When a lawyer moves firms, the new firm prices the move on the work that will come with them. That is rarely the whole book. Some clients belong to the firm, some are shared with partners who are staying, and some will not follow a rate increase. This calculator gives you an honest first estimate before you start those conversations.
How the estimate works
Each client gets a chance of following you, based on who owns the relationship and the type of work. That chance is adjusted for your practice area and the move itself, then capped at 95%. A client flagged for a conflict counts as zero. Your likely portable book is the sum of each client's fees times its chance of following you. The score is that total as a share of your book today.
The weights below are our assumptions, chosen to reflect how lateral moves usually play out. They are not market statistics, so treat the result as a starting point for your own judgment.
| Mine: I brought it in and I am the main contact | 75% base |
| Shared with other partners | 35% base |
| The firm's client: I service it | 8% base |
| Ongoing or recurring work | × 1.00 |
| Active matters | × 0.85 |
| Occasional or one-off | × 0.50 |
| Wills, estates, and private client | × 1.10 |
| Family law | × 1.10 |
| Employment and labour | × 1.05 |
| Commercial litigation | × 1.00 |
| Intellectual property | × 1.00 |
| Regulatory and compliance | × 0.95 |
| Real estate | × 0.95 |
| Corporate and M&A | × 0.90 |
| Tax | × 0.90 |
| Restructuring and insolvency | × 0.85 |
| Banking and finance | × 0.75 |
| Capital markets and securities | × 0.75 |
| Lower rates than today | × 1.05 |
| About the same rates | × 1.00 |
| Rates up 10% to 25% | × 0.90 |
| Rates up more than 25% | × 0.75 |
| I do the work myself or with juniors who can be replaced | × 1.00 |
| My team is coming with me | × 1.05 |
| I rely on other partners' teams to deliver | × 0.80 |
| No restrictions | × 1.00 |
| A notice or garden leave period | × 0.95 |
| A non-solicitation clause | × 0.85 |
| Under 3 years on average | × 0.85 |
| 3 to 7 years | × 1.00 |
| 8 years or more | × 1.05 |
| Origination credit under 50% | × 0.85 |
| Origination credit 50% to 69% | × 0.95 |
The range runs from 60% to 130% of the estimate. The two-year ramp assumes portable fees build up gradually, reaching about 86% of their yearly level by the end of year one. Client concentration uses the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, the measure the US Department of Justice uses for market concentration, applied here to your client list.
Read the result honestly
- Clients choose, not lawyers. When a lawyer leaves, clients decide who keeps their files. The Law Society of British Columbia, for example, says a departing lawyer's clients should be told they can stay with the firm or move with the lawyer (Law Society of BC). Check your own law society's rules before you contact anyone.
- Firms discount what you tell them. Expect a new firm to test your numbers against its own conflicts search and your billing history. A conservative, well-explained estimate is more persuasive than a big one.
- Your agreement matters. Partnership and employment agreements can include notice periods and other restrictions. Get advice on yours before you act on this estimate.
- Concentration cuts both ways. One large loyal client can make a move work. If that client stays, the move may not.
Next steps
Carry the result into our lateral business plan builder, which can import it, and check what the new firm is likely to pay with our lawyer salary guide and Bay Street salary scale. Firms will also ask for your resume early. Our sample lawyer resumes show how to present a practice, and you can format your resume free in minutes.
General information, not legal, financial, or valuation advice. Last updated .