Law

Should a Law Business Be Specialised or Generalised?

By Ryan Bradman | July 1, 2021

Legal businesses come in all shapes and sizes. Some are huge organizations, who represent everyone in all manner of cases – from family disputes to business issues, property to wills. Others are niche practitioners and may only handle probate or personal injuries. There are pros and cons to both aspects of handling the law when it comes to attracting clients and making a name for the business. But should legal practitioners specify a niche or practice in more of a broad manner?

Generalist Practitioners

Generalist legal practitioners benefit to get more clients. Handling civil disputes and those of a more criminal nature opens the net wide for those who may need to retain the services of a legal practitioner. Often these generalist firms are huge multinationals who benefit from a large influx of investment, which allows greater advertising. However, some clients may feel that the generalist approach is too broad. If someone is handling your claim for unpaid child support one week, and then advising on property purchase abroad the next week, you may feel as though they aren’t as well-versed in the field you need them to be.

Niche Practitioners

This is where niche practitioners come in. They may only deal with one specific area of the law but make sure that clients know they are at the top of their field in this one area. This helps the business stand out from competitors, especially if you position yourself as the leader in your field. The more success you have in the niche, the more you are able to rise above competitors and gain clients. One of the further benefits of being a specialist legal practitioner is that you can charge more for this expertise. Not only this, but you can also cut down fees by streamlining the process for clients. For instance, if you wanted to only handle parking tickets there will be similarities with each case, which means you can develop a robust system for handling the issues.

Hybrid Approach

There is a third approach, which is a hybrid of being a specialist and a more general practitioner. Some take a smaller aspect of the law and then offer broad advice based on this niche. This helps showcase expertise in the overall field while ensuring that claimants know their specific issue is being dealt with.

For instance, McGinley Solicitors, who are personal injury solicitors in Ireland, focus on personal injury claims brought on by a variety of different incidents. They handle road traffic accidents, cycling accidents, accidents in public places, accidents at work, and even accidents with an element of difficulty involved, such as dealing with uninsured drivers. They are skilled in personal injury work but within personal injury, their expertise is broader. The types of businesses you are running will depend on your team, your abilities, and your passions within the law. You may be meticulous with laser focus, so could gain expertise in one field. Or you might like the challenge of different aspects of the law. Either way, niche or generalist, it must reflect you as a legal practitioner.