Hi!👋🏻 I’m Marianne Marchesi, the founder and Managing Principal of Legalite – a multi-award winning law firm which I established in 2017.

I had the idea for Legalite about two years before I actually took the plunge. “One day” I kept telling myself.

“One day, when I have more money.”

“One day, when I have a bigger client base”

“One day, when I really can’t do traditional law anymore.”

It turns out the decision was made for me. At the end of 2016, the candle I was holding for my stable, traditional law firm job finally burnt out. I was tired, disillusioned and in a constant state of anxiety.

I started Legalite as a sole practitioner with $5,000 of my own money, and a small client base of 6. I kept my overheads low, working out of the second bedroom of our apartment. I didn’t have a business plan. Just a vision – mostly in my head – of the law firm, and the lifestyle I wanted to create. I was prepared to take a substantial pay cut, for the trade off of being in charge of my own destiny.

But God, did I hustle. I was passionate and determined to create not only something different, but genuine, refreshing and accessible.

In the first month, I made $2,390. And with my overheads being so low, I had an 85% profit margin. By the second month, I’d paid back the startup costs (and paid myself a nice little wage of $400).

I didn’t take a pay cut that year, in fact, I ended up doubling my salary. But more importantly, I had a life I loved. I was fit and healthy, my anxiety disappeared (through the added work of my meditation practice), and I fell back in love with the law.

Today, Legalite employs 11 people, and turns over close to $2 million per year. We have practice groups across commercial, franchising, property and employment law. We’ve been recognised in multiple industry and business awards, and we have a team culture that’s been described as “next level”.

And now, I’m sharing my lessons in the journey of law firm ownership for those starting out, thinking of starting out, or already on their own journey.