In my conversations with law firm owners over the years, there's been one recurring theme: Everyone wants the best creative campaigns, top-tier marketing, and, of course, to bring in the most cases. And that's completely understandable. Why wouldn't you want a marketing strategy that generates more business?
But here's where things often go wrong: too many law firms chase growth without first investing the time and effort to build the internal infrastructure to handle it.
It's a common misconception that a massive marketing push will solve a law firm's business challenges. The truth? A high-performing marketing campaign will only show the inefficiencies in your internal processes. Imagine adding more clients when your intake process is inefficient or your staff is already stretched thin. It's a recipe for disaster.
From my experience, many law firm owners need to realize that their growth is hindered more by what's happening inside the firm than by a lack of marketing. On several calls, law firm owners expressed their eagerness to "blow the roof off" with incredible creative campaigns that can set them apart from other firms. But when I ask them about their current processes, I hear a lot of hesitation and uncertainty.
Before you rush into a major marketing campaign, take a step back. Ask yourself: Is my firm ready for growth?
Growth isn't just about bringing in more cases—it's about being able to handle them efficiently. Without documented intake, communication, and case management processes, even the most successful marketing campaign will strain your team unnecessarily. You'll find yourself struggling to keep up, and in the end, the new business may not translate into long-term success.
Investing in your law firm's internal infrastructure should be a priority before you even move toward scaling your marketing. Here are some areas to focus on:
Clear Intake Processes: Do you have a system for handling new inquiries, following up, and converting leads into clients? If not, more leads will only confuse your team's workflow. Be sure to have a CRM that continues to grow and evolve. We recommend Clio or Filevine to our clients.
Client Management: Is your firm equipped to manage more cases without overloading staff or risking mistakes? Automating certain tasks or integrating a robust CRM can go a long way in supporting growth.
Team Capacity: Are you staffed appropriately to handle the influx of new clients? Sometimes, the bottleneck isn't in your marketing but in your staffing levels or the delegation of work.
Financial Transparency: Can you clearly define what budget is available for growth, and are you prepared for the additional costs that come with more clients, such as technology, personnel, and resources?
A marketing agency can design the best ads, create stunning visuals, and drive leads to your door—but without the foundation of solid business processes, it won't matter.
I've been on calls where firms ask us to launch large campaigns, and while we're ready to deliver, we've had to ask the hard questions: Are you ready for this level of growth? How are you handling client intake right now? These aren't fun questions, but they're necessary. You have to build from the inside out. Only then will you truly be ready to scale through marketing.
Final Thoughts
Having a proper firm structure and processes is important. We have turned down working with law firms that still need their systems in place but will call our agency to create for their law firms. Before signing up with any marketing agency, look at your firm's internal operations. Are you ready to handle the business you're asking for? Do you have the resources to compete? Do you have KPIs established for where you would like your firm to be? If not, start there. A well-built foundation will support your marketing efforts and ensure sustainable growth. Focusing on processes first will set your firm up for long-term success, not just a short-term influx of cases.
Here is a tool we use for processes: https://trainual.com; use the code GOINGFORWARD24 at checkout.