The Future of Office Space

The use of office space isn’t dead - we’ve said this before in our blog post, Evolution of the Workplace, and we will say it again! Right now, we are experiencing a time of transition where many law firms and attorneys are re-evaluating their needs in terms of law office space but that doesn’t mean working from home full-time is the answer.

Although there are a lot of perks to working from home such as no long commute and lower overhead costs, being away from the office full time has some downsides. A big one is fatigue - a survey conducted by Society of Human Resources Management reported that 35% of workers often feel tired or a lack of energy due to the pandemic. We believe at least part of the fatigue is caused by not having as much social connection and work collaboration during remote work arrangements.  

It’s been proven that our work environment has a direct correlation to our moods, so working from home full time may not be healthy for some. Even if you swear that you didn’t feel any lack of energy and that you were just as productive at home as you are in an office you still require meeting spaces for team building and client meetings. 

Meeting your partners and associates on a regular basis can help increase communication and increase loyalty at a law firm. Scheduling regular in-person meetings can improve problem solving and increase creativity. Even solo attorneys need a quiet space to meet with clients. Coffee shops and restaurants don’t provide the sort of privacy that an attorney might need in those meetings, so having a flexible space where you can get some work done or host a meeting is important no matter what size your firm is. 

At Engage, we are seeing the need for flexibility increase. Each attorney in a law firm may not need their own office anymore, but instead share an office or have swing desks. You may have some attorneys who want to work from home 3-4 days a week but still need a conference room to meet clients in. 

Because of this need for flexibility larger, commercial spaces are seeing a decline in leasing. Many companies don’t want to commit to 3–5-year leases. Workers have seen how quickly things can change and realized that they have the ability to work from anywhere. All this to say, this doesn’t mean the office space is going away. It’s just changing.  

Although solo attorneys and small firms have been using flexible spaces for years, we think there will be a shift in who they lease from. Before COVID, a lot of solo attorney’s subleased or rented an office from large law firms. But many of these same firms are looking to decrease their own office space shed overhead costs. 

Coworking spaces will, and already have, become a desired option. They can help cut costs while still providing useable workspace. Attorneys have been officing with big name coworking spaces for a while now but have quickly found that they tend to be overcrowded, loud, and unprofessional. 

These coworking spaces are not created with the privacy and security law firms need to run a successful business. They care more about aesthetic than functional workspace and cater to everyone, which also means they cater to no one. That’s why we created a space that caters specifically to attorneys and provides amenities that suit a law firm’s needs. 2020 brought change and now in 2021, one way to thrive is to find a space that allows flexibility.  

At Engage we realize that the name of the game for law firms will be flexibility as they look towards the future. We provide 1-year agreements with the ability to upgrade at any point during that year. We also offer virtual memberships to attorneys who enjoy working from home but need a professional address or access to conference rooms. 

 Unlike other coworking spaces we don’t hide costs. Our memberships are flat rates which include use of office supplies, our stocked kitchen, and conference rooms. Reception and an onsite notary are available as well. 

Engage Workspace for Lawyers is an office space for lawyers built by lawyers. Unlike other coworking spaces, Engage charges a flat monthly rate for access to a full suite of resources and limits membership to a community of lawyers. If you are looking for law office space where you can focus on your practice and be surrounded by great colleagues, please contact us or book a tour.

© Elysium Consulting LLC dba Engage Workspace for Lawyers.  2018-2023.  Represented by intellectual property law firm, Klemchuk PLLC.