How Far Can You Go if You Don’t Grow?

I realize that putting out a thought post at the end of 2010 may not be the smartest idea. But for some time, I’ve been wondering how far a solo can take a law practice without growth.

By growth, I mean initially, part-time or virtual staff, like paralegals, receptionists, non-lawyer assistant and law clerks. That’s probably enough to allow a true solo to enjoy a second stream of revenue in addition to his or her own billables. But what about beyond that?

I’m curious – what are your plans starting out? Are you focused on just getting by the first two or three years? Assuming that you’ll grow to two or five or eight lawyers sometime down the line? And if you’re more experienced, what kind of trajectory has your practice taken? You can email me at carolyn.elefant@gmail.com or post your thoughts below.