Not every marketing agency is a good fit for your law firm. And you are not a good fit for every marketing agency. Make peace with that.
After 9 years working exclusively with law firms, we know what a good working relationship looks like between a law firm and an agency, and what are some of the red flags.
If your law firm is thinking about outsourcing your marketing, here is what you need to look at.
Do you like them and do you trust them?
This sounds obvious but people skip it. You are going to share sensitive information about your firm, your partners, your strategy. You need to feel comfortable.
Have a proper conversation before committing to anything. Do they listen? Do they ask good questions? Do they ask what other firms you admire and what you cannot stand? Or do they spend the whole call talking about themselves, their other clients, and their last trip to Miami?
A good consultant will spend serious time understanding your taste and your goals before suggesting anything.
Do they know the legal world?
Ask them what they would do in the first eight weeks.
A generalist will give you a generic answer. Someone who knows legal marketing will talk about understanding your practice areas, your target clients, your directory position, where the gaps are. You should not have to explain what Chambers is.
Ask for examples of work they have done — they do not need to name clients, and a good consultant will not, because confidentiality matters in this industry as much as it does in yours. But they should be able to walk you through how they approached a problem, what they did, and what changed.
Is the pricing clear?
Fixed monthly fee, hourly rate, or project by project, all are valid. What is not valid is vagueness. You need to know what you are paying for and what happens if the scope changes. Ask upfront and watch how they answer.
Who will actually be doing the work?
If the founder is your main contact in the pitch, ask whether that continues. Will there be an account manager? An assistant? Who picks up the phone when something is urgent? There is no wrong answer, but you deserve a clear one.
Bonus: do they use AI?
If they do, that is a good sign. It means they are up to date, they welcome change, and they are likely more cost-effective as a result. It is worth asking.
Red flags
And a few red flags to watch for. A provider who wants to do everything at once without understanding your priorities. One who never mentions statistics, KPIs, or how progress will be measured. One who cannot tell you what is not working and why. And one who promises to be available around the clock — that usually means they are not being straight with you, not that they are especially dedicated.
A good marketing consultant will not have all the answers on day one but they will ask the right questions.
