niche
Many young lawyers while setting up a legal firm of their own take up all types of cases in order to get as many clients as possible. This is a cardinal mistake that most layers commit. By taking up all kinds of cases you will go nowhere. As they say, you will become a jack of all trades and master of none. In today’s world where there are specialists in every field, nobody will come to you if you do not have expertise in some particular branch of law. So it is important that you choose a niche based on your interest and expertise and remain focussed on that. This way you will have less competition as there won’t be many lawyers who would be practicing in that particular branch of law. Also, potential clients will be able to find you easily.
Networking
Networking plays an important role in determining the success of a law firm. Since you are new to this field with little experience, not many people would know you. So getting clients on your own would be difficult. Try to connect with the practicing lawyer from your area and build a good rapport with them. Over time, you will start getting referrals from other established lawyers.
One of the ways to familiarise yourself with other lawyers is to join a local bar association. Such associations have an email list of all member lawyers and legal firms in India, which you can get access to. Whenever you need expert advice, you can simply send email queries to senior lawyers from your area. This way you can get answers to your questions and at the same time, other lawyers will start recognizing you. You can thus build your network which ultimately will fetch you newer clients.