Often times when young lawyers contact me about starting a law practice. I always ask them what type of law will your firm focus on? Usually the response is, my practice will be a general practice where I will do multiple things.
In my opinion it is best to have a specific area of law you focus on versus dabbling in several things areas. Not only will it help the attorney become more proficient in a particular area of law, but it also can help save you from future malpractice suits if you screw up on something you're not familiar with. Below are the most important reasons to focus on one particular area of law versus multiple areas or having a general practice.
Become an expert: I don't know about you, but I cannot possibly learn every area of the law. Including all case law, statutes, precedent, procedures, legal treatises, etc. The law encompasses everything in our daily lives. There is no way that a person can possibly learn all of it. What an attorney can do is become an expert in a particular area. They can focus all their energy in one area of the law. They can become familiar and know every applicable case, statute, precedent, and legal doctrine involving this particular area of law.
Save money on malpractice insurance: There is a reason malpractice insurance increases when an attorney practices in multiple areas of the law. Insurance companies recognize most lawyers cannot possibly understand everything. Therefore if an attorney practices in multiple areas of the law, they have a higher risk of messing up due to their unfamiliarity with a particular area. Thus a malpractice suit is more likely. When getting malpractice insurance if an attorney only practices in criminal defense, then their policy will be much less expensive then an attorney that does family law, criminal law, personal injury, etc.
More money: I personally believe that if an attorney focuses on one area of law then they will make more money. Think about it. If you become proficient in this area of law. You build your practice and reputation in this one area of law. If you're known as an expert and a great attorney in this area of law. Then word will spread and more clients will come your way. But if area spread out, your name doesn't get out there, you're not proficient in one area but competent in several areas. Nobody will know who you are and you will have a more difficult time getting clients.
Overall this is just my personal opinion. Obviously there are attorneys out there who are very successful practicing in multiple areas. But in today's day and age where the legal field is completely saturated, why not focus on one area and build your practice from there rather than in multiple areas.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Selecting a Criminal Defense Attorney What Is an SOC Agreement in a Criminal Case What You Should Know If You Were Criminally Accused
0 comments:
Post a Comment