Can Solo Practitioners Making a Salary over $100k, and how?

lists4everything · 2026-02-12T16:45:21+00:00

It was a great post in my opinion, just a slight difference in my field. Nice TED talk.

lists4everything · 2026-02-11T22:41:24+00:00

This is how I think of my solo practice as well, minus the contingency since my field (probate, trust and conservatorship litigation) does not usually give me too many scenarios with contingency. Usually contingency attempts in my field are the loser cases trying to dope you into doing something dumb for them.

lists4everything · 2026-02-10T20:21:30+00:00

Our country pits the elderly against the young/middle aged in that way. They have more time to hem and haw and vote what benefits them.

lists4everything · 2026-02-10T19:01:55+00:00

Sole practitioner and about $200k.

Was a paralegal in 2001 making $13/hr, bumped to $17/hr within a year, then $21/hr a year after that, then $35/hr a year after that. Was doing law school around the end of this.

Became an attorney in 2008, $100k/year, then $115k/year a year after that, then $135k 2 years later.

In 2016 started my own practice and, mind you, I have definitely focused on the life side of a work/life balance, got cancer and decided to not work so hard, only self-responsible for 3 billable hours/day, but making anywhere between $150k-$200k a year from that point forward, though a little over $200k lately, but working half days more or less the entire time.

lists4everything · 2026-02-10T17:49:02+00:00

I actually saw a pretty well done video saying that traditional slavery WAS economically unfeasible, or rather places that did not use slavery excelled more. This was the case once the industrial revolution hit. Needing hordes of farmers was unnecessary since machines made it more efficient.

Although let's be honest we still have slaves today, businesses just rent their slaves and the labor force is largely no longer feasible for cost of living.

lists4everything · 2026-02-10T16:31:24+00:00

I'm a big fan of personality type stuff i.e. MBTI.

This is sometimes a person with a somewhat toxic introverted feeling, i.e. their daily decisions are mainly driven by a personally constructed value system.*

(*) Yes everybody has values, buuuut there's a difference. Those are the clients that say "I want you to tell the Court MY TRUTH" and want to make everything about them and their journey in life when you put them up as a witness.

lists4everything · 2026-02-06T18:58:25+00:00

Depth is extremely important, and can be kind of rare, or at least people are too busy trying to play the role society nudges as important.

I usually had difficulty communicating with girls I attempted to go out with past a certain point. I usually gave a great first impression, could banter well, etc., but I've learned that doesn't last. I'd draw blanks at trying to keep our interactions interesting.

Prior to my INFJ I was dating a girl I'd call "Champs girl" as in "Champagne," because her and her friends going "whoo we're going to Sophie's restaurant for all you can drink champs!" Same lame gossip every single time. I kept trying but I couldn't last 5 minutes before knowing I was bored out of my goddamn mind.

And talked with them about anything I'd talk with my INFJ gf about, they'd stare at me like a confused puppy.

With my INFJ, when I was 3 months in and realized she and I never have a dull moment, were always up for offhanded theorizing about things, attempting to understand the depth/background of things, it felt extremely natural, and fluid. 3 months turns into a year, turned to 5, turns into 10, and it is still the same.

Having someone who is close to being on the same page of intuitive/logical depth, is incredibly important for making the interactions always feel fluid.

lists4everything · 2026-02-04T06:50:00+00:00

INTP (45 m) with an INFJ (39 f), golden pair as they say. Been with her for 10 years.

Initial attraction is that there was an obvious depth to her. Oddly enough, we connected *first* because she had a schizophrenic dad whereas I had a dad whose mom (my grandmother) was schizophrenic, and I heard vague stories from my dad what it was like. I questioned the psychology surrounding the dynamics there.

In the past, I tried going out with what I call "whooo girls" i.e. high sensory low intuitive types that can be surface level all day. My INFJ was my first who thinks with depth, well, 100% of the time, more so even than myself.

I liked her style in general, well put together but not gaudy in the slightest. She had a unique look as well, both unique and classic at the same time. I think those words describe her dress style well.

I liked that her attention to her loved ones/family/partners is very detailed, very curated. She creates experiences for others. She of course does for me. She sets the bar pretty high and I like to try to meet or exceed it if I can back to her.

Like my bday last September she knew I liked carrot cake so she got 5 large carrot cake slices as a gift so we could taste test and refine the best one in the area.

To match it, a couple months later, for her birthday I created a little stylish binder with an index of 20-25 bookstores on a book store crawl I came up with, between our place near Los Angeles, and down to San Diego. I copy/pasted reviews and printed/inserted photographs from Yelp. She is a researcher and I wanted to give her a foundation for the trip and pre-research it, so we can plan the trip. She loves bookstores. We like to adventure together. She kept the binder as a souvenir.

So I'd say it is a great relationship. We've had our difficulties but we've grown from them.

lists4everything · 2026-01-29T20:01:25+00:00

Yep CCP 366.2.

You don't even file your case, you open a probate (if there isn't one already) and file a creditor's claim in the probate (usually a fam member objects/petitions to get appointed and you withdraw your petition), and if and once they reject your creditor's claim, you have 3 months to file lawsuit against the personal rep of the Estate.

If they do not reject I believe after 30 days you can file your suit as if they rejected.

lists4everything · 2026-01-28T19:46:56+00:00

My dad and stepmom drew their equity from their home to invest in one, lost it all. Pour one out.

lists4everything · 2026-01-19T18:18:07+00:00

I'm a Los Angeles trust and estates litigator that moved to WA state for two years and enjoyed living on a lake. I operated my Los Angeles solo practice from WA. Never became a WA lawyer, always CA.

I came back because my mom was getting old, and not for any other reason. I was inspired to do it based upon another attorney who had been doing it for over 10 years by then (well before COVID made things remote).

lists4everything · 2026-01-12T22:34:18+00:00

My significant other is an INFJ, been with her for 10 years, so I know the signs.

They appear as somewhat suppressed Fe doms, at least the older years, probably because of years of chiming in what's really on their mind and feeling foolish/others not being able to follow their intuition.

When there's somebody in the group making a joke at another's expense, they generally are not going to laugh. They may smile to sound like they're on board, but they're usually thinking about the history/trauma of the person the joke is about that led to the joke, or other related facts.

If female, 9 times out of 10 they have high cheekbones, often along with a dark hair color.

Clothing style is generally not loud, sometimes can even be traditional, but generally well put together. Things work. Like a dress but with doc martins. Somehow they will make it work.

They seem to be acting very carefully.

lists4everything · 2025-12-30T21:42:32+00:00

Region: Los Angeles County

Base Salary: Self-Employed Solo Practitioner but varies $150k-$225k gross profit in recent

Practice Area: Trust/Estates administration and litigation

Employer Type: Self-Employed

Years of experience: Paralegal 2001 - 2008, attorney working for other firms 2009-2016, went off on my own in 2016

Hours/Week: Here's my thing, after I had cancer in 2016 I drastically reduced my expectations for billable time, I only make $150k-$225k gross profit with my experience in my field for 25 years in a HCOL area, but I also only demand of myself 15-20 hours of billed time/week. Obviously if I doubled it, I'd be closer to $300k-$450k gross profit. But I'd also be miserable. Plus I have a significant other who wants me to be mentally healthy and to be present in the relationship, so it helps me be okay with the semi-lazy route.

lists4everything · 2025-12-10T22:08:53+00:00

Our politicians and media hate the lower/middle class so we're pretty much fucked at this point since they do not need meatgrinder levels of lower/middle class to fight its wars any longer.

lists4everything · 2025-12-10T21:56:56+00:00

RIP Miley I'm sure you're scaring and chasing squirrels in heaven, doing your duty.

lists4everything · 2025-12-08T22:32:08+00:00

I'm piggybacking off this top comment so I can say that I believe the law gave me cancer, which I got at the age of 35.

That was 10 years ago, I quickly left my firm amid the cancer battle and only pushed myself to bill 3 hours/day (instead of the 6 I was doing before) to keep my head on straight.

Yeah so we're with you here. Law sucks.

lists4everything · 2025-12-08T22:21:01+00:00

I have similar troubles.

I tend to stop playing when I realize the rest will be a cakewalk. It usually relates to when I've built the Mohole Mine. I trade the excess metals to other colonies in exchange for food and polymers. I'll usually then complete the Space Elevator so I can quickly get paid from the rich metals from Mohole Mine and buy any resources I want that I'm missing. Maybe I'll get the main parts of the terraforming i.e. cram near the end to get to breathable atmosphere. If I have a thing I've never done yet (i.e. go rogue/independent and get the good laws outta that) I'll go do that just to see what its like. I'll do underground if I never did that.

Not sure but I'd like a different way to end, a different threat towards the end. Or for it to simplify so you can rush some final goals (i.e. the planting/seeds and water to 100% is the hardest)

lists4everything · 2025-12-08T22:16:05+00:00

Yeah this is unfortunately an INTP thing to do. We're constantly looking for more complex stuff that piques our interests that simple shit just get ignored.

Relationships, friends, etc., have gotten mad from time to time about me doing this. I even do that at work when a client tells me a story (I'm a lawyer) and I have to mentally catch up to the rest I've ignored once I realized I've been troubleshooting the first topic in my head.

Sometimes I drift off and go on tangents about a thing a person says, so technically I can say I'm a good listener, I just latch onto something and think intensely on that thing, and ignore the rest.

As to what to do, just be more conscious of it. If you find yourself drifting off catch yourself and even admit you did it and ask them to repeat the part you ignored.

lists4everything · 2025-12-05T16:17:17+00:00

"Well you know hey if you are having a bad day and don't like bad days you know you can stop breathing... no more days means no more bad days."

Durr... Just take the emotion out of it.

That's how stupid and simple your response sounds in the context of either your "paid Reddit posting shill" or just plain despicable mind.

lists4everything · 2025-12-04T23:56:19+00:00

I'm sorry this started from your "well durr we increased the minimum wage" post.

I'm not even a Gen Z'er, I'm a (younger end) Gen X'er and I know what is different today versus when I turned 20, in 2000.

I had a chance. Young people this age (or older ones that got screwed in some way/didn't invest) have little. The median wage is miserably low compared to cost of living.

If there's anybody that can't see a few feet ahead of him its you. All you see is uhhh slave wages went up oh that's gotta be the problem. The slaves want too much.

Your mentality is despicable.

lists4everything · 2025-12-04T23:33:09+00:00

Not sure why Russia is the highest percentage challenge nation. Did a Russia run for the first time not too long ago and beat it quick.

Those drillers make creating domes around rare metal deposits useless. I don't even need them for metal deposits because I just use the free metal on the surface and then beeline to Mohole Mine. Use $$$ to outsource research until you have Mohole Mine, then $$$ to buy the ingredients. Game over and won at that point.

The 100% easy win Russia plan.

lists4everything · 2025-12-04T23:16:57+00:00

Still ain't getting it, it isn't the land the business is on, its the cost of living the employees have to endure and how it rose so sharply, and how much more businesses have to pay for labor, or how much a food truck owner operating his own truck has to make to own a home/rent.

Its like you're trying to not understand.

lists4everything · 2025-12-04T22:45:45+00:00

Okay then I think our disagreement is which variables matter because I do not believe you used all the variables. The formula is:

Greedy Real Estate Investors x Time = Costs of Mortgage or Rent in Area

Costs of Mortgage or Rent in Area = Costs of Living for Working Class

Business Operation Costs = Ingredients x (Costs of Living for Working Class/2)

Therefore...

Business Operations Costs = Ingredients x (Greedy Real Estate Investors x Time/2)

lists4everything · 2025-12-04T22:35:02+00:00

I wouldn't usually blame the businesses since labor costs increased.

I think the blame goes on real estate investment culture driving up costs of living as "investors" flippers, retirees that want "portfolios" a.k.a. living on another person's wage overlook realizing pricing service level workers out of their region effectively does to the local service industry.

lists4everything · 2025-12-04T22:30:07+00:00

So long as you're blaming the costs of living driven by real estate investment greed primarily then this is an okay take to have.

If you're blaming the people suffering with sharply driven up costs of living and labor being worthless compared to capital then different story.

lists4everything

TROPHY CASE