The legal field has seen significant changes over the years. And one of the aspects that has changed is how clients find lawyers.
Before we dive into this, let’s look at numbers.
At the beginning of 1980, there were 542,205 lawyers in the United States. By 1988, that number had shot to 723,189. According to the American Bar Association (ABA) National Lawyer Population Survey, there were 1,331,290 active lawyers as of Jan. 1, 2023.
Now, let’s look at lawyer-to-person statistics. In 1980, the U.S. population was 226,546,000. So, with 542,205 active lawyers, the ratio was one lawyer for every 418 people. The population in 2023 was 339,996,563, which means one lawyer for every 255 people.
Therefore, there has been a significant increase in the number of lawyers as compared to the general population. The number of lawyers between 1980 and 2023 had increased by 789,085, which is good since legal services are now easily accessible to everyone.
Nonetheless, it poses a challenge to lawyers with the increase in competition. So, how do law firms still manage to keep their lights on?
Here are four ways clients get lawyers in 2024:
Referrals
The use of referrals has been one of the leading ways clients find lawyers and continues to be. People appreciate firsthand information about businesses from people they trust. Additionally, it’s human nature for people to recommend products or services they like. Someone may begin discussing how a lawyer helped them even when not asked. If someone at the table ever needs legal services in the future, chances are they will ask for the attorney’s contact information.
Referrals from other attorneys are also not uncommon. If an attorney believes another will handle a case better, they are likely to recommend them to a client, especially if the attorney has a lot on their plate or has stopped practicing the area in question.
Further, other professionals who work with lawyers in their line of business typically recommend them to clients. These include real estate agents and accountants.
Lawyers should treat everyone they come across with utmost professionalism and care, as they may be responsible for their next couple of calls.
Legal Directories
Legal directories offer vital legal and government information, making them a dependable platform for clients to look up lawyers.
Founded in 1868, Martindale-Hubbell is among the top legal directories that provide background information on lawyers and law firms in the country and beyond. Clients can browse attorneys by location and area of practice. Additionally, they can see lawyer’s achievements and client reviews. Other popular legal directories include Avvo, Best Lawyers, FindLaw, Nolo, Justia, LegalZoom, Lawyers.com, HG.org, and LawInfo.
New law firms and established ones not listed in any of the legal directories should consider doing so, as they may be missing out on potential businesses.
Law Firm Websites
A law firm that needs to catch the attention of clients should have a website. A survey conducted by the ABA showed that 87% of law firms in the U.S. have a website, which is a drop from 94% in 2021, but it’s still a good number. A significant percentage of law firms that are less likely to have a website are the smallest ones, those with 2 to 9 lawyers.
Law firm websites offer noteworthy benefits. For starters, with the advancement of technology, most people search for lawyers on search engines, such as Google and Microsoft Bing.
A client is likely to type their particular problem on a search engine, like “how to file for divorce in (City/State)” or simply type “lawyer near me,” “lawyers close to me,” or “find me a lawyer.” A law firm with a website will be more advantaged in such an instance than one without.
Additionally, a website allows a lawyer to build a brand and boost their credibility. Today, having an online presence is currency. When a lawyer is visible, they create a trustworthy community to which they provide knowledge. The chances of one or two people turning into a customer or referring the attorney to someone who needs legal services are high.
But how can one get such visibility when thousands of law firms have a website? Through search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO for lawyers encompasses different elements, including using the right keywords, creating informative content, link-building, tracking results, and so on. SEO strategies help a law firm’s website rank higher on search engines. Accordingly, when someone searches for a lawyer online, they are likely to come across the website.
Nonetheless, content and website navigability can make the potential client stick around or leave the website before taking any action. A lawyer should manage their website professionally so that someone sticks around long enough to be converted into a customer.
Social Media Platforms
It’s becoming common for people to find lawyers through social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. These platforms have millions of active users, which makes them great tools for lawyers. A good number of these millions are always looking for legal services.
However, unlike websites where a client can find a lawyer by typing relevant terms, lawyers need to make the first moves on social media. These include creating engaging content, building relationships with followers (commenting on posts and offering relevant knowledge), using hashtags (which work as keywords in SEO), and using visuals.
Once a lawyer understands the best way to optimize their social media pages, they can benefit substantially from them.
Clients get lawyers in different ways. As a lawyer, it’s crucial to ensure you are available on enough platforms. Writing Queendom can offer you quality content for your website and social media platforms to catch the attention of clients and analyze your results to track your success and determine what works and what should be changed.