Four shifts that turn a law practice into a real business

By Steve Fretzin & Robert Armstrong, Sandy Fisch

Most law firms are built by smart, capable lawyers who never planned to become business owners. They wanted autonomy, better clients, or a way out of someone else’s system. What they did not plan for was running a business without the tools, structure, or training to do it well.

That is why this conversation with Robert Armstrong and Sandy Fisch mattered. As founders of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, they have spent decades helping lawyers move from technician mode into true ownership. We talked about systems, focus, the future of the billable hour, and why effort alone is rarely the problem.

What became clear is this, great lawyering is expected. Sustainable success comes from how the practice is built.

From Technician to Owner Is the Hardest Transition
Most lawyers start firms because they know how to practice law, not because they know how to run a business. Michael Gerber’s idea that businesses are often started by technicians having an entrepreneurial seizure fits the legal industry perfectly.

Robert and Sandy lived this transition while building a multi-office estate planning firm. Legal skill created opportunity, but systems created stability. Without structure, firms rely on memory, urgency, and personal heroics. With structure, the firm becomes repeatable, measurable, and far less dependent on one individual.

This is where many lawyers stall. They keep doubling down on legal work, hoping the business side will sort itself out. It never does.

Systems Are What Create Freedom, Not Constraints
Lawyers often resist systems because they believe structure limits flexibility. In reality, the opposite is true. Systems reduce friction, decision fatigue, and constant rework. The Academy focuses on core business systems every firm needs, lead generation, conversion, fulfillment, operations, and financial management.

These are not abstract concepts. They are practical frameworks that allow firms to function without constant firefighting. When systems exist, lawyers stop reinventing the wheel every day. That is when real leverage shows up.

Freedom does not come from fewer rules. It comes from better ones.

Why the Billable Hour Is Losing Its Grip
Hourly billing has dominated legal services for decades, but its weaknesses are becoming harder to ignore. Clients want certainty. Lawyers want efficiency. Technology and AI are compressing time in ways the billable model cannot absorb.

Robert and Sandy have always believed in value-based pricing, long before it was popular. When clients know the outcome and the cost upfront, trust improves and resistance drops. More importantly, the firm is no longer rewarded for inefficiency.

The future is not about racing the clock. It is about delivering outcomes in a way that aligns incentives on both sides.

The Firms That Win Will Be Relationship Driven
As technology accelerates, one thing becomes more valuable, not less, trust. AI can draft, analyze, and automate, but it cannot replace human judgment, reassurance, and long-term relationships.

The firms that thrive will be the ones that become the first call clients make, not just for legal documents, but for guidance. That requires strong communication, consistency, and a mindset shift from transactions to relationships.

Systems handle the mechanics. Relationships create longevity.

Final Thoughts
Most lawyers do not fail because they lack intelligence or work ethic. They struggle because they try to grow a business using tools designed only to practice law. The shift from technician to owner is uncomfortable, but it is also where control, stability, and opportunity live.

The firms that take this shift seriously will not just survive the changes ahead. They will define what modern legal success looks like.

About Robert Armstrong
Robert Armstrong is President of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and co-founder of Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli, a leading San Diego estate planning firm. A U.S. Navy veteran and summa cum laude graduate of UC San Diego, he earned his Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego in 1976. Robert is a recognized thought leader in estate planning, author of multiple books including The E-Myth Attorney, and has been quoted in national publications such as The Wall Street Journal. He frequently appears on television as an estate planning expert.

About Sandy Fisch
Sanford Fisch is a principal at Armstrong, Fisch & Tutoli and co-founder of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys. Known for his expertise and enthusiasm, Sandy is dedicated to helping attorneys improve their practices, better serve clients, and elevate the estate planning profession nationwide.

Connect with Robert Armstrong & Sandy Fisch
Website: https://www.aftattorneys.com/

For more information about taking your law practice to the next level, please email me directly at steve@fretzin.com.

Steve Fretzin, an expert at legal business development, is the author of four books regarding the topic and is the host of the Be That Lawyer podcast. He has helped hundreds of attorneys across the world dramatically grow their book of business while living a well-balanced life. He can be reached at steve@fretzin.com.

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