Some do it for childcare. Others do it to pursue non-legal interests such as oil painting. One even combines it with presenting the weather on Sky News. But all represent a growing trend of solicitors embracing the freelance life.

This new breed is far removed from old-style locums. They are coming together in virtual law firms — models differ but a popular one involves solicitors working on an earn-as-you-work basis, from home or sometimes the client’s office, with the practice providing centralised administration, support and marketing.

The recession means that the future is encouraging for such firms. Redundancy rounds have led many solicitors to rethink their lives, while in-house lawyers face big pressures to cut costs. This increases the appeal of a firm where you pay for the advice but not the fancy City office.

When not forecasting the weather — a role that grew from winning a staff talent competition while she was an in-house lawyer at Sky — Denise Nurse runs Halebury, a City firm. It is a group of nine freelance solicitors who work non-exclusively on projects that either they or Halebury bring in (this determines the income split between lawyer and firm).

The flexibility that the lawyers enjoy works both ways, Nurse explains. Some clients simply have a one-off job, while others may need someone for a longer-term placement. Unlike with a locum, “you build up a relationship with us, meaning that even if you don’t need us for a bit, the knowledge doesn’t go away”, she says.

Tellingly, many of the pioneers are former in-house lawyers. Oliver Brice, for example, was group legal director of the Macmillan Publishing Group before establishing Virtual Law, which sells itself to companies as an outsourced in-house legal function.

Excello Law has recently been launched by George Bisnought, formerly the global legal director of Systems Union, a software company. His experience as a buyer of legal advice is that “on the whole clients are satisfied with the service but the bugbear has always been the spend”. Also, he finds that many private practice lawyers love the law but not the working environment — whether it be the macho culture, the glass ceiling or simply the pressure.

The appeal of this new way of working for lawyers with childcare responsibilities is obvious, while for others, particularly men, “I wouldn’t call it a midlife crisis, rather a reflection of where they are in their lives”, Bisnought says. They may want to travel, pursue hobbies (one of Excello’s lawyers is also an author), develop other business interests or perhaps work from the South of France.

One of the first on the scene, in 2002, was Keystone Law, although the founder James Knight describes the firm as “dispersed”, not virtual, because there is a staffed central administrative office. Its 85 home-based lawyers are consultants, rather than freelance, but while the way of working is not traditional, the service itself should be, he explains.

“We make no bones about being dispersed and clients need to know why their rates are so favourable when the solicitors are no less qualified ,” Knight says. “But in all other respects, to be very successful the future is not a dispersed network of individuals because you won’t get good-quality clients. The future is a seamless law firm, even if it does offer its solicitors a different remuneration and lifestyle package.”

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) is one traditional City firm to wake up to the opportunity and threat that this method of practice represents. Its Lawyers on Demand service is aimed at clients looking for an in-house secondment or locum-style arrangement. A pool of 28 freelance lawyers (only one of whom is former BLP) work with clients on a contract basis, vetted and supported throughout by the firm.

Simon Harper, the partner in charge, explains that Lawyers on Demand aims to handle more routine work that companies cannot resource in-house but for which they do not need a City firm. Apart from some profit, the non-financial benefits for BLP are obvious — the service both retains existing clients and attracts new ones, such as Orange and Gucci.

A recent recruitment trend is lawyers who want to continue working a five-day week but as freelancers, Harper says, so they can have more control over their lives and financial affairs.

Going freelance, or virtual, is not just an option for commercial lawyers — Woolley & Co, for example, is a virtual family law practice — or only for those with a client following (although that undoubtedly helps). But clearly you need experience in your field and a certain type of character; for example, you cannot be afraid, Nurse says, of marketing. But this way you see your children, or maybe your piano, and get a far greater reward from your efforts.

“You can get complacent in employment,” she adds. “This is a wonderful opportunity for people to shake themselves out.”

Times Online
31st July 2009