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Resources / Going SoloThe 2026 guide for Australian lawyers

Going Solo

A practical guide to setting up and running your own legal practice, from Clarence, the only workspace in Australia created by lawyers, for lawyers.

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Two Clarence members talking over coffee
97,500
Practising solicitors in Australia
47%
Growth in solicitor numbers in a decade
56%
Of solicitors are now women
78%
Of private practices are sole practices
Introduction

Is it time to go out on your own?

Most lawyers think about it at some point. You have built the expertise, you know your clients, and somewhere along the way the idea takes hold: what if you did this on your own terms?

More lawyers are acting on that idea than ever. When we surveyed 318 who had made the move, most were starting a firm of their own rather than simply leaving an old one.

Going out on your own gives you control over the work you take on, the clients you serve and the way you run your day. It also makes you a business owner, responsible for the marketing, the finances, the technology and everything that is not the law itself.

That last part is where most guides go quiet. This one does not. The chapters ahead cover what it actually takes to set up and run your own practice in 2026, from choosing a structure to winning your first clients, with enough practical detail to move you from thinking about it to doing it.

Sources: National Profile of Solicitors 2024, Law Society of NSW and Urbis; IBISWorld, Legal Services in Australia 2025.

Chapter 01 · Structure and compliance

Build on solid foundations

Start with the structure. It shapes your tax, your liability, how you bring people in later and how easily you can change course, so it is worth getting right before you take on your first matter.

Structures worth considering

  • Sole practitioner. Lowest set-up cost and the simplest to run. Easy to change later as you grow.
  • Partnership. Shared costs, resources and expertise, with shared liability to match.
  • Incorporated legal practice. Limited liability, clearer tax planning and stronger borrowing capacity. The direction most new firms now take.
  • Multi-disciplinary partnership. Lets you offer services beyond law alongside other professionals.
  • Chambers or serviced model. This is a workspace arrangement, not a legal business structure; you still need to choose a legal structure for your practice.

Before you take instructions, make sure you have

  • A principal practising certificate that allows you to run your own practice.
  • Professional indemnity insurance that meets the requirements in your jurisdiction.
  • A clear handle on trust money rules and your CPD obligations.
  • A refresher on your professional and ethical obligations as a principal.

An accountant or commercial lawyer can help you match the structure to your circumstances. Over the past decade the shift has been steadily towards incorporated practices, with traditional partnerships in decline.

Chapter 02 · Business planning and goals

Map the road ahead

A plan gives you direction and something to measure against. If you are going to ask a bank for finance you will need one anyway, so this is a good place to start.

Put it in writing

  • Why you are doing this. The reason you are starting, and how it fits the life and career you want.
  • Your goals. Financial, professional and lifestyle targets across one, two and five years.
  • Your market. Who your ideal client is, how many of them there are, and who else is serving them.
  • Your edge. Your niche, and what makes you the better choice for that client.
  • Your numbers. The services you will offer, how you will price them, and what it takes to turn a profit.

Keep it useful

  • Block out an hour or two. Break it into smaller sessions if a blank page feels like a lot.
  • Keep it in front of you. Refer to it when you make decisions rather than filing it away.
  • Revisit it as you grow. A plan is a living document, not a one-off task.
  • Pick your niche early. Firms built around a specific area of law or client type tend to have the clearest run at the market.

Small businesses that plan are more likely to survive their first few years. Even a short, focused plan beats none at all.

Chapter 03 · Financing your practice

Fund the firm and set up the books

You have a plan. Now you need enough capital to open the doors and the financial systems to keep them open.

Work out your start-up capital

  • One-off costs. Equipment, furniture, branding, website and any set-up fees.
  • Monthly running costs. Rent, insurance, software, marketing and your own salary.
  • A simple rule. One-off costs plus about six months of running costs gives you a realistic buffer.
  • If the number looks daunting. A serviced office or chambers removes most of the set-up: no fit-out, no separate IT, no reception to staff, which can cut the capital you need considerably.

Trust and accounting

  • Check the current legislation, rules and guidance from your state or territory legal regulator before receiving or controlling trust money.
  • Choose compliant record keeping. Check the trust-account rules and your regulator’s software guidance before choosing a system; certification is not a universal requirement.
  • Compare before you commit. Look at cloud access, invoicing, integrations and ongoing cost.
  • Get an accountant early. They will help you set up cleanly and plan for what is coming.

Cost and overheads were among the biggest worries members had before going out on their own, which is exactly why a realistic buffer matters. Source: Clarence member survey of 318 members.

Chapter 04 · Cash flow and billing

Smooth the bumps

Cash flow is what keeps the lights on. Plenty of capable firms get into trouble not because the work dried up, but because the money came in slower than it went out.

Stay ahead of it

  • Use your software. Most accounting packages have cash flow reporting and forecasting built in.
  • Make it easy to pay. Online payment options get invoices settled faster.
  • Invoice promptly, chase consistently. Send invoices on time and follow up unpaid ones as a matter of routine.
  • Review your pricing. Check it regularly rather than once a year.
  • Keep marketing. A dry pipeline three months from now starts with a quiet month today.

Choose a billing model that fits the work

  • Time-based. Captures everything you do. Clients may question the hours.
  • Fixed fee. Suits defined, process-driven work and clients who want price certainty.
  • Blended. Balances the two.
  • Subscription. A set monthly fee for defined services. Works well for ongoing relationships.
Chapter 05 · Where you base your practice

Location, location, location

Where you base yourself affects your costs, your credibility and how easily clients can reach you. It affects you too, day to day.

Weigh up four things

  • Cost. Do you need a permanent office at all? A serviced space gives you a professional base without a long lease or fit-out.
  • Clients. Is it convenient for the people you want to serve? A CBD address suits clients who meet in person; others are happy on video.
  • Competitors. Is there an opening in a location or market others have overlooked?
  • Credibility. A professional address earns trust, and that matters most when you are new.

Why the chambers model works for a lot of lawyers

  • A central address at a predictable monthly cost.
  • Reception, meeting rooms and shared spaces without the overhead of running them.
  • Other lawyers around you, which handles one of the real risks of going solo: isolation.
  • IT and administrative support are available; inclusions and additional charges depend on the service and membership.
  • No long lease, so you can scale up or down as the practice changes.

Working alone is one of the most common challenges sole practitioners name, and it takes a toll. A shared professional setting deals with that directly while keeping your costs in check.

Chapter 06 · Marketing and branding

Attract the right clients

You are a lawyer, and now a business owner. Marketing is the part that makes sure the right clients can find you and choose you.

Your one-page marketing plan

  • Your edge. Why a client should choose you over the firm down the road.
  • Your ideal client. Described in real detail, not anyone who needs a lawyer.
  • Their biggest worries. What actually keeps them up at night.
  • Your message. How you speak to those worries in plain language.
  • Your channels. The two or three places you will show up consistently.
  • Your follow-up. How you capture and respond to enquiries.

The essentials every new practice needs

  • A website. Your digital front door. Make booking a consultation easy.
  • A Google Business Profile. Where most local searches for a lawyer end up.
  • LinkedIn. The most useful platform for professional services, by a distance.
  • A consistent brand. Every touchpoint should look and sound like the same firm.
  • Your name and handles. Choose the name, register the domain and lock in your social handles early.

Most new legal work still comes through referrals and word of mouth. Finding clients was the single most common concern lawyers named about going out on their own, ahead of cost or income. Source: Clarence member survey of 318 members.

Chapter 07 · Business development

Grow through relationships

Business development is less about chasing new work and more about nurturing the relationships that bring it to you.

A few things that work

  • Be useful in public. Write for industry publications and your own blog on the questions clients actually ask.
  • Show up on LinkedIn. Post regularly and join the conversations your clients are already in.
  • Tell your network. Most of your early work will come from people who already know you, so let them know you have started something.
  • Learn the basics of SEO, so the people searching for what you do can find you.
  • Join a professional community. Shared workspaces and networks create referrals naturally.
  • Ask happy clients for reviews. A recommendation from someone they trust does more than any ad.
  • Treat selling as helping. Get comfortable saying I can help you with that.

Good business development is not pushy or inauthentic. It is helping the right people understand what you do and how you can help, so they can decide for themselves.

Chapter 08 · Processes and policies

Run it properly

Writing down how you do things protects your quality, keeps you compliant and saves you from reinventing the wheel every time.

Processes worth documenting

  • Matter management and file handling.
  • Billing and financial management.
  • Client onboarding and communication.
  • Knowledge and precedent libraries.
  • A central record of undertakings, complaints and key dates.

Policies you will want in place

  • Conflicts of interest.
  • Internet and social media use.
  • Training and CPD compliance.
  • Confidentiality, security and privacy.
  • Workplace conduct and anti-discrimination.

Practitioners cope far better with the demands of running a firm when they have clear processes behind them, supported by good software, checklists and precedents.

Chapter 09 · Technology and digital tools

The right tech, for the right reasons

The right tools save you time, cut your risk and free up your day for legal work. Start with the problem, then find the tool, not the other way around.

What matters in 2026

  • Practice management. Cloud systems that handle files, billing and trust accounting in one place.
  • Legal research. Online platforms with plans that suit a smaller practice.
  • Communication. Video meetings and secure file sharing are now the baseline clients expect.
  • Document automation. Precedent tools that take the error out of routine drafting.
  • AI tools. Genuinely useful for research, review and first drafts. Start small and keep a human across the output.
  • Cybersecurity. Not optional. Strong passwords, two-factor authentication and encrypted communications at a minimum.

Work out the problem you are trying to solve before you buy anything. The best improvements come from listening to your clients, not from chasing the newest tool.

Chapter 10 · Getting the right support

Know when to get help

At some point you will need another set of hands. Knowing what to keep and what to hand over is part of running a good firm.

Signs it is time

  • You dread a particular task and keep putting it off.
  • It does not make financial sense for you to do it yourself.
  • It is genuinely outside your skill set.

Your options

  • Contractors for one-off projects like branding, IT or bookkeeping.
  • Freelance platforms for flexible, on-demand support.
  • Part-time or full-time staff as the practice grows.
  • A chambers or serviced office with reception, IT and administrative support; inclusions and additional charges depend on the service and membership.

Remote work has opened up a wider talent pool than ever. Keep the things only you can do, the client relationships and the strategy, and delegate the rest.

Your start-up checklist

Fifteen things to tick off.

  • Have you decided whether running a business is for you?
  • Is there a market for your services?
  • Do you have the right practising certificate and insurance?
  • Do you understand your obligations as a principal?
  • Have you chosen your business structure?
  • Have you registered your firm name?
  • Do you have capital, or a plan to raise it?
  • Have you written a business plan?
  • Have you written a marketing plan?
  • Are your trust and accounting systems set up?
  • Have you settled on your billing model?
  • Have you started documenting your processes and policies?
  • Have you chosen your software?
  • Have you decided where you will work?
  • Have you looked at chambers or serviced office options?
Resources

Where to go next.

State and territory law societies

Other useful resources

  • Business.gov.au, starting a business guides
  • Fair Work Ombudsman, hiring your first employee
  • ATO, hiring workers and super for employers
  • Legal Practitioners Liability Committee, risk management
  • Legal Services Council, Uniform Law resources

Clarence guides

You do not have to work it all out alone

Everything that is not law, handled.

The rewards of going out on your own, the autonomy, the flexibility and the satisfaction of building something that is yours, are real. So is the workload.

Clarence has supported lawyers across Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney for 33 years. It is the only workspace in Australia created by lawyers, for lawyers, built to take everything that is not law off your plate: a professional CBD address, meeting rooms and reception, IT support, and a community of lawyers who understand the work.

Clarence gave me the chance to start my own firm. Without its licence and cowork flexibility, I would have struggled to launch.

Julian Walsh

Walsh & Walsh Lawyers, Brisbane

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This guide is general information, not legal, financial or tax advice, and it does not take your circumstances into account. Do your own due diligence and seek professional advice before acting on anything in it.