Family law marketing, paid per consultation and signed case
Divorce and custody clients search in a hurry and sign with the firm that answers. We run paid search, local SEO and an intake system for family-law firms in Sarasota and Manatee County, and bill on consultations and signed cases.
Family law has expensive clicks, an urgent client and a sales process that lives at the intake desk. A $90 click that reaches voicemail is the most expensive thing a firm can buy. Our engine is built around intake: a 5-minute response standard, consult booking on the first call, call tracking and scripts, and marketing fees tied to consultations held and cases signed rather than to clicks.
We run practice-area campaigns (divorce, custody, modification, paternity, prenuptial), landing pages that match the search and set expectations on consultation fees, local SEO for attorney and practice-area terms across both counties, a review program that respects bar rules, and attribution in Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase or the intake CRM we provide. The fee structure is a marketing fee tied to measured outcomes, not a referral fee; have your firm review it against Rule 4-7.
A real engine we run for a client in this business type. Markets differ; the model is the same.
Where the demand is in Sarasota and Manatee County
Family-law demand is steady across both counties, with the highest volume in Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, North Port and Lakewood Ranch. The Sarasota and Manatee courthouses define the market; clients search by city and by issue. Searches spike in January and again in late summer, and after holidays. High-asset divorce concentrates in Sarasota, Longboat Key, Siesta Key and Lakewood Ranch; custody and modification volume is highest in Bradenton, Palmetto and North Port.
Top searches: "divorce attorney Sarasota", "family law attorney Bradenton", "child custody lawyer Sarasota", "divorce lawyer Venice FL", "divorce lawyer near me". Cost-of-divorce and process questions are the content that ranks and that AI assistants cite.
The billable event: consultation held (and signed case, if you prefer)
One event, defined in writing before launch, with a rejection policy you control.
Counts
- A prospective client with a matter in your practice areas and jurisdiction completes a consultation (paid or free, per your model), logged in your intake system with source attached.
- Optionally, a signed retainer at a second fee tier.
Does not count
- Matters outside your practice areas or jurisdiction, conflicts, and existing clients.
- No-shows.
- Calls your desk did not answer or return within the agreed window (flagged, not billed, and fixed).
The economics, illustrated
Illustrative ranges for family law businesses in this market. We size the fee to your own ticket, margin and close rate on the fit call.
| Metric | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Average retainer | $3,500 – $7,500 |
| Average case value | $6,000 – $20,000 |
| Consultations per signed case | 3 – 4 |
| Value of one consultation (expected revenue) | $1,500 – $4,000 |
| Fee range per consultation held | $150 – $400 |
The playbook: Appointment Engine for family law
- Paid search: Practice-area campaigns with call tracking, consult-fee messaging and after-hours routing.
- Local SEO: Attorney bios, practice-area pages that answer cost and process, and city pages for Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice and North Port.
- Reviews: Client review requests written to comply with Florida Bar advertising rules.
- Intake: Call scripts, missed-call text-back, consult booking on the first call and a 5-minute standard. We listen to calls monthly.
- Attribution: Consultations and signed cases in Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase or the CRM we provide.
What we need from you
- Attorney capacity for 10 to 30 consultations a month.
- An intake person or service that answers live during business hours.
- A practice-management system we can read for consult and retainer status.
- Your firm's sign-off on the fee agreement under Florida Bar rules.
Who qualifies
Questions family law businesses ask us
Our agreement is a marketing-services fee measured by outcomes, not a referral fee or fee-splitting, and it is structured to sit within Rule 4-7 and the lawyer referral rules. We provide the agreement for your firm's review and will adjust to your ethics counsel's guidance.
Both. Paid consultations produce fewer, better-qualified meetings; the fee per consultation is set accordingly.
After-hours calls route to an answering service or our intake desk with consult booking, so a Friday-night inquiry is on the calendar for Monday.
No. One firm per practice area per market, because we would be bidding against ourselves.
