Lawyers’ associations are a particularly popular way for legal professionals to pool their resources while preserving their independence. This structure offers an interesting alternative between individual practice and more restrictive corporate forms. Are you thinking of setting up an association with other colleagues? Find out more about the specific features, advantages and workings of this collaborative formula, which is winning over many lawyers. To optimize the day-to-day management of your association, the use of appropriate management software facilitates coordination between partners and the pooling of resources.

What is a bar association?

An association of lawyers is a legal structure that enables several lawyers to practice their profession as a group, without creating a company. Unlike a société civile professionnelle (SCP) or a société d’exercice libéral (SEL), the association has no separate legal personality.

Each associate retains total independence in the practice of his or her profession. You remain personally responsible for your professional actions and manage your own clientele. This formula is also distinguished from simple legal collaboration by a greater degree of integration and sharing of resources.

The association is based on a written agreement that defines operating procedures, the sharing of common expenses and rules of governance. This contractual flexibility is one of the main advantages of this structure, enabling you to organize your practice according to your specific needs.

The advantages of associating lawyers

Lawyers’ associations offer a number of advantages for professionals who choose this mode of practice. The first major advantage is the pooling of resources: you share premises, computer equipment, legal subscriptions and general professional expenses.

This pooling also extends to human resources. Together, you can recruit a qualified legal secretary, something that would be difficult to envisage in individual practice. The costs are shared between the partners, making the investment more affordable.

You remain totally financially independent: each lawyer receives his or her fees directly and manages his or her own accounts. Unlike partnership structures, you are not jointly liable for the professional debts of your partners. This financial autonomy secures your business while benefiting from the advantages of partnership.

Flexibility is another major advantage. You can change the composition of the association more easily than with a company. The entry or exit of a partner simply requires an amendment to the association agreement, without cumbersome formalities.

The practical operation of a bar association

The day-to-day running of an association of lawyers is based on a clear organization defined in the agreement. The agreement specifies how decisions are to be taken, generally by unanimous or majority vote, depending on the issues involved.

Common expenses are shared equitably between the partners. You generally contribute according to a distribution key set out in the agreement: equal shares, proportional to sales, or according to surface area occupied. This contribution covers rent, common staff salaries, insurance and operating costs.

Theorganization of human resources requires particular attention. Staff may be employed by one of the partners, who then invoices the others, or may be covered by a multiple-employer employment contract. Certain tasks can also be outsourced to optimize resources.

Modern management tools make it considerably easier to run an association. The right software enables you to track joint expenses, manage files and optimize collaboration between associates. This technological dimension is essential to ensure the operational efficiency of your structure.

Steps to setting up an association of lawyers

The creation of an association of lawyers begins with the drafting of an association agreement. This contractual document defines all the operating rules: identity of associates, duration of the association, decision-making procedures, distribution of expenses and dissolution conditions.

You must then register your association with your local Bar Council. This declaration is accompanied by the association agreement and any additional documents required by your bar association. The President of the Bar checks that your project complies with the ethical rules of the profession.

For tax purposes, each partner remains individually taxed on his or her own professional income. You retain your status as a self-employed worker and contribute to the CNBF (Caisse Nationale des Barreaux Français). The association itself has no tax obligations of its own, since it has no legal personality.

Administrative procedures also include taking out appropriate professional insurance. Each lawyer must maintain his or her own professional liability insurance, while taking out collective cover for shared premises and equipment. Digitization simplifies these steps, thanks to dematerialized administrative formalities that enable certain procedures to be carried out online.

Optimize your association with digital tools

The day-to-day running of a law firm requires appropriate tools to facilitate collaboration and shared management. Today, digital solutions make it possible to simplify collective organization while preserving the autonomy of each partner.

Legal management software is a sound investment for your association. These tools centralize files and schedules, and make it easier to monitor activity. You can also use time recording solutions to optimize invoicing and monitor the profitability of each case.

Shared administrative management benefits particularly from collaborative tools: shared diaries for booking meeting rooms, tracking of joint expenses, secure document storage and internal messaging. These features improve coordination between associates without requiring major investment.

For accounting purposes, software programs enable each lawyer’s income to be tracked separately, while at the same time managing shared expenses. This dual accounting system facilitates cost allocation and financial transparency within the association.

Lawyers’ associations thus represent a balanced formula that combines the advantages of grouping together with the preservation of professional independence. This structure is perfectly suited to the needs of lawyers who wish to pool their resources without relinquishing their autonomy, especially as accessible digital tools now facilitate day-to-day management.

Lawyers’ association vs. other structures: what’s the difference?

To choose the legal structure best suited to your professional practice, it’s essential to understand the fundamental differences between the options available. Here’s a clear comparison of the main forms of practice:

The advantages and disadvantages of each structure must be carefully weighed:

• Lawyers’ association: maximum flexibility and preserved independence, but no common assets and no inheritance of assets
• SCP: Common professional assets and long-term structure, but joint liability and governance can be complex
• SEL: Limited liability and possible tax optimization, but high formalism and operating costs
• Individual practice: total autonomy and simplicity, but professional isolation and limited investment capacity

The choice between these different structures depends on a number of decisive criteria:
– The number of lawyers involved in the project
– The budget available for setting up and running the business
– The existence of a common professional project
– Medium- and long-term financial objectives
– Whether or not you wish to share your clientele

Lawyers’ associations are particularly well-suited as a transitional structure for testing out a collaboration before committing to a more integrated corporate form. It provides an opportunity to experiment with working together, and to assess the compatibility of working methods and personalities, while limiting risks and commitments. Many law firms start out as a partnership, before evolving into a SCP or SEL once their collaboration has proved its worth.