Maybe more than any other area of law, your personality and approach to practicing law should come through in your family law website. People searching for a divorce lawyer are typically emotionally exhausted, so making the process simple and easy is critical. Being friendly and supportive is a good approach given a lot of people are bringing a healthy dose of shame, fear and uncertainty to their first consultation.
I understand that giving out free consultations for family law is a nightmare. Also, you have to understand that if your competitors ARE doing it, it’s easier to take the first step with them, and the results will follow.
Here are a few ways you can offer a free first step without getting into a two hour meeting:
- Free 15 Minute Consultation
Setting a time limit and an expectation can keep people from coming in and unloading their emotional baggage. You can say “Hey we only have 15 minutes here so let’s focus on ABC instead of XYZ”. - Free Phone Consultation
Keeping people out of the office can make it much easier to control the length of the consultation. You are also forgoing the chance for them to see your office, so there’s a unique exchange for every law firm there, depending on how impressive it is to walk into your office. - Free Case Review
This is more complicated, but if you set the expectation that they have to bring their mortgage numbers and estimated value of the home, for instance, you can set up a meeting where there is ABC to get through, and then it’s over. This also would likely be helped with a time limit.
All of that said, if you charge for your first consultation, it’s critical that you build up the value of that meeting and make people understand that it will be beneficial for their divorce whether they choose to hire you or not. People are not going to pay $300 to meet you or because your time is valuable. But people will pay $300 for a meaningful assessment of their financial situation and what to expect / how to best proceed. Now grant it, it’s up to you to fulfill that promise and make sure they are getting their $300 worth.
It’s not enough to say “The consult is $300 – I can’t waste my time”… you need to show the potential client why the consult and the information they will receive is a GREAT VALUE for ONLY $300.
Talk About Conflict
One way you can really qualify your potential clients and ensure they are a match for you is to talk about the level of conflict that you are comfortable with. If you want to bring pitbull energy to the divorce, then say that. If you think mediation is a good place to start, say that. In both cases, explain why. Acting tough might look cool on your site but when you go to the first meeting and explain it’s best to agree when we can… you’re likely going to have a confused client. The point here is be honest and be consistent; your website should be a true reflection of how you practice family law.
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