If you feel as if it‘s time to start your own practice, please follow your intuition, as it is likely guiding you on the right path.  I had that feeling as soon as I left law school, followed it, and haven’t looked back since.  Having said that, please be prepared to hear the following from your family and/or friends:

1. Are you crazy?
2. So you don’t like having a salary?
3. How are you going to get clients?
4. Do you know what you’re doing?
5. Can you help me with my case (Usually comes from family…usually extended)

So…without further ado…here are the top 5 reasons to start your own firm. 

1. The experience is unlike any other
Its one thing to do work for someone else but quite another to do it for yourself.  I did not attend law school so that I could be stuck in an office writing motions for other attorneys and appearing in court for cases which are not mine.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  It just wasn’t for me.  If you constantly have the itch that you think you could do this yourself, on your own, then do it.  If you believe that you could treat the client  much better,  then its time you think about starting your own firm. (Just don’t steal the client). 

 2. Your pay is commensurate with your work
Ever get the feeling that the firm doesn’t value your services and doesn’t pay you what you are worth.  You’re likely right.  Unless you’re a partner in one of the larger firms who, from what I understand, now get paid in Euros.  In any event the great thing about  having your own firm is that the amount of work you put in usually, but not initially, dictates how much you get paid.  Think your worth more than $200/hr, then charge more.   You may have to take a hit at first, but trust me, working on motions you don’t want to work on is much easier when the hourly rate goes into your pocket.

3. Your business cards list your name, not some other persons.
This really shouldn’t be a consideration in  deciding to go out on your own…but its pretty cool. 

4. The firm where you work oddly doesn’t allow you to practice the field of law which you enjoy
Unless you are in a very unique firm which has implemented a “Choose your favorite practice and do it!” day, you may be stuck in a situation where you are doing legal work you don’t like….over and over again.  Not only does this hamper your quality of life, but the quality of work may suffer as a result as well.  The solution.  Start your own practice.  You’ll have the ability to not only practice in the area of law you enjoy, but you’ll also be able to venture out into other areas as well.  I never though I would enjoy practicing consumer advocacy…but I do.

5. Gone Fishin….
If you have your own firm and you need to take a week off for vacation, or to leave at 3 to see your kids ball game, you do it.  No questions asked.  You’ll obviously have to compensate for the time you missed, but you still have a freedom that most other people don’t have.  You cannot put a price on that. 

Obviously this is a simplification of a very serious and personal decision, but my personal opinion really is “Do what makes you happy and others will benefit as a result".  The worst thing that can happen is that this all fails and you go back to work at another firm.  The best thing is your life changes tremendously for the better. Just my 2 cents.

Daniel Gershburg, Esq. is an attorney in Brooklyn who recently started his own practice, Gershburg Law.  He focuses his practice on real estate, bankruptcy, litigation, and criminal defense.