The Sterling Family Law Show

Send us Fan Mail In this fun interview with Ryan Kimler I learned a ton about how to benchmark our law firm profit.   This is the kind of information that all B2C law firm leaders need to pay attention to.  I haven't at times, and it has cost me. We focused our talk on law firms serving people (B2C) and discussed:  - The most Important Financial Metrics - Healthy Gross Margins and Net Margins...

Send us Fan Mail Creating a positive team culture is essential to build a long term law firm.   In this episode, Sterling's Managing Partner, Holly Mullin is back to share how she has built a dynamic and vibrant environment for her team Here’s what we discussed: Balancing client work and creating a collaborative atmosphere Transforming the office morale with the right floor plan How weekly &q...

Send us Fan Mail We are back following Attorney Tom Hartin as he launches Hartin Family Law.  At the time of this recording, we are only a few weeks into the life of his new start up. We discussed: 1 - Overcoming geographic targeting issues and filtering out irrelevant leads 2 - The gritty details of Tom's first consultation - and his big lesson learned 3 - The emotional side of family law, f...

Send us Fan Mail We are following Attorney Tom Hartin as he forms and launches his Family Law Firm.   We recorded this show just after Tom launched and had a wide ranging discussion on managing a family law firm.  Highlights include: 1 - The impact of fixed-fee billing on efficiency and client satisfaction 2 - Managing and optimizing U.S.-based and Philippine-based teams 3 - The role of a good par...

Send us Fan Mail My partner and I paid $10k (gulp!) for a day of Lee Rosen's time back in 2015.  His advice turned around our law firm and the course of my career. His sage counsel turned out to be worth millions to Sterling Lawyers. In this third installment, I share Lee's advice to us on: 1 - Intake team optimization principles  2 - Converting to Fixed Fee from Hourly 3 - How to utiliz...

Send us Fan Mail I have learned that most business consultants are not worth the money.   I think the idea makes the owner feel good about engaging and buying.  But, little good ever happens from business consultants. There are exceptions, of course. Lee Rosen is one major exception for Sterling Lawyers.  He has taught me so much. My partner and I paid $10k (gulp!) for a day of Lee's time bac...

Send us Fan Mail In this 3-part series, I delve into the game-changing lessons learned from a $10,000 consultation with Lee Rosen, a top law firm consultant.  Back in December 2015, our firm was growing fast, but we hit some serious roadblocks.  That’s when Lee’s advice turned things around for us—and now, I’m sharing those insights with you.  Topics discussed Importance of drive and ambition in l...

Send us Fan Mail We are following Attorney Tom Hartin as he launches and builds his family law firm. In this 5th episode of the Tom's Trek series, we walk through Tom's meticulous planning and discuss all the many items that must be done to successfully start a family law firm. If you want a checklist of "Law Firm Launch Action Items," you are listening to the right show.  Enjo...

Send us Fan Mail What’s our secret to getting 9,000+ family law client reviews for Sterling Lawyers?  In this show, I dive deep into the power of online reviews for law firms, sharing how Sterling Lawyers has amassed over 9,000 public reviews - a feat particularly challenging in family law.  Here’s what I cover Why Reviews Matter : From building trust to influencing decisions, reviews are critical...

Send us Fan Mail We are following Attorney Tom Hartin as he launches his family law firm in the New York City area. This week we discuss: Capturing essential client intake data using simple tools like Google Forms Prioritizing client leads based on urgency and resources The family law sales process Personal anecdotes and lessons learned from Tom's journey from IP law to Family Law I hope this...

Send us Fan Mail I’m excited to take you behind the scenes of how we've crafted a thriving and cohesive culture at Sterling Lawyers, despite the challenges of having 75 teammates spread across three states and three countries.  We've discovered a powerful tool that brings us together—our bi-weekly meeting known as "The Summons."  This 30-minute gathering, held over the lunch ho...

Send us Fan Mail Curious as to how to determine the right fixed fees for family law cases?  In our latest Tom's Trek series, I have an insightful conversation with emerging Family Law attorney Tom Hartin and seasoned expert Mary Sankey. Together, we delve into the intricacies of family law and share practical strategies for quoting fixed fees effectively.  Here's a glimpse of what we dis...

Send us Fan Mail The AI frenzy has died down a bit since January 2023.  But don't be lulled in complacency thinking AI will not have a significant impact on your life and law firm.  It will in due time.  Over the past 18 months, I have settled on a few practical steps to position our law firm for future AI opportunities and threats.  In this show I cover: My Personal Strategies: Enhancing my...

Send us Fan Mail This is the second installment of the "Tom's Trek" series.  We are following Attorney Tom Hartin as he plans and opens his family law practice on Long Island, New York. We discuss: 1. Launching Tom's website (hartinfamilylaw.com) 2. Setting up a Google My Business profile and initiating SEO efforts 3. Understanding the local legal landscape and assessing compet...

Send us Fan Mail Lawyers frequently fire the law firm they work at.  The leave.  They quit.  They resign. This happens way more than law firms firing a lawyer. There are best practices to follow in order to best position your career for success.   Over the last ten years, I have had a front row seat to 30 lawyers firing our law firm.  Some did it very well, and others, . . . not so much.  In this...

Send us Fan Mail Transitioning from patent law to family law is no small feat, but Attorney Tom Hartin is taking on the challenge.  This is episode one of a new series -- Tom's Trek.  We will be following Tom as he leaves his patent law career behind and embarks on building his family law firm. In this show, we discuss: The appeal of family law for Tom, including mediation, client interaction...

Send us Fan Mail Retargeting potential clients is a big part of our firm's marketing strategy. I'm thrilled to welcome back Tony Karls, the innovative Sterling Lawyers co-founder and, now, President of Rocket Clicks. Tony  shares his deep expertise, focusing on: Accurately identifying your target audience Crafting compelling and resonant messages Choosing the most effective communication...

Send us Fan Mail Robin Esch, our Director of Team Growth, joins me again to explore the Sterling Lawyers' playbook for managing international teammates.  Here's what we dive into: Our structured process that ensures every team member feels valued and equipped from day one. How we create accountability and integration within our diverse team. The importance of clear roles and expectations...

Send us Fan Mail In the second part of our three-part series, Robin Esch and I dive deep into the intricacies of global hiring, with a special focus on the Philippines.  What we discussed: Maintaining a strong cultural fit despite remote work Crafting precise job postings and pre-screening questions about availability and language proficiency The numerous business advantages of a global talent poo...

Send us Fan Mail One of Sterling Lawyers' talent advantages has been learning the skill of finding international teammates.  This show is all about how we go about sourcing qualified, smart, hard-working teammates that do not live in the USA. Most of our firm's 27 international support teammates are client-facing. They have regular and meaningful communication with our Illinois and Wisco...

Send us Fan Mail Tenacity is the #1 attribute in selecting attorneys to build and scale a family law firm.   Once you get past the table stakes of your firm's values and the candidate's character, no other quality is more important.  Tenacity is far more important than experience, intelligence, grades in law school, interview ability, network, etc. It is the attribute to rule them all. I...

Send us Fan Mail If I could have a "Do-Over" for our first 10 years of building Sterling Lawyers, I would force myself to grow our family law firm with fewer resources. Why build our firm with less? -- Because I would have been more creative and disciplined, leading to a strong law firm today. In this show, I answer: 1. What is a constraint? 2. Why do they work? 3. How do you use constra...

Send us Fan Mail Why do so many law firms struggle with growth despite their best efforts?  On today's show, I describe the two major ways lawyers self-sabotage their law firm's success:      1) Mistaking activity for progress      2) Stop learning until they implement In almost every circumstance, we lawyers put a lid on our firm's growth, not our competition.  --------------------...

Send us Fan Mail Our Sterling Lawyers' President, Jeff Kerlin, is back with me to breakdown the best practices on coaching lawyers. Jeff leads a high performing team of lawyers.  This is not accidental.  He shares his methods on how he does it. We discuss: Biweekly coaching sessions and frequent tactical meetings on team transparency and achieving a shared vision The journey of building leade...

Send us Fan Mail Jeff Kerlin is the President of Sterling Lawyers.  He is not a lawyer, but he is an incredible leader. Prior to joining Sterling, Jeff was the President and CEO of a large printer.   His success at our firm is proof that good leadership applies wherever there are people.  Here's a peek at what we covered: Becoming president of a law firm without a legal background Key qualiti...