If you’re looking to start a family law business, there are some steps that you can take to get started on the right foot.
Being a family law attorney is a combination of many things. You have to be able to handle domestic disputes, divorce cases, child support, and other complicated cases, all the while juggling your personal life and family.
This article will show you how a successful family law practice works so you know what to expect when going solo or joining another law firm.
Building A Business To Be Proud Of
If you’re considering starting a family law business, it can seem like there is so much to learn and so much to think about, but there are some things that you really should consider.
These tips can help you get started on the right foot and give you an idea of what to expect when it comes to running your own law firm.
- Define a Niche and Commit To It
Defining a niche and committing to it is the first step in building a successful family law business.
The reason for this is that most clients are looking for an attorney who specializes in a specific area of family law, so you will have more success if you can narrow your focus.
The best way to define your niche is to figure out what type of cases you want to handle on a regular basis, as well as which types of clients you want to work with.
For example, if you like working with high-conflict people who need an attorney who understands how their emotions affect their behavior, then becoming an expert in divorce or separation would be a good path.
If one particular area of family law interests you more than others (such as child custody), then concentrate on that area instead.
- Create a Brand and Have Clear Goals For The Firm
You are on your way to creating a successful family law practice, but there is one more important consideration: branding.
Branding is the process of developing a name and visual identity that will help you stand out from other lawyers in your area. You need to create a brand that is memorable because brand recognition makes it easier for potential clients to find you online and contact you with their questions or concerns.
Creating a strong brand doesn’t just mean having an attractive logo and color scheme; it also means ensuring your company reflects the values and mission of the business.
Your website should be clear about who does what at your firm, how long each lawyer has been practicing law, what areas of law they specialize in (such as divorce law or bankruptcy), how much they charge, and whether they offer free initial consultations—and so forth.
Any potential client should know exactly what he or she will get from working with you before contacting you for help; this means providing relevant information up front rather than waiting until after the client has paid his retainer fee before revealing some surprising news about how little time he actually gets with his lawyer!
- Build An Amazing Team
As a family law attorney, you are the backbone and leader of your practice. However, having the best ideas and the highest level of professionalism will not be enough to guarantee success; you also need an effective team behind you.
While it may seem like hiring is one of the easier parts of running your own firm, finding employees who are capable and aligned with your values can be challenging.
Here are some tips for finding, managing, and building a winning team:
- Hire based on culture fit
- Set clear expectations from day one
- Have regular meetings with each member of your team
- Be Smart About Marketing
It’s important to define your target audience so that you can make sure your marketing efforts are focused on reaching them.
Once you know who you want to reach, create a comprehensive marketing plan that includes:
- Digital marketing (SEO, PPC, and social media)
- Traditional media (radio, TV, and print)
- Legal directories and associations
- Referrals from other attorneys or law firms—and even non-legal ones!
When you look into family law digital marketing, you will quickly realize that it is a big topic and it might be best to hire a professional consultant or agency who will be able to handle your marketing for you.
Doing marketing properly takes a long time to master, and the benefit of getting an expert agency in is that you can concentrate on doing what you do best, and they can concentrate on making sure your marketing reflects that.
- Create Systems for Managing Workflow
To make your business run smoothly, it’s important to create systems for managing workflow, data, client intake, and billing.
- Client intake: A good system will allow you to keep track of all incoming clients, as well as notes that were taken during meetings and phone calls. This information can then be accessed at any time by other members of your team or by yourself when needed.
- Data management: In order to provide clients with quality service, you will need access to their files in real time whenever they call or visit your office. This makes it critical that all relevant information is easily accessible using a secure cloud-based system that allows the entire team access without compromising privacy or confidentiality.
- Billing: While most people may think they only need software designed specifically for law firms when it comes time to bill their clients (and indeed this is true), there are also many other types of businesses that use software such as QuickBooks Pro, a product that includes an integrated attorney billing module that allows lawyers like yourself not only to record charges but also to generate invoices directly from within QuickBooks itself rather than having separate software do both tasks simultaneously – saving both time and money!
- Harness Technology To Be More Efficient
As a family law attorney, you need to use technology to improve client service and increase your productivity.
Here are some of the ways you can use technology:
- Improve Client Service: The more efficient you can make your business, the happier clients will be with their experience. Use technology in your office to make it easier for clients to schedule appointments and send documents electronically; this saves time and money while improving efficiency overall.
- Improve Productivity: Use technology like phone systems that have voicemail-to-email capabilities so that you can work remotely from home or another location if necessary. This allows you to create additional free time in which to bill or research cases, which, in turn, improves productivity by freeing up hours spent commuting back and forth from one location to another each day after working at home all week long (or vice versa).
- Invest in Staff Training
An investment in staff training is critical to a successful family law business.
New employees need to learn the ins and outs of your practice, including how to handle client communications and customer service issues, so that they are prepared for their first interactions with clients.
For established employees, ongoing training is important as well. You can provide this through seminars, workshops, or other programs that teach staff members new skills or share relevant information about current trends in the industry.
You could also establish mentorship relationships between senior associate attorneys and junior associates so that everyone has someone who will show them the ropes once they join your team full-time or after working elsewhere for some time.
Finally, you could provide access to helpful resources such as books on keeping up with changing laws or marketing strategies that apply specifically to family law practices.
- Invest In Good Client Management
It’s important to always have a good list of potential clients.
Go to networking events and meet people who know someone who needs legal help. Post online and in your office that you are accepting new clients.
Have current clients refer their friends, relatives, and colleagues to your firm.
One way to attract new clients is through digital marketing, which we discussed earlier in the article!
Leverage technology (like internet marketing) to keep in touch with current clients while also working on acquiring new ones.
- Stay Up To Date
Family law is multifaceted and varies according to location, and that largely contributes to why owning a practice is so different from becoming an attorney in another field. Ultimately, successful lawyers should be ready to change with these changes.
The need to update your knowledge and skills, on an annual basis, towards the changing market should be a part of your job.
This type of practice involves both client-focused and staff-focused areas of marketing.
In order to successfully track and manage these two different types of marketing without causing confusion, it is important that you choose a name or slogan that conveys the message you wish to portray to clients when it comes down to what you are offering as well as what your staff communicates in their communications.
Conclusion
The family law industry is a competitive one, and it takes time to develop a successful practice.
By following the tips outlined above, you can start building your business today and be well on your way to success.