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Law Firms Are Failing at Marketing and Client Engagement

New advancements in AI automation could mean that law firms will need more clients—and this is especially true for firms focused on growth. To assess how well firms are equipped to engage clients when they reach out, we put them to the test.

We hired a third-party research company to assess what it’s like finding a lawyer in 2024. The study involved reaching out to 500 law firms via email and phone with a client inquiry.

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  • CH3 Icon Get Hold of 1

    Lawyers are hard to get hold of

    48% of firms were unreachable by phone

  • CH3 Icon Referrals 1

    Firms are losing out on referrals

    73% of shoppers wouldn’t recommend the firm they spoke to

  • CH3 Icon Tech Forward 1

    Tech-forward firms see big gains

    Using client-facing technologies saw 52% more revenue

“Many law firms aren’t offering the customer experience that prospective clients are looking for.”

  • Chapter 3 1

    Lawyers don’t pick up the phone

    Of all the law firms phoned, our shoppers reached just 52%—and only 40% picked up when called.

    In total, 48% of law firms were unreachable by phone, even after giving them the chance to respond to messages.

  • Chapter 3 2

    Email responsiveness has much room to improve

    Of all the law firms that shoppers reached out to by email, just 33% responded, highlighting a major gap in client communications—and a major opportunity to better meet client needs.

“Just under one-third of shoppers found the process of finding law firm information to be seamless, and even fewer said they received outstanding customer service.”

Information is hard to come by

In phone conversations, just 41% offered rate information, only 12% could provide an estimate of total cost, and only 36% could explain the process and next steps.

With email, only 18% answered questions on next steps or expected costs, and only 2% referenced similar legal situations that shoppers asked for.

Shoppers aren’t likely to recommend the law firms they speak with

When shoppers were able to connect with a law firm, 73% of them were unlikely to recommend the ones they spoke with—which shows how poor client experiences can hurt future business.

Websites don’t provide much information, either

From a firm’s website, only 30% of shoppers could easily understand the process of hiring a law firm and just 14% could find pricing information.

  • Chapter 3 6

    Client-facing technologies improve leads and revenue

    We compared several key business metrics between firms using certain client-facing technologies and those not. Those that did earned twice as many leads and twice as much revenue.

“As technology advances and client expectations evolve, law firms must prioritise client engagement strategies—focusing on responsiveness and information—to stay competitive.”

Read more into how law firms can improve their client marketing and engagement

Download the full analysis on law firm marketing and engagement to get:

  • Performance metrics across all channels included in our study
  • Detailed insights into what clients look for when hiring a lawyer
  • Insights into what technologies boost performance, based on data from tens of thousands of legal professionals
  • And much more…
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    • The future of AI adoption
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    • What it’s really like hiring a lawyer
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FAQs

How do clients choose law firms?

Clients choose a law firm based on a range of factors that often include service experiences, reputation, and client reviews, but also based on their overall experience in dealing with the firm. Factors such as response time, communication skills, and pricing information can all have a dramatic influence on client preference.

What do clients value the most in law firms?

More than anything, clients want to know that law firms are committed to providing a level of service that is responsive and helps them accomplish their goals. This all rolls up into what’s known as a “client-centred experience.”

How do law firms find clients?

Referrals and reviews are important drivers for law firms looking to find new clients. That’s why building a reputation and earning the trust of potential clients who reach out are so important to law firms. By providing the types of interactions and experiences that clients are looking for, firms can reinforce their brand and win more business over the long-term.

Legal Trends Report published by Clio

The Legal Trends Report provides information on the most important issues faced within the legal profession. By analyzing aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of legal professionals in the US, supported by extensive survey research, the report offers unique insights into law firm efficiencies, hourly rates, and other key metrics for success.