Solicitors are increasingly advised to specialise - establish yourself in a niche and select an area of law that you can become the ‘go to’ person within that area of speciality.

This area of law should be one in which you can provide better service than competitors. Hopefully, you should be able to charge a premium for the service that you provide.

The most challenging aspect to this strategy is to figure out how to define a niche for yourself and/or your firm. Outlined here is information on simple tactics that you can use to make progress on this front.

In specialising, the goal you should be aiming for is this - when a potential client looks for a particular service, you want to be the first and only solicitor or firm that they are interested in instructing. So, what can you do to create this kind of differentiation?

Best advice is to define your specialisation at a fundamental level – what is often referred to as ‘at least three layers deep’. Here is an example:

• Layer 1: Sinead is a solicitor.
• Layer 2: Sinead is a litigation solicitor.
• Layer 3: Sinead is a solicitor who is an expert in personal injury litigation. At Layer 3, you’re getting into the right general area but this tactic involves delving deeper down into Layer 4 or below.
• Layer 4: Sinead is a solicitor who is expert in personal injury litigation involving children under the age of 16.

BAM! Now you’re at the level where magic happens… There are lots of litigation solicitors, but if a parent’s seven year old gets hurt, that parent wants to be reassured that legal matters will be handled right and that her/his child will not be further compromised. And, in no time at all, a friend or family member will ask, ‘Do you know about the solicitor who specialises in this kind of case?’

Carving out a niche is all about sharp focus - getting down to Layer 4 or even deeper. The world is full of people who claim to be ‘specialists’ but you can only establish a niche by having expertise that is especially relevant to particular people. You need to be able to demonstrate a special ability to solve problems for such people.

What can also be useful in establishing a niche - but is not absolutely necessary - is that the area you define for yourself or your firm is linked to your unique story and/or passions as an individual. So, if Sinead decided to specialise in personal injury litigation involving children because of personal experience, this combination of factors can enhance credibility.

Having defined your speciality, you need to make and follow a plan aimed at establishing a name for yourself within your specialist area and then promoting yourself on an ongoing basis. There are many ways to approach these matters but if you have properly defined your specialism, you are through the most critical task in creating a niche for yourself.