This is part 1 on why some firms struggle when trying to ditch hourly billing. There can be various issues that can make changing difficult, but this episode focuses on one issue in particular that I see firms run into, and when they do it can completely derail their conversion program. This is also something that has kept many firms from even trying to ditch hourly billing for another method because they aren’t able to get past the issue within the firm.

If you are thinking about ditching hourly billing in your firm, stay tuned because this episode is definitely one you want to listen to.

TAKEAWAY: ditching hourly billing requires not just a change in how you bill your clients, it requires a business model shift to evaluate and compensate the lawyers in your firm based on something other than hours worked on a matter

Do you want to make more money in your law practice? There is a 99.9% chance that your answer to that question is “yes.” I mean, who wouldn’t want to make more money, right?

If you are part of the 99.9% of solo and small firm lawyers looking to increase the money you make in your practice, I can help. Because in this episode I am going to share with you not only an insanely simple way to make more money, but the two additional ways that every successful law firm out there increases their revenues.

TAKEAWAY: if you want to make more money in your law practice, simply raise your rates

If I asked you what criteria you use to determine which lawyer you would select from a list of lawyers to hire for a legal problem you had, you’d probably say that you would make your decision based on which lawyer was the best at solving that problem. That makes logical sense, right? You’d want to choose the best. And that how most lawyers market their practices too, as being the “best” in a particular practice area or “better” than the lawyer down the street.

The problem with this is that when people actually make decisions – such as which lawyer to hire – they don’t base their decision on which option is objectively best. Because decision-making isn’t driven by logic, it is driven by emotion. And being the “best” is a logical argument.

TAKEAWAY: will you keep marketing yourself as “better” or as different?

My 6-year old daughter experiences emotions very easily. One minute she will be happy playing, and then the next minute she will be angry and pouting. The next minute she will be crying about something, followed quickly by laughing. My wife and I are very careful to let her know that having these feelings is not a bad thing, and of the importance of allowing the emotions to happen.

Ironically, as lawyers we are typically pretty terrible at dealing with our own emotions. Rather than feeling and processing our emotions – whether they be anger, fear, frustration, anxiety, shame, or yes, even happiness and joy – we push them down, often with the help of alcohol. And when all those emotions finally erupt, and they will erupt, the result can be spectacular.

TAKEAWAY: it is important to feel your emotions.

You may have seen the title of this episode and are scratching your head. What in the world is Brad talking about? I need more feminine energy in my law practice? What is that?

Well, life is all about balance. For example, you can’t just eat candy and salty snacks and expect to be healthy. You need vegetables and fruits and protein. You can still have some of the candy and snacks, but you need the other things as well.

Most lawyers are focused on the “doing.” On taking action, getting things done. On logic and critical thinking. On achievement. But without feminine energy – the planning, the emotional connection with others, the boundaries and self-care – your law practice will only go so far. And if you are finding that you have hit a wall with your practice or are becoming burnt out or dissatisfied, the issue may be that you are focusing too much on the masculine energy and not enough on the feminine.

TAKEAWAY: to maximize the success of your law practice, you need to incorporate feminine energy into your life and your law practice.

The one thing that most every lawyer out there has in common– at least in the U.S. and Canada, which a few exceptions – is that you went through law school on your way to becoming a lawyer. For at least the past 50 years, that is the path to the practice of law.

But if you ask most lawyers and law school grads, they will tell you that law school did not prepare them to enter the legal profession. That they had no idea how to actually practice law once they left the law school classroom. What is a law student or new law grad to do?

TAKEAWAY: law school doesn’t teach you how to practice law. Learning how is up to you.

For some people, the holidays are the best time of the year. For others, the holidays are the WORST time of year, filled with stress from your practice, family, and friends.

In this episode I want to share some things that I use to deal with stress. Most can be used regardless of the situation. And I’ll talk a bit about how to handle particular situations that can arise during the holidays and at the end of the year.

TAKEAWAY: be kind to yourself.

I saw the results of a survey or some research lately that said that lawyers as a whole tend to be more unhappy or negative than the general population. Being a lawyer myself, I can confirm that that is the case. By and large, lawyers tend to be unhappy. For the longest time, I was unhappy with myself and with my law practice.

But that has changed. I am no longer a pessimist (masquerading as a “realist”). I am now an optimist and have positive thoughts and emotions throughout the day. Because I discovered the secret to being happy. And in this episode, I am going to share with you the secret I discovered that you can immediately implement in your life so that you too can be happier.

TAKEAWAY: the way to be happy, is to be happy.

I was listening to a lawyer I greatly admire speak about how to be a good lawyer. And one statement he made really stuck out to me. He was talking about his background prior to becoming a lawyer and how his experience made him a better lawyer today. Now I thought he would focus on his time as a sports broadcaster, or maybe his time in sales, as the reason he is consistently rated as one of the best lawyers in the area. But he didn’t. Instead, he said that some of the most important skills for a lawyer are those he honed being a teacher.

TAKEAWAY: one of the best ways to become a better lawyer is to improve your teaching skills.

As a lawyer, you’ve probably heard the saying that you should always put your clients first. That your clients are the reason you are a lawyer and have a law practice, and so you do what you have to do to help them – even if that means making some sacrifices in other areas of your life. You may even believe that to be true.

But, is putting the needs (and wants) of your client before your own always best? Is sacrificing your physical, mental, and emotional well-being for your clients going to provide them with the best legal services? Or maybe, is there another way – a better way – to provide great service to your clients that doesn’t require making those sacrifices?

In this episode I am going to talk about what it means to make your law practice more client-centric, rather than client-first, and the steps you can take to improve the experience your clients have working with you.

TAKEAWAY: making small improvements to the client experience can have a huge impact on the quality of services you provide, and are better for both you (and your staff) and your clients than always putting their needs before your own.