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Small practitioners look on the bright side

Two sole practitioners have told trainee solicitors that they are still optimistic about the future for smaller and rural practices, despite many challenges.

Liam Keane (State Solicitor for Co Meath, Liam Keane & Partners) and Sonia McEntee (principal, Sonia McEntee Solicitors) were speaking at the Future of Legal Practice Summit at the Law Society (10 January).

Outlining some of the main challenges facing their practices, Keane said that lines of succession were not as clear or as simple as in larger practices, while it was sometimes more difficult to attract staff.

Day-to-day management of an office also meant that solicitors could get “side-tracked”, he added.

Fees

McEntee cited the risk of isolation, particularly in her specialist area of apartment law, which she said could be “quite deskbound”.

She also spoke about striking a balance between taking on work and charging the right fee for that work.

“You must be able to say ‘no’,” she told trainees, warning of the problem of not charging enough for the work that was done.

McEntee suggested “clear thinking at an early stage” from small practitioners.

“What do you want to excel at?” she asked, adding that solicitors must be able to stand over the fees that they charged.

‘Greater control’

In contrast, however, both solicitors spoke about the collegiality among sole and rural practitioners.

Keane added that his role gave him “greater control” over cases, while small practices gave solicitors and staff the opportunity for greater responsibility at an earlier stage.

He also cited the benefits of less commuting and more flexibility.

Resilience

Asked about the risk of ‘legal deserts’, both solicitors said that they did not expect to get to a point where whole counties would be left without representation.

Keane told trainees that, while he expected more specialisation, there would still be small, rural practitioners, describing them as “indispensable”.

McEntee spoke of the flexibility, adaptability, and resilience of the profession, adding that solicitors were still held in high regard throughout society.

Hybrid courses

She added that the Law Society’s introduction of hybrid courses and other routes to qualification were “a huge positive”, and could bring older solicitors through to the profession.

“The future is bright,” she concluded.

The session was hosted by the Law Society’s trainee representative group PPC Connect and moderated by trainee solicitor Lauren Humphries.