Scalable Law Podcast

By Caralee FonteneleBusiness Entrepreneurship Education How To Marketing

Scalable Law Podcast episodes

June 22, 2023 The 6 Important Things You Need to Consider at EOFY! (127)
Welcome to another episode of the Scalable Law Podcast and I’m thrilled to connect with you this June!
Here in Australia, we're at the crucial juncture of the financial year, a period where reflection and strategy come together --- EOFY!
Regardless if you're a seasoned law firm owner or a beginner in your first year of business, it's key to assess the past year's performance. This retrospective view isn't just an EOFY task; it's an essential step to set realistic goals and map out your firm's future.
In today's episode, we'll explore vital areas you should review as this financial year concludes.
Our goal is to help you strategise effectively for the new financial year ahead, ensuring your law firm continues its trajectory of success. So, let's dive right in.
1. Robust Financial Planning
As the financial year ends, it's crucial to reassess and refine your business strategies. This includes budgeting for the next year and strategising for potential financial downturns, ensuring your firm's growth is backed by a solid financial foundation.
2. Investment in Technology
To be a competitive law firm in the digital age, investment in cutting-edge technology is essential. This includes legal software, cybersecurity, cloud services, and digital marketing tools, all of which can significantly improve your firm's productivity and client service.
3. Staff Development and Retention
Your employees are your greatest assets. Prioritise their growth through continuous professional development opportunities. A happy, skilled workforce is critical in building a thriving law firm.
4. Marketing and Client Acquisition
Develop a comprehensive marketing strategy to attract new clients and retain existing ones. Utilise a mix of traditional and digital marketing tactics such as SEO, content marketing, social media marketing, and email campaigns.
5. Review Your Firm's KPIs
Assessing your firm's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is essential to understand how well your strategies are performing. Analyse these metrics, draw actionable insights, and implement necessary changes to ensure continual improvement and growth.
6. Legal Compliance and Risk Management
EOFY is a perfect time to review your firm's compliance with legal regulations and reassess your risk management strategies. Mitigating potential risks can protect your firm from unexpected losses and maintain a good reputation in the market.

The EOFY period provides a tremendous opportunity to reconsider all these aspects and position your law firm for continued success in the coming year. Remember, planning is the first step towards success, so take this time to strategically plan and prepare for the next financial year.
Embrace the start of a new financial year—it's a chance for a fresh beginning. While we cannot change the past year, we can certainly learn from it, using those experiences to make the upcoming year even more successful.
If you don’t want to do this alone, join me and other fellow law firm owners at the SCALABLE BUSINESS LOUNGE, we'd love to have you on board to achieve your ideal life as a law firm owner. Let’s create more profit and FREEDOM!
In the next episode of our podcast, we'll talk about 'law firm owner happiness' – intriguing right? So, stay tuned for that!
I hope Today's discussion has provided you with valuable insights and I eagerly await our next meeting on the Scalable Law Podcast.
CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
21 min
June 11, 2023 How Google My Business Can Help Your Law Firm (Ep 126)
I'm sure you've heard of Google My Business, or maybe you've seen it in action when you've searched for a business online. It's that box that pops up on the right-hand side of the search results page, providing a snapshot of a business’s information. But have you ever thought about how this tool can be applied to your law firm?
I bet many of you haven’t, and I get it. As a law firm, you might be more focused on the legal services you provide, thinking less about your online presence or digital marketing. But here's the thing: we're living in a digital era where most people rely on online searches to find services, including legal services.
Google My Business is a crucial tool in making your law firm visible and attractive to potential clients. It allows you to manage your online presence across Google, including Search and Maps.
Imagine this, a potential client is in need of legal services in your area. They're likely to type in "law firm near me" or something along those lines into Google. If your firm has an optimized GMB profile, it could be one of the first ones they see, complete with your business hours, services, location, and reviews. This can make a big difference in whether they choose your law firm or keep scrolling.
One of the key aspects of Google My Business is the ability to collect and showcase customer reviews. Let's be honest, reviews matter. According to a recent survey, 84% of people trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation. So, having a platform where your satisfied clients can easily leave positive feedback can greatly enhance your firm's reputation.
And it's not just about collecting positive reviews. Google My Business also gives you the opportunity to respond to reviews, demonstrating your commitment to client satisfaction and further building trust with potential clients.
But there's more! You can also use Google My Business to post updates, share photos, and even offer promotional deals. This keeps your profile fresh and encourages interaction from potential clients. For instance, sharing photos of your team can give your firm a human face, helping potential clients to feel more comfortable reaching out.
Setting up a Google My Business profile is pretty straightforward, but to fully utilise its potential, you need to ensure it's fully optimised. This means filling out all the necessary information, including your firm's name, address, phone number, website, and hours of operation. It's also important to select the correct category for your business and to regularly update your profile with fresh content.
Remember, the purpose of Google My Business is to make your law firm more visible and attractive to potential clients. To do this, you need to keep your profile up-to-date, respond to reviews, post regularly, and, most importantly, provide excellent legal services that will earn you those glowing reviews.
So, if you haven't yet explored Google My Business, I urge you to do so. It's a small step that could greatly impact your law firm's success.
Well, that's it for this episode. I hope you found it informative. Remember, the digital world is full of opportunities for your law firm – you just have to take advantage of them.
This has been Caralee Fontenele for "Scalable Law" Until next time, keep pushing those boundaries!
ALSO…
I'd like to extend an exciting opportunity for all of you who want to take your law firm to the next level.
I run a program called the Scalable Business Lounge, which provides live coaching for law firm owners looking to grow and scale their businesses. When you join SBL, you're not just getting guidance and advice - you're getting me, Caralee Fontenele, as your coach, and you're also joining a community of incredible law firm owners who are sharing their experiences with you every step of the way.
If you're a go-getter, if you're committed to creating a change and making a huge impact in your law firm, then I encourage you to join us at the Scalable Business Lounge.
And for those of you who want to learn more about marketing strategies for your firm, I have a FREE MASTERCLASS available for lawyers and law firm owners. In this Masterclass, I share how to implement a 3-pronged marketing approach across three different marketing funnels. It's a game-changer, folks.
It's the time to move forward, push those boundaries and strive for success. The tools are here, the community is here, and I'm here ready to help. You can find more details about SBL and the Masterclass in the description of this podcast.
So, are you ready to take that leap?

CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
27 min
June 01, 2023Upleveling the Customer Experience in Your Law Firm: 7 Strategies for Success (Ep 125)
In today's competitive legal landscape, delivering an exceptional customer experience is vital for attracting and retaining clients.
We're diving into the nitty-gritty of delivering a seamless, personalised, and efficient experience that is sure to create outstanding client satisfaction. Get ready to learn strategies for up-levelling the customer experience in your law firm and taking your success to new heights!
Join me as we explore 7 strategies to take your customer experience to new heights, ensuring long-term success and growth for your law firm.
1. Understand Your Clients:
Listen. Gain deep insights into your client's needs, goals, and expectations. Understanding your clients on a personal level enables you to tailor your services and exceed their expectations.
Utilise surveys,
client interviews, and
feedback mechanisms to gather valuable information.
2. Implement Effective Communication Channels:
Open and transparent communication is the foundation of an exceptional customer experience. Respond promptly, provide regular updates, and maintain clear and concise communication throughout the legal process.
Provide various communication channels such as :
phone,
email,
live chat, and
video conferencing to cater to client preferences.
3. Personalise the Client Journey:
Create personalised experiences that make clients feel valued and understood. Utilise client relationship management (CRM) systems to track interactions, preferences, and specific requirements.
Leverage this data to customise communication:
offer tailored legal advice,
provide proactive solutions and
Small things like getting to know them and their family members (e.g. children)
4. Streamline Processes and Simplify Legal Language:
Simplify complex legal processes and communicate clearly and avoid legal jargon.
Ensure clients grasp the information without confusion.
Clearly explain legal steps, set realistic expectations,
Provide regular progress updates.
Transparency and education build trust and confidence.
5. Optimise Technology and Automation:
Up-level your legal tech! Embrace technology to enhance the customer experience. Invest in a robust case management system that automates routine tasks, streamlines workflows, and enables self-service options.
Offer online document sharing and e-signature capabilities to simplify paperwork.
Leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning tools for research and document analysis.
Client-friendly scheduling apps
6. Foster a Client-Centric Culture:
Clients are our Law Firm’s OXYGEN. Create a culture that prioritises exceptional customer service. A client-centric mindset is the key to success.
Emphasise the importance of Client Satisfaction with your team
Train your team on effective communication, active listening, and empathy.
Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, ensuring all team members are aligned to provide outstanding service.
7. Regularly Seek and Act on Client Feedback:
Seek client feedback to gain insights into areas for improvement. Implement mechanisms such as surveys or feedback forms.
Actively address concerns and use feedback as a catalyst for process enhancements, training initiatives, or technological upgrades.
Continuously strive to elevate the customer experience.
By implementing strategies to understand your clients, improve communication, personalise their journey, streamline processes, leverage technology, foster a client-centric culture, and seek feedback, you'll differentiate your law firm and build strong client relationships. Prioritising an exceptional customer experience sets the foundation for success and growth. Elevate your law firm, delight your clients, and make a lasting impact in the legal industry.
It does require the combination of implementing these 7 strategies to stand out from the competition and build great client relations!
If you're ready to take your law firm's marketing to new heights, I invite you to join SCALABLE BUSINESS LOUNGE an online program and business community, where you'll gain access to exclusive resources, expert coaching, and a supportive network of like-minded law firm owners.
As an added bonus, don't miss our free MASTERCLASS "How Law Firms Are Getting Clients Without Referrals" Register now and supercharge your business growth.
Also, we have developed a NEW PROGRAM at Scalable Law for the million-dollar-plus firms called, Law Firm Accelerator.
I am offering a program and a portal full of templates that will solve all of the issues preventing you from taking your firm to the next level.
If your firm has revenue of one million dollars per year or more and you resonate with working too much in your firm and feeling exhausted, this is for you!
Doors are open for the Law Firm Accelerator Program!
You can book a strategy call with me this week to find out more here - Book a Strategy Call
CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
26 min
May 16, 2023 How Lawyers are Using ChatGPT (Ep 124)
It's great to be back!
I have to admit that I've been a little slack on the podcast recording lately.
The year is just flying by, and each week seems to disappear before I know it. But I'm back on it now because there's been so much happening out there that I want to share with you.
In April, I went to South Africa for an EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization) conference, it's a business group that I'm a part of. I'm actually on the board of EO Queensland, so I was excited to attend this leadership conference with board members from all over the world. We had about 1500 people in attendance, and it was truly a fantastic experience.
While in South Africa, I also went on a safari tour with 17 other EO board members from around the world. I met all sorts of interesting business owners, including a lady who owned a brewery and another chap who owned an advertising agency that creates ads for big names like Apple, Facebook, and the Super Bowl. We had an amazing time driving along the garden route and going on safari.
At the conference, the topic of AI kept coming up again and again, particularly Chat GPT. Chat GPT is an automated or artificial intelligence that can answer questions or write information for you in just seconds.
It's truly amazing. This technology has been unfolding over the last few months, and it's potentially going to affect law firms or how law firms can use it.
As a law firm owner, I'm interested in exploring how we can use chat GPT to improve our practices. It's a language model that can help us in a variety of ways, from automating routine tasks to answering client questions more efficiently. Chat GPT is an AI language model developed by OpenAI, and it's trained on a massive amount of text data to generate human-like responses to prompts and natural language.
I'm excited to dive deeper into this topic because I believe it's only going to become more prevalent in the way we run our law firms. So stay tuned for more on how chat GPT can benefit your law firm.
CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
21 min
March 27, 2023What It Takes to Scale Beyond 1 Million per Year (Ep 123)
If you’re a law firm owner already at the level where you’ve hit your $700k mark, and you find yourself seemingly stuck and can't break through, then this podcast is for you.
I am ready to deliver the goods and show you how I have got past the million-dollar per year of revenue and beyond and how I have created a business that:
Doesn’t rely on me;
And does require me to work in the firm all the time; I currently work 10 hours a week. (I made myself redundant! Ha!)
Inside the Scalable Business Lounge is a community of law firm owners keen to grow their firms, and I share with them how to do this with the 3-pronged law firm marketing strategy to create more PROFIT and FREEDOM.
I recognised that there are two groups of law firm owners that need help:
The Startup to hiring its first few team members. These law firm owners are amping up their revenue, gaining predictability and reducing stress in terms of worry about where their next client is coming from.
The firms that are doing 80k revenue plus per month and have a team. These law firm owners have the revenue coming but they often don’t have the structure, systems and automation in place. They are feeling exhausted, and they need to up-level their leadership skills as they are growing more extensive teams. They need to step up as the CEO and visionary in their firm (and be able to take a holiday.)
I know the latter’s position as I have been through this myself and it is a stumbling block and for many, they can never grow past this point.
I know this all too well because my firm became stuck at the $1.2 Million annual revenue for several years.
Here are some mistakes I made that kept my firm stuck:
Leadership issues - I wasn’t the leader I needed to be. It’s a growth journey.
Systems and processes issue - Nothing was systemised, and everyone was coming to me to ask me questions which kept me too busy to grow or take a break.
Team framework issue - No sustainable team structure within the firm makes it impossible to grow.
Now, for the exciting news!
We have developed a NEW PROGRAM at Scalable Law for the million-dollar-plus firms called, Law Firm Accelerator.
I am offering a program and a portal full of templates that will solve all of the issues preventing you from taking your firm to the next level.
My promise is that you will 10x your investment in the program and reduce your working hours to 20 hours a week in 12 months. And if I don’t, I will keep working with you until you do.
And YES, it can work in any practice area as this is about running your law firm and getting each department systemised so that your firm can run without you, the law firm owner.
This is the exciting offer in this new program:
Get your law firm fully systemised using our done-for-you SOP library.
Scalable Team Framework - my secret on how I get my team to work like a well-oiled machine, with the right people in their right seats.
Law Firm Leadership - where we offer a law firm leadership blueprint and this is going to help you up-level your role as a leader in your law firm.
All of these are necessary to grow your firm to the next level.
If your firm has revenue of one million dollars per year or more and you resonate with working too much in your firm and feeling exhausted, this is for you!
The truth is…. If you can not grow your firm, it is because YOU can’t grow your firm, and you may need some tools, learnings and support to get you there.
Doors are open for the Law Firm Accelerator Program!
You can book a strategy call with me this week to find out more here - Book a Strategy Call

CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
21 min
March 21, 2023This One Strategy Can Bring More Clients (Ep 122)
Today the podcast is about a strategy that I love - AUTOMATED LEAD MAGNET Funnels!
You know what I’m talking about because you have probably downloaded something yourself like this, but you might never have thought that you could use this strategy in your law firm!
It is a really great marketing strategy that can bring more of your ideal clients into your law practice.
Completely automated- so you are getting new leads without doing anything;
It is not overly expensive once you’ve got your email campaigns set up;
You only need a small tech stack to get started.
You will start building a relationship with your ideal clients immediately, and they will get to know, like and trust you.
You will have clients come through the door in two ways:
Immediately because they need your service now;
In times when clients need your service or people who will refer work to you.
What is the reason you started your law firm in the first place?
I imagine that for most people, we’ve started law firms because we want to…
Create a greater impact, doing law differently from what we’ve come up through
Create more freedom for yourself so that you can spend more time with your family or do more of what you love.
And to make more profit, we never really go into our law firms thinking that we will be poor or make less money than we used to make as employed solicitors.
A lead magnet funnel can be really helpful in many ways. There are many benefits to having one or many set up in your law firm. Here are a few reasons that this style of marketing can benefit your law firm:
Grow your mailing list so that you are building a relationship with more leads that can convert to ideal clients.
It is an automated way of bringing quality leads into your law firm.
When leads become clients, they are hot and feel like they already know you.
It helps you to stand out as a key person in your legal field.
Where should you have your law firm lead magnet?
There are many places where you can offer your law firm a lead magnet. Some places are going to be more effective than others depending on how much traffic your firm gets organically or on paid traffic.
Here are some ideas on where you can drive traffic to your lead magnet:
Share the lead magnet offer on social media posts to get people to sign up, download your lead magnet, then go into your email list and you can start emailing them weekly or a few times a week.
Have a button on your website in multiple spots. Rather than a lead visiting your website and then never returning, get them to sign up for your mailing list via your law firm's lead magnet. Then you can keep adding value to them through your mailing list.
Finally paid ads will help you to get your lead magnet downloaded many times and increase the leads that you have on your mailing list. Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are all great places to do paid ads leading to your lead magnet.
To make your law firm lead magnet marketing funnel even better, follow up with an automated email sequence that goes out to your new leads for 30 - 60 days.
There are more opportunities attached to having a lead magnet than what meets the eye. Something that works really well is to send them to a landing page where your new hot lead can phone you to make an initial appointment, video, podcast or join a relevant Facebook group that you may run.
If you would love to implement this marketing strategy in your law firm inside the SCALABLE BUSINESS LOUNGE, I show you step-by-step how to set it up. You could have this set up and bring in clients in less than a few houses. One legal client that you attract for your lead magnet funnel can pay for your entire SBL membership.
One of the lawyers in the group recently implemented this strategy and in the 1st week, she retained 8 new clients from her lead magnet.
There’s so much value there if you love to join the Scalable Business Lounge don’t hesitate to contact me I would love to have you there I love helping everyone and we need to thrive together to make more impact as law firm owners and people in the law so I would to have you there Have a great week I will hear from you soon.
You can also check out my FREE MASTERCLASS for lawyers and law firm owners, where I share How to implement a three-pronged marketing approach across three different marketing funnels.

CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
15 min
March 16, 2023Why You Should Test and Measure Your Marketing (EP 121)
In this episode, I am talking about one of my favourite topics! — Testing and measuring metrics in your law firm and why it’s so important!
I’ve talked to many law firm owners and most people aren’t testing and measuring their marketing or collecting data. Law firm owners should be collecting data and using the data to understand the metrics because it will prevent them from potentially throwing money away and not getting the results they desire with their marketing.
Testing and measuring the success of your marketing campaigns to see how your law firm's campaigns are tracking towards your law firm’s KPI or your goals is essential for your law firm's success.
To know for certain what you spend on each marketing activity and what the outcome of that spend is really important. It enables you to stop guessing and start running your business based on facts.
In my view, the only reason to spend money on marketing is to get a return on your investment. Marketing should be an investment rather than an expense, but how do you know if you do not measure it?
If you don’t test and measure your law firm's marketing activities you are exposing your firm to:
Spending money on activities that don’t produce results;
Putting effort and time into marketing campaigns but not knowing if they are worthwhile;
Having uncertainty and unpredictability in the firm, which causes stress and makes decisions making difficult; and
Not knowing what marketing works best for your law firm's market and where to focus your time and money.
There are two types of marketing that you can do, one is easier to test and measure than the other:
Branding - It can be hard to measure your branding style marketing but it is important that you still do activities that can help elevate your brand. It is suggested that only 20% of your marketing efforts and budget go into branding activities.
Direct Sales - You should be able to test and measure all your direct marketing such as paid ads, lead magnets, web conversions, radio, organic marketing and referral marketing.
So, here’s why testing and measuring are so important in creating more PROFIT and FREEDOM!
You know what marketing works! I have been collecting data and testing and measuring marketing activities in my law firm since 2016. Implementing this strategy has made a HUGE impact on my profit as I am not wasting money on random marketing.
No more guessing games! When you test and measure your marketing you are working on facts rather than your gut instincts. When we don’t have the facts we can end up throwing money out there on different law firm marketing strategies and seeing what sticks. This can be wasteful, painful and time-consuming.
Allows you to save money - It made a huge difference to my profit margin because now I know what marketing activities give me the best bang for my buck. I don’t need to spend so much money or time on marketing that doesn’t work for my firm.
Quality Leads - By capturing data you can tweak your marketing activities to get quality leads into your firm.
Making your law firm revenue very predictable - When you collect data you will be able to work out how many phone calls convert to paying clients. You can also dig deeper and break down how each team member converts, and which marketing activity converts better. Further, you can calculate each of your different types of marketing activities to find out what the cost is to retain a client from each source.
It gives you power and certainty - Nothing is left to guess, and you are now in control of your marketing outcomes.
The bottom point is — Everything becomes super simple and predictable!!!
Implementing it is really simple and can be done in a few steps.
This is what we teach you at the SCALABLE BUSINESS LOUNGE.
We really get into it and there is an entire module around data and how to test and measure. It allows you to save money and aim your marketing efforts in the right direction, allowing you to tweak the processes in your marketing.
At SBL we help you step by step how to:
How to Attract Your Ideal Client
Test and measure all of your data
Systemise and automate your business where it doesn’t need you anymore.
SBL is an online program where we do live coaching. So, you get ME to help you grow your business and a whole community of incredible law firm owners sharing their experiences with you on the ride.
You can also check out my FREE MASTERCLASS for lawyers and law firm owners where I share How to implement 3 pronged marketing approach across three different marketing funnels.
If you are a go-getter and you want to create a change and make a huge impact in scaling your law firm then join me at the Scalable Business Lounge.

CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
19 min
February 24, 2023Picking Practice Management Software For your Firm (120)
So… Are you going out on your own?
If you are starting up or planning to start up your firm this podcast is for you.
Being a solo- practitioner is where we all start. It can be a scary move, but it is well worthwhile!
When you’re starting your firm, you want to be focused on getting clients in the door so that you can have a healthy cash flow and climb to the next level. Automating as much as possible is essential and starting with the right practice management software helps you with that.
Let me go into more detail about what is happening with the practice management landscape, especially here in Australia.
Just recently, in one of our masterclasses at the Scalable Business Lounge, we invited a software practice management systems guru to speak to us about all the options on the market. Having someone who knows an awful lot about these practice management software products, what they do and what they don’t do which ones are good for what types of firms, sizes, and practice areas were invaluable to all the lawyers in the group.
In my law firm, we have had the same software platform since 2009; we haven’t always been happy with it. So I tried to move to a new platform, but that journey is so overwhelming and difficult that I am stuck with this ridiculous lock-in contract I learned later that you could negotiate terms that don’t involve lock-in contracts.
Now we have a further option in Australia with Clio now a player. Last year I went to the Clio conference in Nashville and learnt that I love everything about this company and product.
What I love about this product that sets them apart and why I’m so excited!
No lock-in contract and the user fee is affordable
Clio Manage - standard legal software management system
Clio Grow, this add-on allows you to manage your front-end marketing (intake form, calendar, email marketing) inside your software.
Everything integrates into CLIO…so you are able to streamline your law firm in a way that no other practice management software can.
If you want to learn more about what practice management system is right for your firm, join the SCALABLE BUSINESS LOUNGE
SBL is specifically for law firms that are from the start-up stage to a team of five employees.
What Happens in the SBL
We are working on working on who your ideal target clients
How to implement 3 pronged marketing approach across three different funnels
Test your marketing using data collection
Cash flow and predictability, and systemising enable you to up-level your firm.
We also offer:
Masterclass every single month that is relevant to how to run your business
One-on-one coaching calls on what not to do so you don’t have to waste time and money
Hot Seats we talk about your issue so you won’t have to be alone in this journey.
Because no matter how good you are in your specific practice area of law and how great you are in getting results for your client, if you are fumbling through how to run your business, then join us at the Lounge. Where I teach you how not to waste your money through the beginning of your business.
Lean into having flexibility and FREEDOM!
If this is how you love to start your firm. Then join us!
You can have a lifestyle where you enjoy more Profit and FREEDOM.

CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
23 min
February 06, 2023Our New Precedent Bank (119)
We are talking all things scaling your law firm and making your firm more successful this 2023!
Remember whether you're new in your firm or have been here a while like me...Still owning a law firm is an ongoing journey until - you exit by either selling or closing your law firm.
In the meantime how you can make it even better and what things you can do before you cross that bridge…
INVEST IN YOUR PRECEDENT BANK
As lawyers, we rely on precedent and documents because the documents that we created are often repetitive. Many firms rely on precedent banks that are offered by their practice management system or another source such as a random collection that has been collated over the years working as a lawyer.
Here’s one mistake you can avoid…
Since it has been almost a decade since we have cleaned and updated our precedent bank and a lot of lawyers/solicitors have come and gone and contributed their two cents to our precedent bank it has become untidy, messy and overall caused inefficiency in our firm.
What I did was assigned a senior associate lawyer to work on our precedent bank and it turned into 8 weeks of full-time work so we can have our own precedent bank for family law that is tidy, up-to-date, and efficient.
It has been an incredible investment.
Now, we can be as efficient as possible in our firm because inefficiency costs the firm a lot of money.
So, to avoid this kind of mistake. Here are some best practices to keep your precedent bank up-to-date:
Update Your Precedent Bank Regularly - make it a best practice and set your business up now like you're growing a team. Make it a best practice to clean and update it quarterly or monthly.
Get a Senior Lawyer to Update or Create - bringing documents up to date and making sure it's as exact as you want them and ensuring they are expertly done.
Set a Style Guide - set the tone for how you want to deal with things and acknowledge people and those sorts of things. Create a templated guide. This is how you can control the work and quality of work produced without micromanaging your team.
If you find this helpful in growing your law firm, join me and fellow law firm owners at the SCALABLE BUSINESS LOUNGE so you too can set your law firm to success and live your ideal life as a law firm owner.
CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
14 min
January 29, 2023How to Amplify Your Law Firm's Organic Marketing (118)
The big question is: Why did you start your law firm?
Have a think about that. Most of us are tired of working for someone else on their terms, and we start our firms to create a better life for ourselves, but we end up being with the worst boss ever and never giving ourselves a break!
At law school, we don’t learn how to run a law firm or a business and so when we start our law firm, we do what we can to get work in and get everything sorted, but we soon realise that there is a lot more to it! We get incredibly bogged down running a law firm and wearing multiple hats and start heading towards burnout.
These days I have learnt how to be out of the daily grind of running a law firm and instead focus on working on the business rather than working in the business. I only want to do what brings me the most joy, happiness and results.
So, let’s build a firm this 2023 where you can build a better life. I love to show law firm owners a different way to manage and leverage their time and skills.
So, here’s what you can do to create a marketing plan around your law firm's organic marketing. Be intentional and write a plan out.
This is how to set up for success with your content or organic marketing (The value that you are putting out for others and how your service can help others):
Identify Your Client’s Pain Points - Think about who are your ideal clients and focus on how you can help them solve their problems... Work out a content strategy targeted to the client you’re trying to attract.
List of PR Targets - Once you’ve created a content plan for your target clients, send it to PR agencies or media outlets you can provide this content to them. This will be a free advertisement for you, and PR agencies appreciate well-crafted content ideas that they don’t have to write themselves. So, it's a win-win!
List Your Law Firm's Keyword For The Whole Year - This is important for your paid ads (e.g. Google, FB, etc…). There is no point in using a keyword that no one is searching for. Think about specific words that people use to look up your service. Remember to use your ideal client's language rather than the legal term when it comes to marketing.
Remember, you need to be intentional with your organic marketing. It is called organic, which institutes it happens by itself; this is a myth!
If you don’t want to do this alone. You can come on over to the SCALABLE BUSINESS LOUNGE. Where I help fellow law firm owners with their Marketing strategies to propel their firms forward.
CONNECT WITH CARALEE:
Instagram @caralee.fontenele
Facebook: @caraleefontenele
LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele
CONNECT WITH SCALABLE LAW:
Instagram: @scalable_law
Facebook: @scalablelaw
LinkedIn: @scalablelaw
Website: www.scalablelaw.com
Are you subscribed to my podcast? If you’re not, you need to! I don’t want you to miss an episode. Click here.
30 min