Likely there’s no lawyer in the country who hasn’t daydreamed about going solo; the freedom, fulfilment, and flexibility of self employment surely has its allure even on a good day at large a firm.

Perhaps an office at home, the prospect of managing client files from beginning to end, logging some meaningful court time, and just slowing the speed of the treadmill are enticing notions, not to mention the fact that there would be no partners with whom to share the pie.

But then, there’s the reality of going solo: costs to set up aforementioned office, the prospect of searching for clients to have files to manage, getting prepped for court alone, and the fear that the treadmill might come to a screeching halt all serve to negate any misgivings of sharing profits with partners. And so but a dream, for most, it remains.

Yet for those who’ve set out on their own, the challenges have been well worth it. Autonomy, they propose, has more pros than cons, and is an option by no means out of the reach of legal newbies freshly called to the bar.

“There are mornings when I wake up and I can’t wait to get to the office,” enthuses Hugh Robichaud about running a now-thriving sole practice in Meteghan, N.S. “I am very happy. It’s a very good feeling to have, to love what you do.”

Robichaud, who wrote his bar exam in 2001 and launched his solo practice just two months later, says he decided while articling that he’d rather set out on his own. He attributes his drive and success to an entrepreneurial upbringing in a family lobster-fishing business and the persistent pursuit of a childhood dream. “I always wanted to be a lawyer,” he says. “I remember in Grade 6 asking my dad for a briefcase for Christmas.”

But Robichaud, like the other lawyers interviewed for this story, has also accrued “life experience” in other ventures beyond law that is vital to building a successful sole practice. For Robichaud, besides growing up in an entrepreneurial environment, he actually ran his family’s fishing business for several years, quitting university to take the helm after his father had a heart attack. Coupled with business savvy, Robichaud also holds a degree in commerce and has close ties to his community, a rural region that is under serviced by lawyers and within which he grew up.

That’s not to say he hasn’t faced challenges. The bank, he shares, declined him a line of credit because he had outstanding student loans. “I’ve never missed a payment in my life. I asked for a loan and I was declined. I was completely baffled.” He turned to his brother, borrowing $15,000 just to get equipment to launch a home office, and remembers, “In the first six months of my practice, I really didn’t make a lot of money. I think it actually cost me $25,000 in first six months,” including paying back the loan, he says.

Innovation counts

To generate business, Robichaud would travel to his parents’ home in a neighboring town, put a sign on the front lawn and see clients there once a week in the evening. He quickly established ties with legal aid offices and drew on the advice of a local, established practitioner, who recently retired, enabling Robichaud to take over that practice.

Today, Robichaud says his practice continues to grow “exponentially,” although the learning curve continues. “Every person who walks in the door is a learning experience. You can end up working nights and weekends to find a precedent for what you want to do,” he says. “You don’t have a person in the other office who you can walk in and say so and so wants this, how do I go about it. So you have to do your own research or pick up the phone and call people who have busy schedules themselves.”