Yes, you can build a practice that fits your life

For some, the answer is to leave law altogether. For others, especially mid-career practitioners who enjoy the work but not the way of working, the answer is to take the plunge and design a practice that matches their life. The catch is what comes with that decision.

It can feel like stepping off a cliff: committing to a lease, carrying the full cost of an office and support, and rebuilding a network without the backing of a big firm.

There is a different way. There’s a legal community that's thriving in spaces built just for them. A space built for lawyers, by lawyers, with 6 locations across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

By Clarence Workspaces for Lawyers

When “going back” doesn’t fit anymore

“The lawyers who struggle are rarely the ones lacking clients or ability,” says Clarence CEO Andrew Rothstadt. “They’re the ones who end up running two businesses at once, the practice they wanted, and the office they didn’t. That’s the overhead we were built to remove.”

There comes a point in many legal careers where the long hours and pursuit of financial goals, for yourself or a bigger firm, sit very differently once you enter a new season of life with different priorities. You realise some balls you juggle are glass, some are plastic.

That tension is now showing up in the data. Women make up around 56 per cent of practising solicitors in Australia, according to the 2024 National Profile of Solicitors, and are often the ones seeking a better balance of work and home life. But it’s not just women- almost one-third of lawyers across the board say they’d leave their current role for better work-life balance. The demand for flexibility is clear; the question is how to maintain career trajectory and financial security without taking on unsustainable risk.

An ecosystem for solicitors, not just an address

Clarence operates across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, providing what members call simply a “great place to work for solicitors.” It’s not just the private, secure office suites in prime CBD locations close to courts, clients and great coffee. What matters most is the multitude of services purposefully designed to improve a solicitor’s efficiency and give them more time to focus on their work.

There’s in-house professional IT support that handles setup, maintenance and troubleshooting locally, not from a remote help desk. Members walk in on day one ready to work. Clarence Legal Services (CLS), Clarence’s accredited legal practice, provides multi-discipline lawyers if needed, as well as experienced paralegal support for document preparation, research and practice support. And unique to Clarence is in-house marketing support, from logo and stationery design through to building and managing a firm’s website and online presence– helping generate leads without having to become an overnight marketing professional.

“We think of it as replacing overhead with support,” Rothstadt says. “IT, legal, paralegal capacity, marketing, admin– these are all things a sole practitioner would normally source, manage and pay for separately. Here, they’re part of the Clarence way of doing things.”

Staying current without the after-hours juggle

For lawyers balancing a career with other priorities, accruing CPD points and attending networking events can easily fall to the bottom of the list. Clarence builds these into the working week: 12 CPD sessions per year held on location with the option to attend remotely, covering everything from managing costs and contracts to specialist sessions on ethics, family law and property law.

‘As the mother of a young child, Clarence has supported me not only as a sole practitioner, but in my growth when I was ready to expand my team. The flexibility and support make it possible to work on my own terms and still have a successful career.’ Helena Mrmos - Mozaik Lawyers

There’s also a calendar of member events designed to build community naturally: networking evenings, professional headshot sessions, informal catch-ups, or simply an ice block on a hot afternoon. “Referrals happen in the kitchen. Mentoring happens in the hallway,” Rothstadt says.

A supported transition that scales with you

Clarence reports a member retention rate in excess of 90 per cent, which Rothstadt attributes to the breadth of value rather than any single feature.

“People come for the office. They stay for everything around it,” he says. “For a lot of our members, the question isn’t ‘Can I get work?’ It’s ‘Can I build a practice that fits my life?’ Our job is to make the answer yes.”

Clarence was the brainchild of Australian lawyers who wanted a different way of working. Thirty-three years later, the business is still supporting lawyers to do just that.

Thinking of starting your own practice, or finding a new home for your existing business? Until the 31 March, Clarence Workspaces for Lawyers is offering a complimentary laptop configured with your business’s requirements so you’re ready to start work on day one. To learn more, visit https://clarenceprofessionalgroup.com.au/lawyers-weekly/. T&Cs apply.