I am often asked, “What is it like to open your own law practice?” My response is that hanging out one’s shingle can be a wonderful, exhilarating adventure, and, on occasion, a depressing, frustrating experience.

Solo practitioners must learn to cope with stresses that presumably accompany the growth of any business: financial hardship (whether real or assumed), uncertainty (as to whether the practice will achieve success), and instability (inherent in the growing pains of the business).