Anne-Marie Cade, owner of Daniel Lew Le Mercier & Co lawyers, (DLLM), did not have a website for seven years and was hesitant to take the next step in establishing an online presence.
She’d been working as a Melbourne based lawyer since 2006 and despite recognising a mounting digital trend, she decided to take the online plunge only recently in 2013. Since then she has pro-actively developed the online brand of her business; which has taken her on a new and unexpected path. To say this has resulted in success is an understatement; her business has expanded to such a degree that it was a Finalist in the 2015 Legal Innovation Index. Obviously, the competition she was up against ranked as the most innovative law firms and providers in Australia.
The Decision to go Digital
So not only did the decision to go digital increase her existing means of attracting business, it also provided the opportunity to complement these services efficiently with further specialisation, customer engagement and the capacity to educate customers in line with an inclusive business philosophy.
Since becoming digitally engaged DLLM has launched a ‘client portal’ where clients gain unprecedented access. Clients could now access their personal files and relevant documents, and most importantly, discuss at their own convenience, the ongoing legal process.
Divorce right: The Tenets of Innovative Thinking
This particular feature has also been pivotal to further broadening DLLM’s services and customer reach. It has enabled DLLM’s to launch a divorce agreement service called ‘Divorceright’, which specialises in making the complicated experience of divorce more efficient and amicable.
The tenets that underpin the Divorceright approach are: ‘Children come first’, ‘Pro-family’ and keeping ‘Families out of the courts’. These tenets are based on a desire to make divorce a transformative rather than a destructive process that is handled with a ‘healing attitude’.
Just as the client portal facilitates the lawyer-client relationship, the option is also available for the negotiation and/or mediation of custody and divorce settlements. Their method aims to maximise accessibility and deescalate potential disagreement by negotiating client-to-client interactions online through Skype and/or face to-face meetings in private facilities, in accordance with customer preference.
Other improvements include services to navigate ‘share economy’. This service is designed to negotiate share contracts between individuals wishing to enter ‘BnB’, or car share arrangements and looking to legitimise these transactions.
Digital Engagement in Action
From a casual overview of the DLLM website, there is an obvious emphasis on informing and educating the browser and/or client. For example, the FAQ’s section is basically a ‘how to guide’ to all the preliminary steps you need to take before requesting a quote. This in effect answers the questions you’d otherwise be paying for by the hour for a lawyer to answer.
They also offer a general legal information service, collated daily to keep clients, employees and fellow colleagues up to date on industry developments and world news.
In keeping with their inclusive philosophy, the core of this approach is ‘transparency’. DLLM seeks to demystify the legal service and to answer the sorts of questions that when go unanswered, prevent people from understanding and employing their services.
Adaptable Solutions that Work
In the testimonial video, Anne-Marie says that she was hesitant to go online with her business, not just because she was a novice, but also because she worked with a tight budget. So without a tailored and affordable fit, the whole venture and the wins from her expansion would’ve gone unrealised.
If you’ve noticed, there’s a recurring theme going on here: Netstripes adapted to her circumstances to help her reposition herself to conform to the needs of her clients. This new undercurrent in business is not just about innovation, it’s also about being adaptable, anticipating the limits and trends in your market, and adjusting your products and pricing to suit.
The Right Strategy
DLLM is an example of what can be achieved with the right online strategy and web-design for a relatively small customer base. Within the space of two years it went from a newly acquired legal practice with an inner city local market to an esteemed innovator with the capacity to capitalise on their profile boost. DLLM is now in a professional league outside their original scope, and on a path to fulfilling the new opportunities that come with this level of progress.
If you’re wondering what this type of success means; it is quality digital engagement, which can be your success story too.
Are you ready to elevate your business to another level?
Feel free to talk to one of our digital strategists today. We are more than happy to help! Contact us now.
