To Office or Not to Office

One of the great debates between my husband and I is the decision about acquiring office space. He is concerned about accruing unnecessary overhead, while I have several reasons for wanting to move the office out of my dining room.

First, I am reluctant to invite future clients into my home. He is planning to start with with criminal defense work and I don't embrace the idea of those clients being at the dining room table with my kids. Second, I want him to get out of the house. Many people can work at home, but I'm not certain it's the best venue for my husband. I want him to focus on building the practice, not keeping house. Lastly, I want him to get out of the house - but for another reason. Lawyering can be lonely work, like teaching. By being out in an office, alone or as a share, and near the courthouse he is more likely to network with other attorneys and build the relationships that were lacking in his former, big-law practice.