Are you concerned that your family law firm will stagnate in today’s fast-changing world? Do you struggle to be innovative?
The key to a thriving practice is small micro-innovations that compound over time, not big, seismic innovations.
I describe below how family law firms can innovate their practice over time—even lawyers who don’t consider themselves innovative or creative.
Why Innovation Is Hard for Family Law Firms
First, in our profession, precedent controls everything. It’s all-powerful.
Our whole profession is structurally designed to resist innovation. Law schools, state bars, and the courts are all set up to resist change.
That’s just how our system of laws works.
Conversely, innovation is a weakness that pushes against precedent and mostly loses. It’s no match for precedent.
A second reason law innovation is hard is that practicing lawyers don’t have much margin of time to think about innovating. We are super busy being lawyers. Our businesses are also our daily jobs.
We have to work and keep the cash flowing, the lights on, and our families fed.
That’s why innovation in family law is an order of magnitude harder than big law with their big budgets and leadership structures.
Sterling Lawyers’ Innovation Journey
When Tony Karls and I started Sterling Lawyers ten years ago, innovation was woven into our DNA and our foundation, manifested in our core value of “embrace and drive change.”
We started the firm with an innovation mindset.
Along the way, we have had some winners and losers.
Innovation Winners
1. Fixed Fee System
We don’t do any hourly billing. It took us years to figure out how to sell it and serve clients this way. We’ve built sales programs like “Consult College” to teach our team how to provide value in the consulting room, listen with empathy, and connect with clients.
2. Proactive Case Management Systems
We developed a process where attorneys and paralegals have a weekly review structured workflow for every client, rating clients on where they’re at and plotting out tasks for upcoming events. This system gets cases over quickly, delighting clients.
3. Non-Lawyer Webinars
We’ve had success with webinars run by non-lawyers, which have been a great source of new clients. This also allows us to help those who aren’t ready or have challenges with our fees.
4. Google Maps Innovation
We successfully managed our presence on Google Maps, which was a significant driver of our success in years two through five.
5. Net Promoter Score Implementation
We implemented the NPS at multiple stages across the lifespan of a client. This informs us where to focus on client service efforts. Today, our scores beat Disney and Apple despite the fact that we are in the hard world of divorce.
6. AI Tools
We have ongoing innovation in how we’re using AI tools to serve clients, either in communication with clients or document preparation.
7. Attorney Competency Matrix
We developed a matrix to objectively evaluate attorney progress and give them a roadmap for advancement.
8. Product Development
We’ve created products like Sterling Resolve (AI-enhanced help for pro se clients) and Strategy Sessions that clients can purchase before committing to full representation.
9. Transparency to Prospective Clients
We put all our individual attorney reviews—good, bad, and neutral—on their attorney website page. This builds trust with potential clients and has been really positive.
10. International Team Members
About a third of our teammates are international, which has expanded our pool of high-level talent and improved efficiency.
Innovation Failures
Of course, we’ve had plenty of stinkers. Most of my innovation ideas are terrible. Here are some notable ones:
- We spent a ton of money building a mediation system and website called “Simple Path Forward,” which got almost no traction. Total failure.
- I’ve tried dozens and dozens of tactics to improve our sales process, including an advanced research system on potential clients that simply didn’t work.
- We’ve spent millions on building our backend CRM through Salesforce when we probably could have built something on our own for a fraction of the cost.
Why Innovation Matters Now
The world is moving very quickly. The speed of technological and cultural change is creating pressure in the legal space to innovate.
Every family law firm needs to put mindshare toward efficiency improvements in their practice.
These are not about big, creative swings. I’m talking about steady improvements by family lawyers who are practicing.
Be aware. At this moment, there are family law firms quietly integrating AI into their document preparation, building automated systems for routine tasks, and creating digital client communication platforms.
These firms are getting better .1% at a time.
If you wait around and don’t think about these small improvements in your firm, you’ll find yourself vulnerable down the road.
