How we began helping lawyers go out on their own

4 years ago, Curbside welcomed its first law firm, and we’ve come to specialise in providing our services for others within the industry. Many lawyers began to see the opportunity to venture away from traditionally established law firms, and back themselves, as they understood that there was A LOT of money left on the table. Faraj Defence Lawyers came to us with a goal, and so did many others such as Australia Law Advocates, ED Legal, ADADA Legal, Chidiac and Associates and more. With every single firm we welcomed to Curbside, we began to understand their terminology, their future prospects, as well as what their clients actually wanted from a law firm.

Where it Started: Faraj Defence Lawyers

Faraj Defence Lawyers came to us with no idea of what they wanted their firm to look like, what they wanted to stand for, or where they wanted to position themselves in the market. Their principal lawyer, previously worked at one of the Sydney’s most well known law firms, and the need for credibility was at the top of his list of things he wanted to accomplish when entering the market.

Being the first law firm we had worked with, we had just as many questions as our client. What services to you offer? What cases do you cover as a criminal lawyer? How would you assume your clients would contact you? These are all things we had to consider when designing solutions for our client. As we onboarded Faraj Defence Lawyers, they requested Brand Strategy and a Full Stack Website. As we worked with FDL, we uncovered how they would like to be contacted, what information should be put at the forefront of the site, as well as how far of a scope we had to work with in order for partnering SEO firms to be able to expand on the foundations we built for our clients.

Going on 4 years and working under our monthly retainer, Faraj Defence Lawyers is a website a lot of our clients reference when looking to create their own. In 4 years, FDL has gone on to service hundreds of clients, hire 4 staff members, and open and renovate their own office in the heart of Parramatta that we had the pleasure of shooting.

From one firm to more than five

From there, the success of our client swept through the industry. We found as soon as we closed off one law firm, the next would place their inquiry and we would continue to build our portfolio. Majority of our clients all derived from Criminal and Traffic Law, as they would frequently ask “Who do you work under these days” followed by “No way give me your business card”. Each client had the chance to look at the work we had done for their peers which then turned into a lead for Curbside. As they explored the site, and felt that they were ready to take the leap, Curbside became their first call and they all seeked for the same thing. Branding and Website Development.

As each client came through our door, we found that they were needing to explain themselves less and less, as they understood what they needed at the time and we  would begin to provide advice on what we felt they would need in the next 6 months to a year. Ensuring that the foundations of their website were set, and allowed them to expand in adding additional pages, reframing their CTA’s on how they looked to attain their leads, as well as ensuring their brand remained their brand, throughout all stages of expansion.

We understand what our clients are talking about

Another asset we began to build was our knowledge around criminal and traffic law. When clients would generate notes for us such as “Amend paragraph three of the AOBH page” or “We need to change judge to magistrate for local court offences” we began to pick up on what they were putting down. No longer were we sitting on calls with our clients to understand their terminology, but rather we were actioning their requests and investing more time in to developing strategy or creatives to best support their brand.

Our clients began to understand that working with us meant spending less time on things they knew, which allowed for more time on us providing knowledge on things that they might have overlooked.

What they need versus what they think they need

With our clients operating from 3-4 years, 1 year, or even 6 months, we’re constantly learning to help the next client. We ask questions such as “Do you think we should expand more into traffic offences to gain additional leads throughout double demerits and holiday seasons?” or “I think we should include landing pages for the courts you attend to allow for further reach in specific locations”. This also however comes with advice on how not to use their resources. 

For example, we tell a lot of our clients it be best to operate with word-of-mouth marketing for the first 3 months before engaging with a Google Ad Words Specialist or investing in monthly SEO retainers. Why? Majority of these firms sit on their hands for the first month or two whilst their Google Analytics tracker kicks in. What’s the point in investing in sections of your website when you don’t even know what is, and isn’t working? It also comes at a time where investing in formalities, equipment, and establishing an office space can leave clients short of a dollar, and investing efficiently is paramount to ensure their launch is successful and provides a return on investment.

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