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What they don’t tell you about starting your own firm
Some may believe that setting up a law firm is a relatively straightforward and simple process. However, Ahmad Faraj has emphasised that the reality is quite different, revealing that the process is often much more complex and time-consuming than most realise.
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Speaking on a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, Ahmad Faraj, the principal and senior lawyer at Faraj Defence Lawyers, reflected on how confronting he found the process of setting up his own law firm due to the limited resources and guidance available to help navigate this complex and demanding journey.
After several years of working in criminal law firms, Ahmad shared that he reached a turning point, wanting to start his own practice, driven by the belief that he could offer great value and serve his clients in a more impactful way.
“When you’re employed, you’ve got to do things a certain way. I just felt like I could do more and do better on my own for the client in terms of how I like to do things,” he said.
Initially, Ahmad assumed that setting up a firm would be a relatively straightforward process. However, he quickly found it confronting, particularly as he encountered a range of unfamiliar tasks and responsibilities.
“It’s very confronting because until you actually start doing it, you don’t know what you don’t know. You think it’s pretty simple. Yep. You know, I’ll open up a company or a sole practice, finish the accounting paperwork, and I’ll find myself an office, and I’m good to go. But there’s so much more to it,” he said.
From mandatory training and financial management to intricate bookkeeping, Ahmad shared how surprised he was by the sheer scope of what was required to launch his own firm – tasks he had never anticipated having to take on.
“You’ve got to do the practice management course first, which is not an easy course to complete, and that goes for a whole week. So you’ve got to do that first, and then you’ve really, you’ve got to learn a lot about banking and accounting, which is not something that I thought I would ever have to know,” he said.
“One of the big reasons why I went into law is that I couldn’t do maths to save my life. You’ve got to learn how to balance accounts and bookkeeping and all of these types of things, and that’s what that course teaches you.”
Beyond the technical requirements, Ahmad explained that one of the biggest hurdles was simply the length and complexity of the entire process.
“It’s a very confronting experience, and it’s a lot more. More difficult than people think. It’s not a very easy road to get to; it takes a couple of months to get everything done and sorted,” he said.
Even now, having gone through the experience, Ahmad believes there’s a real gap in the guidance available for those looking to start their own firm. He found that most sources provided the same surface-level advice, without explaining the full picture or the numerous logistical and administrative hurdles involved.
“Everywhere you look, and whenever you look online, and whoever you ask, all you get told is, yep, do your practice management course, update your practising certificate to remove your restriction so that you can now be a principal of a practice, and then off you go,” he said.
“What they don’t tell you is, for example, if you’re setting it up as a company, you’ve got to have that company set up before you fill in your form to the Law Society to be able to actually start engaging in practice.”
Ahmad argues that a clear, step-by-step guide detailing the true process of establishing a firm is essential. He explained that such a resource would help prospective principals be better equipped and informed, streamlining the process and preventing unnecessary delays.
“There definitely isn’t a step-by-step guide. I think it’s important that there is one available for people just to pretty much streamline and speed up the process. So people aren’t delayed, and they can just go out on their own and do the great things they want to do for clients,” he said.