Not to be dramatic, but as previously indicated, might get fired at end of year, so please read.
I posted about having a "graduated" or "progressive" retirement in another thread. And that flowery idea at the firm I'm currently at is a little silly considering all the politics at my firm (which I've posted about previously), and the fact that I might get fired at the end of this year.
Anyway, a big idea has kind of popped in my head lately (in part due to the entrepreneurial spirit in this thread): if I get fired, what about starting a mediation company while also trying to launch a solo firm, and see which one takes off?
I ask because my market, even though it's small, seems to be completely under-saturated with mediators. A google search for "city mediator" leads to basically nothing except two mediators who are from bigger cities out of town.
I'm 99% sure this is because there is a full time mediator at the court of common pleas and local rule requires all civil cases to proceed to mediation. This mediation is basically free for the parties (aside from attorney's fees and the increased court costs of front).
This mediator, however, is beginning to be overburdened. He's mediating eight cases per day, sometimes three at once. Based on my limited experience, he's not very effective and the mediation has become a dog and pony show for lawyers to bill 3-4 hours to their clients while showing how terrible the opposing side is.
I think there's a market for a full-time mediation company, but I'm a little scared to dip my toe in that water. I can't imagine I'm the first person in the area with the idea, or maybe I am, but it just seems risky.
Anyway, based on all the politics at my firm (which I've posted about before), it seems prudent to me to be thinking about these ideas. And what has come to mind is, if I get fired, (a) starting my own practice AND (b) starting a mediation practice, and see which one takes off.
Any thoughts?