Question: 

I am a solo practitioner in Southern Indiana. I have been practicing law for 43 years and I want to retire next year. My practice is a general practice firm although approximately 80% of my work is estate planning and estate administration. I am the only attorney in the firm and I am assisted by one paralegal that has been with the firm for twenty years. She plans on working for another ten years or so and will need a future home. I am not sure whether there is any practice value, whether I should just close the practice, or whether another attorney or law firm might be interested in my practice. Your advise would be greatly appreciated.

Response: 

A practice review would be required to determine the potential value and marketability of your practice. If your firm has generated adequate revenues, net earnings, and a diversified base of clients and or referral sources your practice should have an appeal to another attorney or law firm. The key question as to whether there is a goodwill value is whether future cash flows will continue from your clients and referral sources after you exit the practice. It has often been said that clients hire the lawyer – not the law firm. However, a well planned client transition with the new acquiring attorney or law firm can increased the odds of success.

I would only consider closing the doors and shutting down your practice as a last resort option. You will not receive any value for the sweat equity that you have invested in the firm or a home for your clients/referral sources and your paralegal. Before considering this last resort option I would begin a search for other candidate attorneys that you might be able to sell your practice or law firms that you might be able to merge with or join up with in an Of Counsel arrangement. An Of Counsel arrangement is often a solution in your situation. In essence you winddown your practice operation, bill out your work in process and collect your receivables, and take your clients and employee over to the other firm. After joining the other firm you work as long as agreed to and you:

  1. Transition your clients
  2. Integrate your practice
  3. Transition your employee
  4. Work until you are ready to retire
  5. Retire

Typically you will be paid under an eat-what-you-kill system based upon your fees collected based upon, working and originating attorney, while working at the firm and sometimes receive a goodwill value based upon a percentage of your client origination fees collected (past and future clients) after your retirement for three to five years.

Joining another firm would be a better option than shutting down if you can find the right fit.

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John W. Olmstead, MBA, Ph.D, CMC

 

 

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