How an advocate can find clients when starting a legal practice

Starting a law practice undoubtedly requires professional knowledge. At the same time, a clear understanding of one’s own area of specialization, clients, and communication channels is essential for success.

The UNBA NextGen in Kyiv hosted a webinar titled «Launching a law practice: where to start so you don’t waste time, money or motivation». The event was moderated by the Committee’s regional representative Svitlana Mykhailyk. The speaker was business mentor and Diya.Business speaker Natalia Tyshchuk.

The consultant noted that starting a practice is often accompanied by myths and internal pitfalls. According to her, those who lose out at the beginning are not those with less knowledge, but those who act chaotically and lack a plan. She identified a lack of focus as one of the main mistakes: when a lawyer does not understand «where they’re headed», who they’re working for, and what types of cases they’re prepared to handle.

The speaker drew attention to premature «branding» — situations where a young lawyer invests in a website, advertising campaigns, logos, or other external elements but does not yet have a solid foundation and does not understand the mechanism for attracting clients. In her opinion, a «legal empire» is not necessary at the start. First, you need to understand what problem the advocate is solving and establish a working mechanism for client acquisition.

Sharing her own experience, S. Mykhailyk noted that advocates and lawyers often take on any client request at the beginning of their practice, even if the relevant field is not their area of specialization. As a result, they spend significantly more time researching the issue instead of working in an area where they already have stronger expertise.

That is why N. Tyshchuk advises narrowing down to one or two practice areas at the start. The first area, she explained, is not a lifelong restriction but merely an entry point into the practice and the market. For example, the primary focus could be advising small businesses and drafting contracts, while the secondary focus could be registering sole proprietorships and consulting with counterparties. This focus allows you to explain more precisely to the client exactly what they should consult a lawyer about.

Regarding understanding one’s client, the speaker suggested identifying who exactly the potential client is, in what situations they need legal assistance, what they fear, what is valuable to them, and what criteria they use to choose a lawyer or advocate. Based on these answers, she said, a lawyer’s positioning is formed.

Speaking about communication, N. Tyshchuk emphasized that clients often expect not an abstract «legal service», but risk mitigation, clarity, peace of mind, and a resolution to a specific situation. Therefore, it is important for a lawyer to speak in clear language, explain complex legal issues through the client’s specific inquiries, and not hide behind overly complex phrasing.

In conclusion, N. Tyshchuk outlined seven practical steps for the first 30 days: choose a primary and secondary practice area, describe the profile of your first clients, formulate a simple value proposition, establish a professional online presence, begin regular communication with the market, keep track of contacts, and monitor what actually works.

«At the start, there’s no need to build a ‘grand legal structure’ — it’s better to establish a first working practice and then scale up what delivers results», - the expert concluded.