Try estate law for a practice with work-life balance, says ‘Lifestyle Lawyer Revolution’ author

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The Trendy Legislation Library
Strive property legislation for a apply with work-life…

The Trendy Legislation Library

Strive property legislation for a apply with work-life stability, says ‘Way of life Lawyer Revolution’ creator

By Lee Rawles

July 9, 2025, 11:33 am CDT

Laura Cowan began her profession in finance, incomes an authorized public accountant license and dealing at Ernst & Younger and Goldman Sachs. When she determined to go to legislation college at age 35, she knew that she needed to launch a boutique legislation agency with a apply space that complemented that monetary background. Property legislation appeared a very good match—however destiny threw her a curve ball simply as she launched her agency.

“I needed to flip my total apply digital in a single day in 2020 in New York Metropolis due to COVID,” Cowan tells the ABA Journal’s Lee Rawles on this episode of The Trendy Legislation Library. “I moved to Rhode Island to shelter in place with my dad. Throughout that couple of months that I used to be sheltering in place, I nonetheless needed to get my legislation agency working. I had a enterprise to run and payments to pay. So I made all the pieces digital, and I actually streamlined all the pieces. And what I discovered was that I might make fairly simply $10,000 a month, working simply a few hours a day.”

She has now leveraged the expertise of launching an all-virtual estate-planning apply into a training program, 2-Hour Way of life Lawyer, to assist different legal professionals launch related practices. Her new e book, Way of life Lawyer Revolution: Dwell a Life You Love (With out Leaving the Legislation), is stuffed with suggestions and recommendation for constructing a customized apply to supply work-life stability for attorneys.

“Now, what we discovered is that there’s numerous legal professionals who’re blissful working much more than that and are blissful incomes much more, however the identify of the enterprise actually comes from simply this concept that you may nonetheless be a extremely nice legal professional with out working 10 hours a day, and you can also make a pleasant residing with out working 10 hours a day,” Cowan says.

A key a part of not working too many hours is to rent applicable help, at the same time as a solo simply beginning out, Cowan says.

“What I see numerous is legal professionals that spend an excessive amount of time within the weeds of executing and doing all these various things that an admin may very well be doing and never spending sufficient time doing what the lawyer needs to be specializing in,” Cowan says. “So that they’re each working an excessive amount of and never making sufficient cash, which is the worst doable mixture.”

Cowan encourages property attorneys to host neighborhood workshops to assist folks perceive the significance of wills and trusts. She says it’s a superb approach to set up connections that may result in additional enterprise.

“The actual purpose that folks rent us is due to the connection,” Cowan tells Rawles. “And I firmly consider this. Folks don’t rent you since you’re the perfect drafter on this planet. They rent you due to the best way that you simply make them really feel. So use AI and know-how behind the scenes that can assist you get your work performed and ship a extremely nice shopper expertise, however always remember that it’s going to be that that makes them rent you.”

On this episode, Cowan additionally discusses the advantages of value-based pricing versus the billable hour, attracting the shopper base you wish to goal, and the best way to cope with your largest frenemy: know-how.

In This Podcast:

Laura Cowan

Laura Cowan is an authorized public accountant and an award-winning property planning legal professional. She constructed her seven-figure property planning legislation apply in solely three years and pivoted right into a digital enterprise mannequin. The creator of 2-Hour Way of life Lawyer, Cowan additionally teaches entrepreneurial attorneys the best way to construct their very own digital property planning apply. The creator of Way of life Lawyer Revolution, Cowan obtained her bachelor of science diploma in accounting from Iowa State College and her JD from the College of Minnesota Legislation Faculty.

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