how to make money on the side as an attorney

by Tatyana Hagenes 7 min read

How Lawyers Can Make Extra Money with a Side Hustle.

  • Offer Personal Coaching Services. One of the best ways to leverage your legal expertise for additional income is by offering coaching services to new ...
  • Sell a Niche Legal Course.
  • Develop a Helpful App for Lawyers.
  • Publish Legal E-Books Online.
  • Conduct Test Prep Courses.

Full Answer

How lawyers can make money online?

Oct 08, 2012 · Tutoring. The LSAT and the bar exam, especially bar-exam essays, can be particularly lucrative practice areas for lawyer-tutors. Of course, private test-prep companies can also use a few lawyerly tutors for tests like the GRE, SAT, and ACT. Writing and editing.

How can I make money on the side?

A great attorney can seriously boost his or her earnings by taking a position as a professor at a law school. While this particular path requires a lot of effort to see through to the end, good law professors can potentially double their annual incomes by teaching just a few classes per week.

How to become a legal expert and earn money from home?

Sep 02, 2020 · You can make cash by offering to coach law students online on sites like Barbri. Then again, if you prefer to teach at a law school, you will have to give a few classes a week, but can make good money as you inspire young law students with your passion for …

How much do freelance lawyers get paid?

Real estate is always a good way to make money, as a lawyer you probably are up to date with all the listings of properties being auctioned off on the cheap, also you have probably developed networks with real estate investors, home buyers, developers, a whole host of buyers.

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How can a lawyer make money on the side?

Side hustles for lawyersStart a niche business.Become a virtual assistant for a law firm. ... Create a legal blog. ... Write grants. ... Be a business or life coach. ... Become a public speaker. ... Legal writing. ... Create ebooks or audiobooks. ... More items...•Nov 1, 2021

Can you be a lawyer as a side hustle?

With the right side hustle, lawyers can save money or pay down student debt more quickly. By choosing a side hustle in legal, lawyers can develop legal skills, build their brand, and further their expertise.Oct 4, 2021

Can lawyers have side businesses?

An advocate cannot run any business personally and earn a profit. Rule 47 strictly prohibits that.

How do lawyers make passive income?

Passive Income For Lawyers: 7 Powerful Strategies That WorkReal Estate Investing. ... Blogging. ... Rent Out Your Car. ... Rent Out Extra Storage Space. ... Rent Out Other Items You Already Own. ... Invest in Alternative Cash Flowing Assets. ... Peer to Peer Lending.

How can I make a lot of money in law?

Here are eight ways to start doing that.Stop wasting time with the wrong clients. ... Spend time getting better clients. ... Work smarter, not longer. ... Spend less money. ... Improve your client intake process. ... Accept credit card payments to get paid faster. ... Hire staff or use cost-effective services. ... Use technology to streamline your day.Nov 10, 2021

How can law students make extra money?

To recap, 9 ways you can earn extra money while in law school are:Start a Blog about Being a Law Student.Become a Research Assistant.Work at the Law Library.Tutor Other Law Students.Work at the Alumni Affairs Office.Get an Internship at a Law Firm.Sell Your Old Law Textbooks and Class Notes.Apply for Scholarships.More items...

What is the highest paid lawyer?

Highest paid lawyers: salary by practice areaPatent attorney: $180,000.Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.Trial attorneys: $134,000.Tax attorney (tax law): $122,000.Corporate lawyer: $115,000.Employment lawyer: $87,000.Real Estate attorney: $86,000.Divorce attorney: $84,000.More items...•Dec 14, 2021

What business can a lawyer do?

They cannot take up any other profession or business. Professional Ethics of Advocates does not allow to do both, do business along with the Advocates Practice. Yes, you can be a share-holder in a Private ltd. company or a public ltd.

Is a degree in law worth it?

The highest 10% of lawyers earned median annual earnings of more than $208,000 in 2019. Some law school graduates forgo serving as a lawyer in order to have more work-life balance. There are many jobs you can do with a law degree and legal-related roles where having a J.D. may be an asset.

What can I do for side hustle?

Here are 11 good side hustles to make extra money each month:Start a dropshipping business.Start a wholesale business.Work as a freelancer.Become an affiliate marketer.Launch a print on demand store.Start a blog.Sell information products.Become an Instagram influencer.More items...•Oct 14, 2021

What is an attorney called?

A lawyer (also called attorney, counsel, or counselor) is a licensed professional who advises and represents others in legal matters. Today's lawyer can be young or old, male or female.Sep 10, 2019

What are some passive income ideas?

18 passive income ideas for building wealthCreate a course. ... Write an e-book. ... Rental income. ... Affiliate marketing. ... Flip retail products. ... Sell photography online. ... Peer-to-peer lending. ... Dividend stocks.More items...•Feb 22, 2022

How profitable is it to make an app for legal professionals?

Producing a mobile app targeted at legal professionals can be surprisingly profitable if you know how to market it. A top-selling app on iTunes or Google Play can potentially net millions. You can hire a developer on Elance or Upwork at an affordable rate if you don’t have any existing programming skills.

Is podcasting a business?

Nowadays, podcasting is serious business and podcasters with die-hard followings can benefit via advertisements and endorsements. Starting a podcast is easy since all you need is a mic, a laptop and a little opensource editing software. Though it may take some time to build a passionate audience, podcasts are simple to monetize.

What can I do to help a lawyer?

An experienced lawyer can help guide them through the process with paid tutoring services. Teaching. If you enjoy teaching, look for opportunities to work as a part-time instructor for a local college. Be prepared for an ongoing time commitment if you take on teaching a course.

How can I become a lawyer?

Here are a few lawyer side hustles that leverage your knowledge and experience: 1 Tutoring. Law students preparing for the bar exam often need help. An experienced lawyer can help guide them through the process with paid tutoring services. 2 Teaching. If you enjoy teaching, look for opportunities to work as a part-time instructor for a local college. Be prepared for an ongoing time commitment if you take on teaching a course. For example, do you want to lead a one-time course, or can you teach a weekly class over a semester? 3 Educational content creation. From creating bar exam prep materials to law-related courses, you can create and sell courses on an online course delivery platform like Thinkific and Udemy. While developing course materials may require a more significant initial time investment, the one-time investment can continue to bring in income—and grow your reputation—over time.

How many people have a side hustle in 2021?

According to this recent Zapier survey, 34% of American adults have a side hustle and 24% plan to start a side hustle in 2021. While some attorneys may balk at the idea, a lawyer side hustle can be a convenient, clever way to advance your career or financial position.

What is transcription in legal?

As a lawyer, your training and experience writing legal documents make you uniquely equipped to efficiently and effectively transcribe audio into well-written legal documents. These legal documents include legal pleadings, motions, or videoconferenced depositions and interviews.

What is a side hustle?

A side hustle that’s unrelated to the legal space could be a welcome distraction from your regular legal work. While side hustles that don’t require specialized training pay less generally, they can motivate you to take breaks from the stress of legal work. Look at the non-lawyer tasks that you enjoy.

What to consider when considering a lawyer side hustle?

While you’re considering your lawyer side hustle options, ensure that the level of time, effort, and personal interest required match your capacity. Consider what’s worth your time and what you’re interested in.

Is side hustle legal?

Alternatively, a side hustle that’s not legal specific can be a good way to earn additional income while allowing you to apply different skills. One caveat: Lawyers need to consider their capacity when exploring side hustle options. Working as a lawyer is already stressful, so it’s essential to avoid overwork.

Online legal marketplaces

One of the most popular online legal marketplaces is Upcounsel. Here you can help people who need legal services by applying to the posted jobs or replying to specific requests. Your payment is guaranteed by them, and they also handle the billing for you.

Offer learning opportunities

Your legal expertise can help new lawyers. You can either offer coaching services, create a niche legal course, or start a podcast.

Write and publish a legal book

If you are up to writing a book targeted at legal professionals, you will initially need to put in quite a bit of effort. However, once it is written and published, you can sit back and enjoy the income from its sales.

Develop an app that will help legal professionals

If you have an idea about how to help your fellow legal professionals by developing an app that will make their lives easier, then get it started. Mobile apps are very profitable if they are marketed correctly. Unless you have excellent programming skills, you may need to hire a developer.

Consider teaching

You can teach law students who are preparing for the bar exam or you can take a position as a lecturer to boost your income, especially if you have always dreamed of having a career in education.

Engage with audiences

Besides podcasts, where you can speak to your audience about the law and your experiences, you may even consider becoming a public speaker or freelance writer.

My Answer and Initial Analysis

Let’s begin with the presupposition that you have a 100% engagement and an average fee of $4,000. (That’s the engagement rate and average fee for many of the lawyers who go through our Life & Legacy Planning Program and apply what they learn in their practice for serving estate planning clients.)

1. Solo lawyer handling everything, including drafting documents

As indicated in the analysis above, you would be able to engage and serve a maximum of 6 new clients per month and bring in up to $24,000/mo. However, given that you are trying to do everything yourself, that number is more likely to be $16,000 – $20,000/mo., and you are working major full time.

2. Solo lawyer, but outsourcing document drafting

In this case, you are probably still at a max of 6 new clients per month because the document drafting isn’t what takes that much time, though it is an energy drain and easy to outsource.

In scenarios 3 and 4, we are going to look at what happens if you hire and train a Client Services Director (CSD) in our systems, and automate

Note: Don’t try to hire cheap. Hiring someone at $15/hour isn’t going to be a good investment for you. Instead, given that you know you can engage clients at an average fee of $4,000 each and you are providing a high-quality service, hire someone who reflects that, and who will focus on creating a WOW experience for your clients.

With the right systems and support, optimizing how to make money as a solo lawyer and achieving your financial goals is within reach

If you’d like to explore the exact steps that you can take to reach your financial goals as a solo lawyer, based on your unique situation, click here to schedule a call and discover if the New Law Business Model is the right practice model to help you reach your personal and professional goals.

What is niche blog?

A niche site is a blog designed to serve or resonate with a specific audience and you can create one that attracts a specific audience (e.g. a particular group of lawyers or legal enthusiasts). Your audience shares common interests so your site should be a rich source of specific/detailed information.

Is legal practice a noble profession?

Although legal practice is a lucrative and noble profession, you can invest in other ideas to supplement your income. Some lawyers (including myself) have turned to income streams that are passive and that can earn money without requiring much effort. For example, since completing law school, I realized I could not make the amount ...

How does an influencer partnership work?

Influencer partnerships work on Instagram and to a lesser extent Twitter and Facebook to promote a post featuring you, that also features a product as per a brief from a brand . For example, an influencer, such as Scarlett London, may post their morning routine gleaming with perfection to advertise that they use a certain mouthwash to assist in making their routine so perfect. The brands pay for the partnership to be featured on the influencer’s channel. Brands choose those who are likely to gain the natural exposure through high follower counts, but also lesser follower counts if the influencer is for something niche that would result in high traffic to the brand’s page.

How does an affiliate program work?

Affiliate programs work to leverage your digital presence and the power of strong brands to result in a mutually beneficial partnership. Affiliate programs are often free, such as the Mr Green affiliate program, which adds benefit to a website through the banners and adverts placed on it. Financially, the affiliate program pays a percentage of the revenue made from players. Affiliate programs work by sending traffic from one site to another, usually with a common link that would be useful to browsers on the first site.

What is referral code?

Similar to the way influencers work, referral codes utilise the concept of affiliate partnerships to leverage a social media account of someone with something to say about a topic to drive traffic with a discount code to a site that connects to them. Usually revolving around the health and fitness industries, referral codes can be used by anything from clothing to beauty to services.

Why is the internet important for lawyers?

It’s that simple. Usually, lawyers are not used to working from home lifestyle because of the nature of their work .

What is Esquire for freelance lawyers?

This platform allows only legal firms to post projects online and hire freelance lawyers to work on the project with them for a period of time without the overhead charges.

What is Upcounsel for business?

UpCounsel is an online legal marketplace for businesses. This platform is ideal for clients looking to hire lawyers for small tasks or getting legal advice online. The platform provides services for small businesses, start-ups, law firms, etc without the hassle of charging extra fees. UpCounsel allows lawyers to create their profiles online and showcase their area of expertise.

What is a lawtrade?

LawTrades is a free marketplace for lawyers to find freelance projects and for clients to hire them for it. Its a fairly simple message-based platform that helps clients find legal help for fixed rates. The company allows anyone to post a legal task online. This can include individuals, start-ups, businesses, etc.

What is Montage Legal Group?

Montage Legal Group is another great freelance attorney platform. The company has its operations started since 2009. The company provides freelance legal services on part-time or project basis. Montage legal group hires a small pool of freelancers for its projects. The legal services company signs contracts with several firms a month for new projects. Most of their clients are repeat customers.

Is freelancing a good job?

Freelancing has now become a great way to earn online and keep your schedule flexible. If you think the above online companies aren’t the right fit for you, you can always go solo and start your own independent freelancing career. Meanwhile, learn how to make money by participating as a Mock Juror. Spread the Word.

How much does it cost to become a notary public?

The rules vary by state, but you can expect to pay between $100 to $500 to become a notary public and start advertising your services.

How much does a babysitter make?

You can charge more for two or more kids, and you may also earn more if you're an experienced adult instead of a teenager, and especially if you know CPR or have some other applicable skills. Babysit for six hours per week earning, say, $20 an hour, and you're looking at $120 per week, or more than $6,000 per year.

What is the job of a web designer?

While a web developer focuses most on a website's back-end, a web designer will focus on its front-end -- the user experience. They will design the site to be attractive and also functional.

What is consulting for businesses?

Consulting for businesses. Consulting can be a way to make a meaningful sum on the side, if you have some business insights that companies will pay for. For example, you might be savvy about fundraising for non-profits, or you might have a talent for finding good workers for a certain industry.

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Additional Legal Work

  • As an attorney, your most obvious and lucrative side-hustle assets are your education, skills, and experience as a lawyer. So, consider looking for ways to take on additional legal work in your field. Before taking on extra legal work as a side hustle, ensure there are no conflicts with your current role and that you’re properly insured. This guide to freelance lawyer workcan offer tips on essent…
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Educational Instruction

  • Do you have a lot of valuableadvice for new lawyersor law students? Are there things that you wish you were taught in law school that you can pass onto the next generation of lawyers? Do you have experience or interest in teaching? If so, sharing your knowledge can be a rewarding side hustle—both intellectually and financially. Here are a few lawyer side hustles that leverage your k…
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Legal Writing and Research

  • If you have a talent and interest in legal writing or legal research, you can translate those skills into extra income. Suppose you’re adept at powerful, persuasive legal writing. In that case, you could write legal articles for legal publications, potentially government institutions, or even companies looking for legal content writing (like the Clio blog). Similarly, if you’re great at condu…
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Transcription

  • As a lawyer, your training and experience writing legal documents make you uniquely equipped to efficiently and effectively transcribe audio into well-written legal documents. These legal documents include legal pleadings, motions, or videoconferenced depositions and interviews. Again, online platforms can take the work out of finding side hustle gigs: companies like Speak…
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Writing An Ebook

  • If you enjoy writing and you have unique knowledge that may be interesting or helpful to other legal professionals, writing an eBook is a way to monetize your experience while building your brand as a legal professional. Why an eBook versus traditional print publishing? With an eBook, you can self-publishdirectly to Amazon’s Kindle marketplace for free—which means a quick turn…
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Low Barrier of Entry Side Hustles

  • Not all side hustles have to be in the legal industry. A side hustle that’s unrelated to the legal space could be a welcome distraction from your regular legal work. While side hustles that don’t require specialized training pay less generally, they can motivate you to take breaks from the stress of legal work. Look at the non-lawyer tasks that you enjoy. Then, see if there’s a way you c…
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Effort vs. Results

  • While you’re considering your lawyer side hustle options, ensure that the level of time, effort, and personal interest required match your capacity. Consider what’s worth your time and what you’re interested in. For example, writing an eBook on a legal topic requires lots of time and effort. However, taking on occasional legal transcription work on the weekend is a smaller commitmen…
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A Lawyer Side Hustle Can Have Multiple Benefits

  • From paying off student loans with extra income to building your brand by selling an eBook or course materials, there are many reasons why you may want to test out the gig economy with a lawyer side hustle. Before taking on the extra work of a side hustle, ensure you can put more work on your plate. If money is your primary motivation, it’s a good idea to ensure you’ve maximized t…
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