For sole practitioners, consultancy offers a compelling alternative, providing the freedom to shape your own professional direction without the isolation or administrative demands of running a solo practice. It’s a rewarding path that retains the autonomy of independent work while offering greater flexibility, support, and the opportunity to focus on what you do best: practising law.
Andrew Crossley, Consultant Solicitor, shares his journey, reflecting on the decision to transition from a sole practitioner to consultant and what he’s gained along the way.
‘It is said the two best days of owning your own yacht are the day you buy it and the day you sell it. I think a similar analogy could be drawn from running your own law firm.
The pride of setting up your own practice, operating under your own rules, on your own timetable and being answerable only to your clients sets a course for a big new adventure. It did for me when I set up my own practice some years back. Essentially a sole practitioner, with a loyal PA and a small team of solicitors, it had achieved my long-held goal.
However, the reality of running your own small practice turned out not to be all I had hoped. Increasing compliance, complexity of maintaining a client account, personnel management, and ongoing training were all challenging. The cost of office space, rates, equipment leasing, and no end of micropayments and subscriptions all collectively diminished that all-important figure on the bottom line.
Above all else, however, the annual gauntlet run of securing professional indemnity cover, even with a clean claims record, was – for me – the ultimate reason why I considered an alternative to the sleepless nights and overwhelming workload, of which an ever-decreasing element was actually fee earning.
I looked at my options; working in-house was too restrictive, and it would mean abandoning my clients. Go back to a law firm as an employee: I quickly concluded that had little appeal for me as a person in my late 50s, having worked for myself for many years; I rightly considered myself unable to work to another’s timetable, to account for my every waking hour, to commute!
My third option (after discounting ice cream salesman – too seasonal, or nightclub singer – I actually only ‘think’ I can sing), I considered joining a law firm offering a consultant model arrangement. I retain my independence, stay self-employed and manage my own time to best serve my clients and balance my work/family life.
Yet, of far greater significance, which really only became clear to me after I joined Taylor Rose, was the fact that everything that goes on behind the curtain that enables me to provide legal services to clients and in turn generate fees is undertaken by others on my behalf. What I also quickly came to appreciate was that the amount of what is required to enable a modern law firm to function is far more than I could ever have achieved as a sole practitioner.
Taylor Rose has provided a complete concierge service to me and, in turn, my clients. Every aspect of the structure of the practice that supports consultants has been honed and perfected to enable the consultants to work effectively and profitably. My sole focus since joining Taylor Rose is that of fee earning. As a result, my fee earning has increased, and the clients get more of my time directly than when I ran my own practice.
Another unexpected benefit was that being such a large and well-recognised practice, the name Taylor Rose gave me instant recognition and credibility, as the reputation of the practice and its very brand identity are immediately known and respected. As a sole practitioner, my practice was little known and held no status opposite large practices. That disadvantage is eradicated once you become part of a nationally recognised law firm.
I chose Taylor Rose above other practices that operate a consultant model, primarily because it is the largest practice of its kind, and being so, it has a powerful infrastructure that includes fantastic support and multiple offices across England and Wales.
Above all, I have found that it is a practice that cares; the partners are approachable and supportive. They offer the opportunity to grow your own practice and build upon what you bring to the firm. That has certainly been the case for me. My only regret is that I did not make the move sooner.’
Consultancy offers many of the advantages of working as a sole practitioner while also providing greater freedom, work-life balance, support, independence, and opportunities for growth. It’s an excellent option for those seeking the rewards and flexibility of independent practice, backed by the resources and reputation of a top 60 law firm.
If you’d like to learn more about our consultancy programme or have any questions, please contact our Consultant Recruitment Team on 020 3551 8100. We’ll be happy to assist you.