Over the years, coworking spaces have become increasingly prevalent, in part due to advances in technology that have made it easier than ever to work remotely. As a Fort Lauderdale, Florida based attorney has who worked remotely for the past decade for several local law firms working remotely has its benefits and its challenges. For me, the benefits have always greatly outweighed the drawbacks, but the sense of loneliness and isolation that accompanies remote work can sometimes be difficult to overcome, especially during the winter months. Certainly technology helps bridge the gap with my colleagues, and social media helps me feel more connected to lawyers across the country and the world, but sometimes that’s just not enough. And while working from Starbucks provides a sense of connectedness, it’s really just an illusion; not to mention it isn’t exactly the most ergonomic experience and the constant background noise and chatter can sometimes be distracting.
That’s why I looked into coworking spaces a few years ago. There weren’t a ton of coworking options here in Fort Lauderdale at that time, and after visiting one of the most likely suspects a coworking space located downtown that I regretfully realized was infused with an odd smell I got stuck in rush hour traffic. Since avoiding the daily commute is one of the many benefits of working remotely that I appreciate, I decided then and there that that particular odoriferous coworking space wasn’t for me.I’ve now worked from SkySpaces coworking campus for the past few weeks, and I’m happy to report that this setup and ones like it that are cropping up all over the country is ideal for lawyers. Whether you’re practicing law from a home office and need office space for meetings, work remotely for a larger firm located in a different geographic location, or are looking for a home base in an outlying county where your law firm occasionally handles cases, a coworking space specifically for lawyers may be just what you need.
Coworking benefits to Lawyers
One of the most obvious benefits of using a coworking space rather than leasing your own office is cost. For just a few hundred dollars you have access to a furnished office and its accompanying address which is an important feature for lawyers in Fort Lauderdale and similar jurisdictions who can’t use a P.O. box for their attorney registration and would prefer to avoid having their home addresses made public as part of their attorney registration. Coworking spaces also provide you with flexibility in terms of the office setup. Most will typically provide you with a number of different options to choose from. In my case those include include a collaborative workspace, a shared office, or a private office. You also have access to business class printers, shredder, copier, fax machine, secure WIFI, and kitchen. Because SkySpaces coworking space is catering specifically to attorneys, you also have the option of using the receptionist for greeting clients, receiving mail and packages, etc.
So, are coworking spaces for lawyers a passing trend or the wave of the future?
Like most coworking spaces, there’s also access to conference rooms for meetings with clients, and a phone room. So when you need privacy, it’s available. But when you need some camaraderie, a sense of community, or a colleague to bounce an idea off of, you have that, too. So, are coworking spaces for lawyers a passing trend or the wave of the future? I’d say it’s the latter. Coworking spaces for lawyers simply make sense in the face of societal and technological change. The ability to work remotely is only becoming more common over time, and lawyers and law firms are not immune from this phenomenon. As your law practice grows or changes over time, don’t overlook coworking spaces; they might be just what you need.
