Office space, furniture, equipment and
software
After practicing in Boston during my first few years in
Massachusetts, I recently undertook the project of opening a second
office, this time in Newburyport near my home. The game plan: build
a divorce and family law practice, supplementing my personal injury
practice, while making my own life more convenient.
The process has also brought me through all the basics of
opening an office, so I felt it a great time to share my findings
with all those of you who are preparing to open up shop.
Essentially, you want the best solution within your budget. The
problem is, when you first start out, it's sometimes difficult to
know what your budget should be. Then, faced with a multitude of
decisions needing seemingly immediate answers, the likelihood that
impulsivity will take over increases. To avoid that, let me offer
you some quick but valuable advice.
Office space
There are many options, with pros and cons to each, but
generally the best option is space amongst other lawyers with a
shared, professional reception and conference room. Find great
opportunities by networking with other lawyers or posting an
inquiry on a discussion board in My Bar Access.
Target spend: under $1,000 per month.
Furniture
No matter what, you need furniture that will last under the
beating of your soon-to-be bustling practice. If your clients will
see your office, you will need furniture that appears to be of top
quality. That generally means staying away from office superstore
furniture. If the office you are taking over has solid, quality
furniture, offer to purchase it. That's where you will get the best
deal on quality. The next best option is going to a commercial
office furniture liquidator. These companies purchase large lots of
office furniture from companies going out of business or upgrading.
There are a handful of these throughout the state. I spoke to a
few, and ultimately found the best deal with Richard Burke at
Atlantic Liquidators in Lynn. You can reach him at
781-593-1090.
Target spend: under $2,000.
Equipment
This is possibly the easiest decision. Perfectly adequate new
computer packages can be readily found at any major big box
retailer, office superstore or on Amazon for $500 or less. Get an
all-in-one printer/scanner with form feed for $100 to $300,
depending on preference. Spend another $50 on all your initial
office supplies and see if you can get all of the above delivered
for free on the day you take over your space.
Target spend: under $1,000 for all of the above.
Software
There are so many options here and you could spend hours and
hours sorting it all out. In the end, you need effective solutions
within budget. I highly recommend using a practice management
software like Clio. It will cost you a few hundred dollars a year,
but it will help keep you organized and will make billing your
clients easy, and MBA members receive a 10 percent lifetime
discount. The other essential is quick, reliable access to the law.
The MBA has recently vetted legal research programs and will change
to Fastcase, included free with your membership, beginning Dec. 1.
Save some money and take advantage. You can always upgrade to a
more robust paid service down the road. Additionally, Microsoft
Office is a necessity these days, which you can get included in a
Microsoft 365 account - highly recommended. Yes, there are free
options, but you will increase your productivity and effectiveness
by spending some money here.
Target spend: about $1,200 a year.
MBA resources
If you are just starting out, I also recommend you take
advantage of the many CLE programs the MBA offers free and on
demand. There is no sense learning lesson the hard way with so many
resources at your disposal.
Best of luck!
Damian Turco is the chair of the Law Practice Management
Section Council and the owner of Turco Legal PC, handling personal
injury and family law matters with offices in Boston and
Newburyport