This is the smallest unit of law practice in Nigeria and it is the most common. It is the unit of practice involving one legal practitioner practicing alone, but employing supporting staff (non lawyers) to assist him in the office. He establishes the law firm alone, practices alone, provides capital alone and manages the law firm alone. He does not employ any other lawyer, just non-lawyers as support staff.
The features of legal sole practitionership are:
- He provides the capital of the firm and manages the firm.
- He does the legal work since there is no other lawyer to whom work can be delegated.
- It is the smallest unit of organisation of a law firm in Nigeria.
- It is the commonest one in Nigeria as more than 70% of law firm in Nigeria are sole practitionership.
Advantages of Legal Sole Practitionership
- It enhances quick decision making as he does not need to consult anybody
- He keeps all the profit realized from the business.
- It is easy to set up as there is less financial implication and less administrative procedure to be followed before establishment.
- He is always more committed in the sense that he knows that his failure is the failure of the entire business.
- He enjoys freedom as he is not under control.
- He takes the full credit for the success of the law firm.
Disadvantages of Legal Sole Practitionership
- He bears all the risk and loss alone.
- He considers the issues in a brief alone and bears all the legal work alone
- He can only rely on his own understanding of the law as a beginner.
- He has a problem of attracting clients as he is alone in the business and so his client base will be small
- He has no time for holiday and relaxation and as such, he is affected generally and health wise.
- It does not encourage specialization in comparison with where there are other practitioners.
- His law practice dies with the sole practitioner.