# Why Aren't There Franchise Law Firms? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 20, 2004, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-franchise-law-firms/275874 "2004-11-20T22:02:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-franchise-law-firms/275874/44 "2016-05-11T17:00:23Z")
It seems to me that most ordinary people only need a lawyer a handful of times in their lives- when they’re writing a will, for instance. And even there, a huge percentage of the work can be done by a paralegal or legal secretary, with precious little input from a real lawyer. THAT kind of work probably COULD be done by a franchise operation. But if you’re running a business or facing criminal charges, the stakes are high, and you don’t want a guy from a franchise. You want a top notch lawyer who knows how to save you big bucks or how to keep you out of jail. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2016, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-franchise-law-firms/275874/45 "2016-05-11T17:48:56Z")
What would be the advantage to buying a franchise of a law firm ( or a dental practice for that mater) ? A law firm doesn’t need to pay another company for the standardized procedures that a McDonald’s has for everything from cooking the fries to running the cash register. They don’t need to participate in giant advertising campaigns. They don’t need to have a standardized menu - no matter where you go or who the franchisee is , you know that Applebee’s will have the same menu but if you live in NY, you’re not likely to suddenly need to write a will while traveling in Nevada. ``` There are networks like 1 800 Lawyer - but they aren't franchises and shouldn't be confused with them. That long list of law firms scrolling down the screen each operate independently - they jointly advertise and share a referral number, but there is no franchisor ensuring that a particular location operates in accordance with a franchise agreement. ``` ---
**Author:** ![ProDentite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@ProDentite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProDentite)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-franchise-law-firms/275874/46 "2016-05-16T01:01:21Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Franchisng has worked very well for a lot of businesses…take McDonalds…it is now a multi-billion $ corporation. You can walk into a Mickyd’s in Beijing, Moscow, Paris, etc., and be assured of getting the same crappy meal! > Which leads me to wonder…why aren’t law firms franchised? Take that very successful lawyer who does celebrity divorces (what’s his name?)-why doesn’t he franchise his operation and make even MORE money? Or this Gerragos guy who takes on hopeless cases…his name oughtta be worth some bucks in the franchise game! > Or those old money, blue-blood law firms (like Mckinnon , Arps and Skidmore)-why not frmachise their name. It’s a whole lot classier to have your divorce handled by them instead of some dumpy-sounding outfit like Blotnick, Blotnick & Schmuck! > Are there any problems with using a prestige-name law firm (if it is a really a franchise)? I think part of it has to due with the fact that a successful lawyer relies on his personal connections within the legal community (judges, DA’s, ADA’s, Police Officers, Law Professors, Former Colleagues). You can’t transfer those networks to a franchisee. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-franchise-law-firms/275874.md?page=2)