Between the long hours, billing issues, client demands, and deadlines, the stress of practicing law can make even the most adept lawyer want to throw in the towel.
Today we are taking a closer look at the experience of Jill Gregory, a single mom, and a lawyer who considered doing just that.
Jill went to law school because she wanted to help people and do her part to make the world a better place. She used to be what we call a "Door Lawyer," taking whatever legal work came in the door and working non-stop - but while she got it all done, Jill was not able to be there for her daughter and felt like she was failing as a parent.
Since joining NLBM, Jill has increased her average fee to $4,000, doubled her annual revenue, and reduced her office hours from 60 to just 24 per week, creating the work-life balance that allowed her to become the happy and present parent she always wanted to be.
This resulted in Jill becoming a present parent instead of a stressed-out lawyer, and the kind of mom that she always wanted to be.
Jill Gregory has a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies, a minor in Political Science from Pepperdine University, and a Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law. Jill began practicing in 1997 with the estate planning department of a downtown San Francisco law firm and opened her practice in Tahoe City in 2001. She is licensed to practice law in the state of California and was even selected to serve as a California Superior Court pro-tem Judge.
"I would take on any case before NLBM - and frequently I did work I hated including DUI's and criminal defense cases. For over a decade, I struggled with my practice. My clients were happy, but I wasn't - and was questioning why I became a lawyer. NLBM helped me change all of this! Now I only do estate planning (and some business)."
Before joining NLBM, Jill was a stressed-out lawyer, working endlessly and chasing payments
"Before becoming an NLBM lawyer, I worked crazy hours. I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and miserable. I wasn't getting paid, always on call, stressed about having enough work, stressed about how to pay the bills, stressed, stressed, stressed - and I felt like I was failing as a mother...
I was giving all I could and trying to give even more. There were so many 'throw in the towel' moments. Joining NLBM was my last-ditch effort - I needed to know that I did all I could before giving up. I was attracted to NLBM because it wasn't just a 'make more money' or 'grow your business' type of program. It was a 'change your life' type of program, and that was exactly what I needed."
Jill started with NLBM in 2012, quickly completing our Estate Planning Boot Camp and starting membership two months later.
Jill dove right into the program and went through the material as quickly as possible so she could employ the model at her very next client meeting. Jill used to charge just $1200 - $1500 per plan, but from the very first time she did it the NLBM way, she quoted a $4,000 fee and her new clients signed without hesitation.
Jill found that building her business with the New Law Business Model was a huge success financially, right away. From that point forward, all of her plans were bringing in $4,000 — $8,000 per plan. Moreover, when Jill started marketing using NLBM's 'Done-for-You' presentations, the very first presentation that she gave in local community ultimately yielded over $50,000 in fees.
Making this transition in her law practice couldn't have come at a better time...
"Within days (really, just days) of joining the program, my young daughter developed life-threatening health issues. I no longer had the time to be working 40+ hours a week, and spent much of my time rushing her to the ER and traveling to medical appointments (I am happy to say that she is now happy and healthy)."
In Jill's first year with New Law Business Model:
- She raised her average fee from $1,200/$1,500 to $4,000+
- Her client engagement went from 70% to 92% of the people with whom she met
- She doubled her revenue
- She stopped practicing in other areas of law and focused her energy on the areas of practice that she loves
Already inspired by Jill’s story? Speak with a Law Business Advisor to find out how you can get these results, too!
This also meant the end of Jill having to track down payments, and eliminated prospective clients trying to negotiate a lower fee.
Through educating her clients and empowering them to choose their package and fees – Jill found that clients understood the value of the plan and were happy to pay for it.
"As I incorporated the system and tools into my practice, I was blown away with the results each step of the way. With systems in place (turns out I LOVE systems), I stopped answering my phone and being pulled in a million directions each day, my appointments are scheduled without my involvement, I get paid upfront, and my clients are very well taken care of, not only during the planning process but well into the future."
From overworked, stressed-out lawyer to "Summer Mommy"
All of this added up to Jill spending considerably less time in the office - and considerably more time with her daughter.
Implementing systems to run her business resulted in Jill spending an average of 36 hours a week LESS time in the office. Her schedule opening up like this allowed her to pick up her daughter from school every day, and be a present parent that had energy and attention for quality time.
Instead of taking her phone and laptop to the pool, Jill was able to stop thinking about work - and jump in to play with her little girl. They were having so much fun being together, swimming and playing, that her daughter started calling Jill "Summer Mommy."
Happy with her life and business, Jill realized that she could now go anywhere.
Jill decided to move from her hometown and relocate, expanding Jill Gregory Law, and adding her Newport Beach area practice in 2014.
While this meant starting her practice from scratch in a new area, Jill had the systems in place that allowed her to confidently and quickly become the 'go-to lawyer' in a new city. Jill now operates as a virtual lawyer - with clients all over Northern and Southern California - and her practice continues to grow.
"Becoming an NLBM lawyer was -- without a doubt -- the single best investment I have ever made not only for my business, but also for my clients, my family, and me! This has been a life-changing experience. It guided me to be a better lawyer, a better person, a better businesswoman and led to my being a better parent. I consider being happy with my life and my business the greatest success."
Are you tired of being a stressed-out lawyer, and ready to take back control over your time so you can spend it with the people that matter to you most?
We'd love to help you do just that. Schedule a free call with a Law Business Advisor, and in 45 minutes, we will guide you through the exact steps that you can take to leave the life of a stressed-out lawyer behind you, and create a thriving practice that leaves plenty of time for you to live your life on your terms.