1. Ask Nermin
Questions from the No. 22 Community (my lifetime advice community for lawyers)
Question:
I'm an estate planning attorney, and I'm thinking about joining this program from XXXX(intentionally removed). I have a few colleagues in that program, and they're saying good things about it. It costs over $20k. What do you think?
Nermin's Answer:
Truthfully, if you’ve never done anything for your practice, never hired a coach or consultant before, then any program is going to give you a decent ROI. It’s like saying, “I’ve never been to the gym before, and my personal trainer has me doing 10,000 steps a day and lifting twice a week. I’m seeing crazy results.”
Well, yes, of course. And congratulations on getting results. But you’re not seeing results because the program or coach is amazing; it’s because you took action and went from 0 to 1.
Have your colleagues done anything before to grow their practice? If not, that’s probably why they’re saying good things about it.
Next, understand the time commitment of the program and the support you're going to get. Is it 3 calls a week? If so, I can tell you right now you're not going to make the time for it, and then you'll add to the list of the things you feel guilty about (there's enough on that list as it is, don't add to it).
What's the support you're going to get? Is the person who created the program going to answer your questions directly? For YOUR practice (not someone else's practice). Is it a pre-recorded course? (I'm willing to bet $1,000 that you don't complete the course). Is there a coach who has experience with your practice area going to be on a 1:1 call with you? If there isn't enough support, and it's more DIY...then I would say it's a hard pass.
Also, if it's templates that you have to adapt to your practice, pass on that too. You've already got an inbox full of templates of (SOPs, a client handbook, email newsletters) that you don't use.
Get clear on your KPI's before joining this program: I want 10 more hours back each week. Or I want 3 new clients signed on each month. Or I want my intake process cleaned up.
If this program doesn't DIRECTLY address your KPIs, then it's a no.
And please remember: the sales page, the Instagram, and all the marketing for this program were created by true sales experts. They’ve spent $$$$$ to get lawyers like you to buy this program. Be aware.
Decision:
Hold off until you confirm expert access + clear ROI.
Why:
Most lawyers join big programs out of guilt, not strategy. You’ll get more from 90 days of consistent execution than another program.
Do next:
- Write down your top 3 measurable goals.
- Email the program: “Who answers questions 1:1 and how fast?”
- Ask to speak to 2 past participants in your practice area.
- Compare the expected ROI to one new client retainer.
Deadline:
Before paying anything.
Proof:
Post your 3 KPIs + decision in #wins so I can check your logic before you commit.
2. The Playbook
Strategy bits + easy action
I'm coming at you hot, as the kids say. How long have you been saying you're going to do the following: increase your fees, hire another paralegal and get rid of your current one with the bad attitude, do marketing, or update your engagement agreement? A month? A year? Two years? Longer?
The reality is that these unfinished things take up an insane amount of energy in your brain (enough to power a data center in the cornfields of Iowa). You think, and you analyze, and you do a mental pro/con list, you search on Google, ask some colleagues, and a year later, two years later THAT THING is still on your list. And your list keeps getting longer.
I want you to take one item off your list, for good. Whether it's updating your website, getting team photos, leaving Clio for MyCase, whatever it is, remove it.
Removing, by the way, is DOING. It's taking action. Even if the action wasn't what you originally thought it would be, removing things from your to do list actually moves your firm forward.
Email me back, and let me know what you removed.
3. In the Margins
Unfiltered thoughts — the kind that spark better ideas.
The math isn't mathing, ya'll. I've seen many PI attorneys-turned-law firm coaches, offering programs and courses to non-PI attorneys on growing and scaling their practice. I don't how the PI contingency model relates to flat fee or hourly rate models. No one is talking about this, and I'm sure I'm going to ruffle some feathers, but it has to be said.
The PI Attorney Equation
Let's say Attorney P. is a PI attorney, and she settles 40 cases a year. Let's say 25 are policy limits at $25k, 10 are $50k settlements, 4 are $100k settlements, and 1 is a truck settlement from last year at $250k.
That's 1,775,000 in settlements, or at 1/3 contingency fee, it's roughly $591,000 in revenue for the practice. With a lean team of 2 admin staff and 1 paralegal, Attorney P's net profits are going to be 70-80%. For 40 cases, Attorney P gets to keep at least $413,000.
The Non-PI Attorney Equation
Let's do the same math for an estate planning attorney or an immigration attorney, who typically bill by fixed fee.
Let's say the average case value for an estate planning attorney is $5,000-$7,000, and an immigration attorney might be $9,000-$11,000.
To hit the same PI revenue, the estate planning attorney needs at least 84 NEW clients each year at a $7,000 case value. For the immigration attorney, they'd need 53 NEW cases at $11,000 average case value.
Why the math isn't mathing
I've never seen a solo/small estate planning attorney charge $82k for a case. And I've never seen an immigration attorney charge one client $33k for a petition. These are the contingency fee revenue numbers from a PI practice that completely skew their profits. A few big wins basically take a PI law firm from barely making it to insanely profitable.
The team size you need to manage more than 50 clients each year is more than 2 admin staff and 1 paralegal, especially for an estate planning or immigration law office.
And this is why immigration practices have 20-30% profitability, while most estate planning practices have a 30-40% profitability. Not 60%+ like PI practices.
I'm a little lost on how the same strategies that work for a PI firm could also work for a firm with a completely different revenue, team, and profit structure. But if you have any insights on this, I'd love to hear them.
4. Penny for your Thoughts
Your turn — weigh in and see how other lawyers think, too.
| Going into 2026, are you planning on joining a course or program? |
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Thanks for letting me help you build something better. Now go make it real.
Nermin
How we can work together:
No. 22 - A lifetime of advice from me. Email me: nermin@wearews.com because we're on a wait list. Price is $7,500 if you join in October, then $8,500 in November, and $9,500 in December.
Hire a Marketing Strategist - https://calendly.com/nerminjasani/law-firm-growth-marketing. Starts at $5k a month - 2 marketing specialists, 1 manager, 1 CMO + 2 automated systems/funnels to follow up with leads/PNC's. If you get 2 lost leads to hire you, that's 2 new clients. It pays for itself in the first month.
1:1 Consulting - https://calendly.com/nerminjasani/strategic-law-firm-growth-consultation
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Nermin | Wildly Successful by choice, not chance Nermin@wearews.com |