Heather O'Connor went from surviving an abusive marriage to building a $6.5M high-conflict family law firm with 12 attorneys. In this episode, she shares how her personal story became her brand, why non-attorney salespeople protect her team, and the one bad hire that almost derailed everything. Plus, the exact moment she knew she had to choose between being a litigator and being a CEO.

Empirical360 co-founders, Elliot and Erik hold nothing back in this Fun with Founders segment. They break down why copying personal injury intake systems is killing your conversions, how borrowed KPIs from coaching groups can grow you out of business, and whether chasing high-net-worth clients is actually the right play for your firm. Plus—the toxic "screening culture" that's silently repelling the clients you want.

Can a non-attorney really close a $10,000 family law retainer—without the client ever speaking to a lawyer first?

Allyson Swanson does it every day.

In this episode, the Client Acquisition Manager at Hembree Bell Law breaks down exactly how her team—with backgrounds in beauty sales, hot tubs, tech, and teaching—consistently closes family law clients without any legal experience.

Allyson walks through her entire case evaluation process, including:

1. The three-option close that gets buy-in before price comes up
2. How to handle legal questions without giving legal advice
3. Red flags that signal a bad-fit client
4. Her 3-week training system for new salespeople

Whether you're considering hiring your first non-attorney salesperson or improving your current intake process, this episode delivers a real-world blueprint from someone who's been on both sides—as a divorce client and as the person helping others through it.

Most family law firms operate without ever knowing whether their marketing and sales efforts are actually working. In this episode of the Family Law Growth Podcast, Elliot and Erik break down the Family Law Sales & Marketing Industry Benchmark Report and explain why benchmarks are the difference between scaling confidently and burning money in the dark.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Get your FREE copy of The Family Law Sales & Marketing Industry Benchmark report: https://marketing.empirical360.com/family-law-sales-marketing-benchmark-report

Hannah Hembree Bell shares the unfiltered truth about growing Hembree Bell Law Firm from a $10,000 loan to a 50-person team. Learn how she hired non-attorney salespeople, transitioned out of practicing law despite her name being on the door, and broke through the revenue plateau that traps most family law firms. If you're struggling to break through your revenue ceiling and delegate, Hannah's "who not how" approach and fail-forward mentality will show you the way out.

Empirical360 founders, Elliot and Erik secretly call family law firms to expose how broken intake processes are costing firms millions. Through live calls, they reveal the shocking mistakes firms make in the first 60 seconds—dropping scary prices, missing empathy cues, and failing to book appointments 90% of the time.

The eye-opening stat: prospects spend just 43 seconds on your website but over 6 minutes on intake calls. Yet most firms are completely dropping the ball at this critical touchpoint.

Listen to real examples of what NOT to do, then hear the right way to handle intake calls. Fixing this one thing can 5X your firm's growth.

If you're burning $150 per lead with low conversion rates, this tactical episode will show you exactly what's going wrong—and how to fix it.

Mark Reel built Inc.'s fastest-growing law firm in America in just 4.5 years—from his one-bedroom apartment to a $20M run rate with 85 employees.

In this episode, Mark shares his unfiltered playbook: the 18-month grind of working every single day without a break, his counterintuitive hiring strategy, and why he pays non-attorneys $120K+ to close cases using an intake system that converts at 80-85%.

He also reveals his biggest failures—like burning $30K on marketing that generated just 2 leads—and the exact tactics he used to break through the "messy middle" that keeps most firms stuck between $500K-$5M.

Whether you're scaling from six to seven figures or seven to eight, this episode is packed with actionable strategies you can implement immediately.

In this insightful episode, Angela Jones, founder of Brighter Day Law, shares her journey scaling not one, but two successful family law firms across Colorado and Tennessee. Angela dives deep into the challenges and strategies behind managing multiple locations, creating tailored growth and marketing plans, and building a client-centered referral system grounded in exceptional service and intentional feedback.

Learn how Angela uses systems, training, and a unique sales process focused on client-fit—not just closing—to attract the right cases and foster raving fans.

Whether you’re breaking the million-dollar mark or looking to scale with integrity and purpose, this episode offers practical wisdom on transforming your practice into a thriving business.

Connect with Angela and Brighter Day Law at brighterdaylaw.com

In this episode of the Family Law Growth Podcast, Bob Tharp, co-founder of Meriwether & Tharp—a family law firm in Georgia with over 20 years of experience and multiple locations—shares candid insights on building and scaling a successful family law practice. From overcoming early struggles and mastering SEO-driven marketing to cultivating a strong referral network and developing a winning intake and sales process, Bob dives deep into practical tactics that have fueled consistent eight-figure revenue growth. Whether you’re stuck at the referral plateau or ready to take your practice statewide, Bob’s advice will inspire you to think bigger and build smarter.

You can connect with Meriwether & Tharp at mtlawoffice.com.

In this first-ever episode, we sit down with Christy A. Zlatkus, CEO and founding attorney of Z Family Law—a powerhouse family law and estate planning firm in the D.C. area. Christy shares how she went from a one-woman operation to running a multimillion-dollar law firm with over 20 team members and a brand that's instantly recognizable. We get into the real stuff: how she gets consistent referrals without asking, why her firm’s "client care" approach makes them unforgettable, the mindset shift that finally got her out of legal production, and the key hires that helped her scale. If you’re a law firm owner who wants to grow and make an impact, this episode is packed with insights you can actually use.

Connect with Christy:

Instagram: @zfamily.law

Facebook: Z Family Law, LLC

Website: zfamilylaw.com