So you are thinking of opening your own office? Before you take this bold step, you need to ask yourself: Are you prepared? Do you understand the challenges that you face? Do you understand yourself? Being a sole practitioner entails more than just being good at the law and understanding how to file a complaint or argue before a judge. You also have to understand how to start and run a business. To succeed, you must be a savvy business person, negotiator, and bookkeeper all while being a good lawyer.

Review Setting Up a Practice

Closing your office takes careful planning for a seamless transition. Lawyers close offices for many reasons: retirement, merging firms, disability, extended maternity leave, or maybe an appointment to the bench. Though all different scenarios, similar tasks are needed to close an office efficiently and with no harm to the client.

Review Closing a Practice

Members may borrow up to three titles at no charge from the LSBA's Lending Library. We'll ship the books to you at no charge, OR you may pick up your order at the LSBA Bar Center

Visit the Lending Library

Members can view links to various courts around the state that host downloadable basic forms online. The page also links to several other websites that provide basic court forms.

Go to Forms

Effective disaster planning dictates whether your office will survive a disaster. Keep in mind that during a disaster, natural or otherwise, a lawyer’s professional and ethical obligations are not suspended.

More on Disaster Planning

The LSBA Lawyer Fee Dispute Resolution Program was formed to resolve legal fee disputes between attorneys and clients as well as between attorneys and other lawyers. For more information on the program, please read the guidelines below.

Go to Lawyer Fee Dispute Resolution

Published by the Louisiana State Bar Association and underwritten by Gilsbar, Inc. (now known as Gilsbar, LLC) and CNA Insurance Company. The Practice Aid Guide Subcommittee of the LSBA Practice Assistance and Improvement Committee developed the guide to help attorneys with basic systems and forms to manage a law office.

Get the Practice Aid Guide