Does the “On Demand” Freelance Lawyer Really Exist?

Let’s talk about something we hear from law firms all the time:

“We’d love to have a freelance attorney on call, just in case we need something.”

We totally get it. In a perfect world, you’d have a brilliant lawyer sitting quietly by the phone, just waiting to jump in exactly when you need them.

That’s an amazing goal, but… that’s not how freelance works. Not exactly anyway.

Freelance lawyers are in high demand. They’re busy, smart, experienced professionals who build their schedules around actual projects—not around firms that maybe need their help at some undermined future date. And while they’re incredibly responsive and flexible, they’re not sitting around waiting to be summoned like legal superheroes.

We understand the difficulty. No one graduates law school with a crystal ball, so of course you can’t anticipate your future needs. You don’t know.

So what’s the strategy?

Consistency.

If you want reliable freelance legal support, the best thing you can do is give your freelance attorney regular work—even if it’s just one small project every week. That small bit of consistency goes a long way toward building trust, familiarity, and availability. It also helps ensure that the lawyer prioritizes your firm when things get busier for them, and for you.

Not sure what to assign? Start with the stuff you hate.

Give us the time-consuming research memo. The discovery responses. The cite-checking. The dreaded first draft of that brief. The contract that’s been on your back burner for weeks. The motion you’ve been putting off because you’re too slammed (or just… ugh).

This is what freelance lawyers love—diving in, taking things off your plate, and helping you get your time (and sanity) back.

Even if you don’t “need” help every week, assign at least one thing every week anyway. Use those extra hours to develop client relationships, strategize, have lunch with a referral source. There are limitless options that will benefit your firm much more than the drafting work that someone else can handle. If you proactively give something every week, then the freelance lawyer will know to reserve their time for you. You’ll develop a relationship, a rhythm. If they’re getting consistent work for you, they will be more likely to clear their time for you when you get hit with that big motion or the deal you’ve been working on finally gets the green light.

So don’t wait until you’re underwater to ask for help. Build the relationship now, and you’ll have a trusted go-to when you really need it.

As always, we’re here and happy to help when you’re ready.