CHECKLIST FOR OPENING A LAW OFFICE
• Decide what form your business will be (sole proprietorship, partnership, professional corporation (PC) or professional limited liability company (PLLC).
• Choose the areas of law in which you wish to practice.
• Choose a location for your office (downtown or suburbs)
• Will you set up a home office, rent office space, share office space, or locate in an executive suite?
• Other considerations include:
• Proximity to law library, access to conference rooms, small kitchen, office equipment and other resources you will need
• Proximity to major anticipated clients
• Proximity to courts and administrative hearing locations or jails
• Ease of access and parking for employees and clients
• Determine necessary office needs.
• Furniture
• Lawyer’s office (desk, chair, credenza, guest chairs, bookcase, lamp, file cabinet, chair mat, wastebasket)
• Reception area (receptionist desk and chair, guest chairs, coffee table, lamp, pictures, plants, magazines)
• Staff (desk with return, chair, lamp, chair mat, wastebasket, file cabinet)
• Office Equipment
• Telephone(s) with answering machine (or arrange for voice mail service)
• Postage scale and mail equipment
• Photocopy machine
• Fax machine
• Shredder
• Calculator
• Typewriter
• Dictation equipment (if necessary) including a portable tape recorder
• Coffee pot and cups
• Small refrigerator
• Garbage disposal, if possible
• Dishwasher, if possible
• Hardware and Software Needs
• Hardware
• Computers with adequate hard drive and resident memory capacity, preferably networked together with internal modems and CD Rom.
• Appropriate back up devices and software.
• Printers
• Scanner
• Laptop (if travel will be extensive or for use in court)
• Software
• Operating system
• Word Processing
• Legal-Specific:
• Firm accounting/time and billing
• Calendar
• Conflicts
• Case management
• Payroll (software or service)
• Practice area specific
• Spreadsheet
• Database
• Internet access
• E-mail
• Supplies (such as paper, envelopes, pens, pencils, stapler, 2-hole punch, 3-hole punch, scissors, date stamp, file folders, rubber bands, tape, 3-ring binders, staple remover, paper clips, writing pads, scratch pads, post-it-note pads and phone message pads)
• Stationery, business cards, announcements
• Personnel (receptionist, secretary, paralegal, bookkeeper)
• Library
• Specific to your practice
• Legal research services
• Books/CD Rom/On-line
• Forms
• Client interview/intake form
• Engagement letter form
• Non-engagement letter form
• Practice area specific checklists for standard procedures to be performed on every file opened in the practice area
• Time-keeping form
• Establish a relationship with a bank and open appropriate bank accounts.
• General account
• Trust account
• Payroll account (optional - can use general account)
• Client disbursement account (optional - can use general account)
• Get checks printed (general and trust).
• Arrange for a safety deposit box for wills and other client valuables.
• Prepare a budget.
• Obtain assistance from a CPA, if needed, to prepare budget statements that can be used in applying for loans or credit from a bank.
• A practice cash budget should be prepared.
• A personal living expense budget should be prepared.
• Obtain necessary insurance.
• Professional liability
• General liability
• Worker’s compensation
• Non-owned automobile insurance
• Office equipment, computer equipment and software coverage, for replacement value
• Business interruption insurance
• File replacement and valuable papers coverage
• Fire and theft insurance, for replacement value
• Umbrella coverage, if available
• Employee dishonesty coverage
• Health
• Life
• Personal
• Key man
• Disability
• Obtain a business license and necessary permits.
• Obtain a federal employer identification number.
• File federal quarterly income tax estimates for personal income taxes.
• Obtain city or county licenses or permits as required.
• Notify Board of Professional Responsibility of address.
• Notify Tennessee Bar Association of address.
• Join local bar association.
• Notify lawyer referral services of your availability.
• Notify possible sources of court-appointed work of your availability.
• Consider consulting with a CPA or accountant concerning:
• Payment of quarterly estimated taxes and other tax liabilities
• Preparation of payroll and quarterly payroll tax forms
• Treatment of client advances (asset or expense)
• Annual tax return
•
Determine what type of marketing and advertising you will use (web page, yellow page ad, lawyer referral listing, brochures, business cards, sign for office, announcements).
• Establish necessary office systems.
• Accounting system
• Time and billing system
• Trust accounting system
• Docket/calendar/tickler system
• Conflict checking system
• Case management system
• Filing system
• Contact TNBAR Management Services at 615-377-1029 for assistance or answers to any questions.
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