How Attorneys Can Make Law Firm Case Notes More Effective

How Attorneys Can Make Law Firm Case Notes More Effective

One of the most powerful way lawyers can generate new clients is through client testimonials – but also the just-as-powerful case results.

Many lawyers overlook the importance of putting case results into their website and prepared and presented in a manner that will generate better results in terms of marketing for new clients.

Properly presented case results can be worth their weight in gold.

But too often attorneys publish their results as two-line summaries that provide little that will attract anyone, let alone new clients.

What are Case Results Intended to Do For Your Firm?

law firm web design

Proper presentation of case results will ensure that you engender trust and conversions from potential clients.

Their provision in your website is far more important in terms of garnering new clients and using them in that manner rather than simply listing them on your law firm website.

There are firms like LawLytics that can assist this process, but the basics for what you need to do are outlined here.

By displaying and explaining cases that you have done, you will also ensure that the potential clients can trust you to (hopefully) achieve the same result(s) for them.

The idea is to show you know what you are doing, that you have been successful with similar cases and – most importantly – that you are someone who they can trust and relate to.

They also help to bring yourself, as a lawyer, to life.  Your potential clients can begin to understand who you are and what you do, rather than simply receive a baffling list of cases that mean nothing to them.

You should provide some background to the battles you fought on behalf of clients and why that will help and explain to your client just what it means to fight on a client’s behalf on matters like these.

But how should you prepare them?

Your website should be reflective of who and what you are as an attorney.

Clients want to know about YOU – how, what, why?  They want to understand that you are passionate and successful and knowledgeable about the area(s) of law that concern THEM.

So when it comes to case notes, you need to be able to provide a list that resonates with the client – or potential client.

How Should You Best Present Your Firm Case Notes?

As with any law firm web content, presentation for your case notes is important.

No-one wants to see a list of verdicts and results – successful or not – that don’t mean anything to the potential client.

Having a clearly and attractively presented list of case results is important.  Linking back to details about the major results is useful so that the potential client can read more about your law firm’s success in drunk driving, bankruptcy, personal injury, dog bite law or whatever.

Take a case in point with LA Attorneys Booth Koskoff who display their successes in specific areas –

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And then they also provide the appropriate details on each case –

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A similar approach is taken by many other law firms, such as Wingate Rusotti, a New York personal injury law firm –

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They want to see details, not a forbidding, even intimidating list of cases where those relevant to their circumstances are not readily evident.

Cross linking from case-to-case is also important so that the potential client can read about the other results in the same area.

So make sure your results are properly indexed, displayed and referenced, using imagery and good font and spacing.

You need to think like your potential client and provide what they are looking for.

What the Potential Client is Wanting

client-service-headerThe potential client coming to your site is keen to know some key things about how you might be able to help them with their legal issues.  Among the questions they will want to know include: ,

> What experience you have in the legal area that concern them

> Specific examples (cases) that have been done

> Your ‘approachability’ and enthusiasm for their case

Meeting those criteria is something that will help your law firm achieve a better result in terms of achieving client conversions from your site.

Don’t Forget the Fees issue either.

Potential clients will always have concerns about the level of fees, so you should show not just your case successes, but also what the level of fees and costs are in a transparent manner that will help you build trust for your law firm.

Below is an example from Baumgartner Law Firm:

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Creating that trust is something that will be the most important element in developing your relationship with the potential client.

Outlining your fee structure clearly is an important part of that.

 

 The All-Important Story Telling Aspect of Case Reports

story

Most marketers will tell you that telling a story is one of the best ways to communicate a message.

Case notes are stories.  They all represent the hopes and dreams – even if they may be shattered hopes and dreams for the protagonists – of clients.

And clients are PEOPLE.

You need to look at your cases in terms of story-telling.

For instance:  A bankruptcy case involves a back story involving the client and the problems they faced when they came to you.  A business failure may have been involved, or some terrible event or illness.

The creditors close in and you were there to seek protection for your client.  You understood what they were facing and you worked with them – as people – to achieve the best result possible.

You not only helped them, but you cared as well.

What Did You DO?

How hard did you fight?  What pressures did you face in fighting the case?  What were the obstacles that had to be overcome.

Give the case some context.  Make sure your potential clients understand the story, not just the result.

Talk about the work that went into it – not only the experience you used to help them, but the time and involvement that you would also apply to your new client, too.

Part of the “story” is to also outline how the result of the case helped your client in the cases . . how did the personal injury claim change their life?  How did the bankruptcy action result in a new beginning for them and their family?  How did the auto accident claim successfully result in a change of life for them?

The key here is to show that not only have you achieved these results for your clients, but how you developed the experience and expertise to help THEM too.

The potential clients will want to know that you are committed to their case, too.

This may involve linking back to your own website bio, as others do like The Krist Law Firm:

firmfees

They want to have some connection with you and using the case notes and the back story that goes with them is key to developing that connection.

So make it work.  Write the story as well as the case.

Beyond the Court – How You Have Helped Change Their Lives

law firm clients

Court results go well beyond the courtroom.

When you outline the results of your cases, you should also be explaining how you have helped your clients with their ongoing ‘life changing’ experience.

No case of any moment has results that simply disappear into the ether.  Lives are changed, often dramatically, and you should explain in your own notes to the cases how you have assisted clients to adjust to those changes.

How did the case let your client retain a business or survive a bankruptcy.   How did it permit you to obtain appropriate rehabilitation and to manage a major personal injury issue.

There are many issues that can be explained in a manner that will resonate with your potential clients because it will outline that you are not just an attorney who has succeeded in specific cases, but also that you are a great human being who they can relate to as well.

Conclusion

Using your case results in law firm marketing is an under-utilized tactic that can easily help secure greater client conversions and is something you need to consider and structure properly.

The key is to not only provide a list of your cases, but to connect their relevance to your potential clients’ interests and to demonstrate that you are the man or woman for them.

Let us know how you manage the process – LawFuel would like to know.

Email us at lawfuel@gmail.com or comment below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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