Guides and resources for lawyers
Practical guides on starting, running and growing an independent practice, written for Australian lawyers.
Compare your salary or billable target
Use the published figures in these tools as a starting point for thinking about your current role. If running your own practice is on your mind, the guides below explain what is involved.
Where should you start?
Going Solo: the 2026 guide
The best place to start, with a downloadable PDF.
→How do you start your own law practice?
The full guide: costs, setup, lean starts and virtual firms.
→What does it cost to start a law firm?
Set-up, insurance, workspace and running costs.
→Can you start a law firm with no money?
The lean-start playbook for year one.
→How do you set up as a sole practitioner?
Certificates, registrations and trust accounts, state by state.
→How do you run a virtual law firm?
Credible practice on a virtual address and rooms on demand.
→Legal insights
Articles and updates from the Clarence community.
→How do the options compare?
Clarence or Servcorp: which suits a law practice?
Two operators compared on what each publishes: locations, pricing, contract terms and who each is built for.
→What is the difference between a serviced office and coworking?
Which one works for confidential client work, court deadlines and a practice address.
→What does it cost?
What does a serviced office cost in Sydney?
Pricing by building, what the monthly fee covers, and how it compares with a conventional lease.
→What does a serviced office cost in Melbourne?
Pricing by building, what the monthly fee covers, and how it compares with taking a lease.
→What does a serviced office cost in Brisbane?
Pricing, what the monthly fee covers, and how it compares with taking a CBD lease.
→How do lawyers handle flexibility?
What are my flexible work rights as an employed lawyer in Australia?
Section 65, who is eligible, the 21-day rule, and what happens if your firm refuses.
→How do I negotiate flexible work when I return from parental leave?
How to structure a request a firm can say yes to, and what to do if the answer is no.
→What is the presence penalty, and does it still apply to lawyers?
The career cost of not being in the office, and what the research actually shows.
→How do lawyers actually solve the flexibility problem?
Negotiate, move firms, go in-house, or go independent. An honest comparison of the four routes.
→Ready to take the next step?
The Going Solo 2026 guide is the best place to start.