How does a solo Lawyer market their new law practice to get their first clients?

Starting a solo law practice and landing those critical first clients requires a mix of immediate, high-converting grassroots tactics and foundational digital setup. When you are flying solo, your most valuable assets are your time, your network, and your credibility.

Here is a step-by-step blueprint to market your new practice and secure your initial caseload:

• Activate Your Personal Network
  • Reach out directly to friends, family, former college/law school classmates, and past colleagues. Let them know you’ve opened your doors and specifically describe the exact type of case or client you are looking for. People want to help, but they need to know what to listen for.
• Build Strategic Referral Partnerships
  • Identify non-competing lawyers who practice in related fields (e.g., if you do criminal defense, befriend a family law attorney; if you do estate planning, connect with real estate attorneys or CPAs). Take them out for coffee, learn their referral needs, and establish a mutual referral flow.
• Optimize Your Google Business Profile
  • Set up or claim your Google Business Profile immediately. Even if you operate out of a virtual office or a home office (with your home address hidden if privacy is a concern), a localized profile is essential for appearing in "near me" local search results when people look for legal help.
• Claim and Polish Your Digital Footprint
  • Ensure your LinkedIn profile clearly states that you are the founder of your new firm, complete with a professional headshot and a direct call-to-action (CTA) in your bio. Claim your profiles on legal directories like Avvo, Justia , and FindLaw to build baseline authority and backlinks.
• Offer Pro Bono or Low Bono Work (Selectively)
  • Contact local legal aid societies, volunteer at community legal clinics, or accept court-appointed work if applicable. This sharpens your practical skills, gets you inside local courthouses interacting with judges and opposing counsel, and often generates immediate word-of-mouth referrals from clients and peers.
• Write or Speak Where Your Audience Gathers
  • Write short, plain-English articles answering hyper-local or niche legal questions on LinkedIn or a clean, minimalist firm blog. Local blogs, community Facebook groups, or neighborhood forums (like Nextdoor) where you answer questions help position you as the helpful local expert rather than a pushy salesperson.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Your specific practice area (e.g., family law, personal injury, criminal defense, estate planning)
• Your starting budget for marketing tools

I can tailor a more targeted, step-by-step acquisition strategy for your niche.

For a solo lawyer starting from zero, I would not begin with expensive advertising. The fastest path to first clients is usually a combination of referrals + a narrowly defined practice niche + local search visibility + consistent personal networking.

The ABA specifically notes that networking outside the legal profession and referrals from other professionals can be effective sources of new business for solos.

1. Pick a very specific client/problem

“General practice attorney” is difficult to market.

Instead, make the positioning something like:

• “I help small-business owners in Fort Bend County resolve contract disputes.”
• “I represent Texas employees in non-compete and employment disputes.”
• “I help families navigate uncontested divorces in Fort Bend County.”
• “I defend people charged with DWI offenses in the Houston area.”

The more specifically someone can recognize “this lawyer handles my problem,” the easier the marketing becomes.

You can broaden later. At launch, specific beats comprehensive.

2. Start with people who already know you

Make a list of everyone in your professional and personal network:

• Former colleagues
• Former classmates
• Law-school contacts
• Lawyers you know
• Accountants
• Realtors
• Insurance professionals
• Financial advisors
• Business owners
• HR professionals
• Physicians and other professionals
• Community organizations
• Friends and family

Don't send them a generic “I opened a law firm!” announcement and disappear.

Have actual conversations.

Something as simple as:

“I've opened my own practice focusing on X. I'm looking to build relationships with people who regularly encounter clients with X problems. If someone comes to you with a legal issue in that area, I'd be happy to be a resource—even if I'm not ultimately the right lawyer for them.” That is relationship-building rather than aggressive solicitation.

And be careful with referral compensation: the ABA Model Rule 7.2 generally prohibits giving something of value for recommending your services, subject to specific exceptions.

3. Build a referral network of other lawyers

This is one of the most underrated strategies for a new solo.

You don't necessarily need people to refer you their exact practice area. You need lawyers who regularly encounter matters they don't want or can't handle.

For example:

You: Immigration Referral partners: Criminal defense, family law, personal injury

You: Estate planning Referral partners: Family law, real estate, business attorneys, tax attorneys

You: Employment law Referral partners: Business attorneys, workers' comp lawyers, personal injury lawyers

Contact 5–10 lawyers a week and offer to meet for coffee.

The goal isn't:

“Can you send me clients?” It's:

“I'd like to get to know you and understand what types of matters you don't handle.” That produces much better relationships.

4. Make Google work for you

A new practice needs to be findable when someone searches:

“divorce lawyer near me” “Houston DWI attorney” “business contract lawyer Fort Bend County” “Texas employment lawyer” Your basic online infrastructure should include:

• A professional website
• A Google Business Profile, where eligible
• A dedicated page for each major practice area
• Pages targeting the geographic areas you actually serve
• Professional headshot
• Clear phone number and contact form
• Attorney bio
• Frequently asked questions
• Clear explanation of what happens during the initial consultation

Don't make the website primarily about you.

Make it about the prospective client's problem.

Instead of:

“John Smith is a 2018 graduate of…” lead with:

“Facing a Texas employment dispute? Here's what you should do next.” Then explain the problem and how you help.

The ABA reports that websites and social media have become significant sources of leads for law firms, while emphasizing the need to comply with professional-conduct rules.

5. Create useful content—but don't become a full-time blogger

You don't need 100 blog posts.

Create perhaps 10 genuinely useful pieces answering questions prospective clients actually type into Google.

For example, a family lawyer could publish:

• “How Much Does an Uncontested Divorce Cost in Texas?”
• “How Long Does a Texas Divorce Take?”
• “Do I Need a Lawyer for an Uncontested Divorce?”
• “What Happens at a Texas Divorce Hearing?”
• “Texas Divorce: 7 Documents You Should Gather Before Meeting a Lawyer”

Then turn each article into:

• A website page
• A LinkedIn post
• A short video
• A FAQ
• Several social-media posts

One good piece of content can therefore become five or six marketing assets.

6. Get your first reviews ethically

After successfully helping clients, ask whether they would be willing to leave an honest review.

Don't buy reviews or offer discounts in exchange for positive reviews. The ABA specifically cautions lawyers about this.

Early on, even a handful of legitimate reviews can make a new practice look dramatically more established.

7. Go where your prospective clients already are

This is where solos can beat larger firms.

If your clients are small-business owners, attend:

• Chamber of Commerce events
• BNI/business networking groups
• Industry associations
• Entrepreneur meetups
• Local business events

If they're individuals, consider:

• Community organizations
• Educational seminars
• Local professional groups
• Relevant nonprofit organizations
• Speaking opportunities

Don't pitch everyone.

Become the lawyer who teaches useful things.

For example:

“Three Contract Mistakes That Cost Small Businesses Thousands of Dollars” is a much better networking presentation than:

“Why You Should Hire Me as Your Business Attorney.”

8. Offer educational seminars

This can be extremely effective for a new solo.

Suppose you're an estate-planning lawyer.

Partner with a financial advisor or CPA and offer:

“Estate Planning Mistakes Texas Families Commonly Make.”

The CPA gets something useful for their clients.

You get in front of 20–50 potential clients.

And you've demonstrated expertise before anyone hires you.

The same model works for employment, business, real estate, family law, immigration, elder law, etc.

9. Don't ignore paid advertising—but earn the right to use it

Once you've figured out:

• Who your ideal client is
• Which cases are profitable
• Which geographic area works
• Your consultation-to-client conversion rate
• Your average case value

then paid search can make sense.

But spending $5,000/month on Google Ads before you know whether your intake process converts is a great way to discover that marketing wasn't actually your problem.

Often the problem is:

lead → no response → no consultation → no retainer.

A new solo should obsess over that funnel.

10. Have an exceptional intake process

This is probably the biggest thing lawyers underestimate.

Imagine two potential clients call.

Lawyer A

“Leave a voicemail.” Lawyer B

“Thank you for contacting Smith Law. We received your message and will contact you shortly. Please don't include confidential information in this form.” Lawyer B already feels more professional.

Then B actually calls back quickly, screens the matter efficiently, explains the next step, gives the prospective client confidence, and follows up.

Marketing gets you the opportunity.

Intake gets you the client.

11. Track everything

Make a simple spreadsheet or CRM with:

After three months you'll know something extremely valuable:

where your actual clients come from.

Then spend more time on the channels that produce clients and less time on vanity metrics such as followers.

A practical 90-day launch strategy

Days 1–30: Foundation

• Pick your niche and geographic market.
• Build a professional website.
• Set up your Google presence.
• Create your intake process.
• Make your initial network list.
• Contact 50 people you already know.
• Meet 10–15 lawyers/professionals for coffee.
• Publish 3–5 highly useful articles.
• Set up a system for requesting reviews from appropriate clients.

Days 31–60: Become visible

• Contact another 50 potential referral sources.
• Attend 4–6 networking events.
• Give at least one educational presentation.
• Publish useful content every week.
• Start building relationships with complementary professionals.
• Follow up with everyone you've met.
• Analyze which sources are producing consultations.

Days 61–90: Double down

Now look at the numbers.

If lawyer referrals produced 8 consultations and Google produced 2, don't spend the next month obsessing over Instagram.

Build more lawyer relationships.

If Google produced 15 consultations and referrals produced 2, invest more heavily in SEO/local search and improve your website and intake.

That's how you turn marketing from “I hope somebody calls” into a business-development system.

The most important principle

For a new solo, I would think about marketing in this order:

1. Relationships → 2. Referrals → 3. Local search → 4. Educational content → 5. Paid advertising

And I'd spend far more time talking to real people than designing a fancy logo.

One important caveat: attorney advertising and solicitation rules vary by jurisdiction. The ABA Model Rules are a useful baseline, but states can impose additional requirements; for example, Texas has its own advertising rules.

If you're in Texas, I'd tailor the strategy specifically to Texas rules and the Houston/Fort Bend market rather than giving you generic U.S. law-firm marketing advice.

But spending $5,000/month on Google Ads before you know whether your intake process converts is a great way to discover that marketing wasn't actually your problem.

Often the problem is:

lead → no response → no consultation → no retainer.

A new solo should obsess over that funnel.

10. Have an exceptional intake process

This is probably the biggest thing lawyers underestimate.

Imagine two potential clients call.

Lawyer A

“Leave a voicemail.” Lawyer B

“Thank you for contacting Smith Law. We received your message and will contact you shortly. Please don't include confidential information in this form.” Lawyer B already feels more professional.

Then B actually calls back quickly, screens the matter efficiently, explains the next step, gives the prospective client confidence, and follows up.

Marketing gets you the opportunity.

Intake gets you the client.

11. Track everything

Make a simple spreadsheet or CRM with:

After three months you'll know something extremely valuable:

where your actual clients come from.

Then spend more time on the channels that produce clients and less time on vanity metrics such as followers.

A practical 90-day launch strategy

Days 1–30: Foundation

• Pick your niche and geographic market.
• Build a professional website.
• Set up your Google presence.
• Create your intake process.
• Make your initial network list.
• Contact 50 people you already know.
• Meet 10–15 lawyers/professionals for coffee.
• Publish 3–5 highly useful articles.
• Set up a system for requesting reviews from appropriate clients.

Days 31–60: Become visible

• Contact another 50 potential referral sources.
• Attend 4–6 networking events.
• Give at least one educational presentation.
• Publish useful content every week.
• Start building relationships with complementary professionals.
• Follow up with everyone you've met.
• Analyze which sources are producing consultations.

Days 61–90: Double down

Now look at the numbers.

If lawyer referrals produced 8 consultations and Google produced 2, don't spend the next month obsessing over Instagram.

Build more lawyer relationships.

If Google produced 15 consultations and referrals produced 2, invest more heavily in SEO/local search and improve your website and intake.

That's how you turn marketing from “I hope somebody calls” into a business-development system.

The most important principle

For a new solo, I would think about marketing in this order:

1. Relationships → 2. Referrals → 3. Local search → 4. Educational content → 5. Paid advertising

And I'd spend far more time talking to real people than designing a fancy logo.

One important caveat: attorney advertising and solicitation rules vary by jurisdiction. The ABA Model Rules are a useful baseline, but states can impose additional requirements; for example, Texas has its own advertising rules.

For a brand-new solo practice, I would not start by spending heavily on ads. The fastest path to the first clients is usually a combination of relationships + a very specific practice niche + a credible online presence + systematic follow-up.

If you're practicing in Florida, there is an additional wrinkle: Florida's lawyer-advertising rules apply broadly to websites, social media, email, digital ads, etc., and some advertising must be filed with The Florida Bar before use.

The basic strategy

Think of your first 10 clients as coming from four buckets:

1. People who already know you
2. Other lawyers who can refer work
3. Professionals who regularly encounter people with your legal problem
4. People searching Google for exactly the service you provide

The mistake many new solos make is trying to compete immediately with established firms on Google Ads, billboards, TV, or broad social media.

Instead, become the obvious lawyer for a narrow problem.

For example, instead of:

"Jacksonville attorney handling all types of civil matters" something more specific might be:

"Jacksonville attorney helping small-business owners resolve contract disputes." Or:

"Florida lawyer representing landlords in residential eviction and lease disputes." Specificity makes referrals and online marketing much easier.

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1. Start with your existing network

Make a list of 100 people who know you:

• Former colleagues
• Law-school classmates
• Former clients, where permitted
• Friends and family
• Accountants
• Realtors
• Insurance professionals
• Business owners
• Other attorneys
• Former employers
• Community contacts
• People you've met through professional organizations

Don't send them a generic "I started a law firm, please send me clients" message.

Instead, tell people exactly what you do and who you help.

For example:

"I've opened my own practice focusing on employment disputes for small businesses. If you run across a business owner dealing with a wrongful-termination claim, wage dispute, employment agreement, or similar issue, I'd be happy to be a resource." That's much easier for someone to remember and refer.

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2. Make other lawyers your referral network

This is probably one of the most underused strategies by new solos.

You don't necessarily want to convince other lawyers to "give you their clients." You want to identify situations where your practice complements theirs.

For example:

• Estate-planning lawyer → litigation referral
• Criminal lawyer → family-law referral
• Personal-injury lawyer → matter outside their geographic/practice scope
• Business lawyer → employment dispute
• Immigration lawyer → unrelated civil matter
• Large firm → smaller matter they don't want
• Solo lawyer → conflict-of-interest referral

Call or meet 5–10 lawyers per week.

The pitch isn't:

"Do you have any clients for me?" It's:

"I just opened a practice focused on X. I'd like to get to know the lawyers in this area who handle adjacent matters, and I'd be happy to be a resource when something falls outside your practice." That builds a referral relationship rather than begging for business.

Be careful about referral fees and fee-sharing arrangements; the applicable ethics rules matter.

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3. Build a Google presence before buying Google Ads

For a local practice, I'd prioritize:

Google Business Profile → website → reviews → useful local content.

Your website doesn't need to be elaborate.

You need:

• Who you help
• Exactly what legal problems you handle
• Geographic areas served
• Your biography/credentials
• How prospective clients contact you
• What happens during the initial consultation
• Clear practice-area pages
• FAQ/content answering actual client questions

Then create useful content around searches your potential clients actually make.

For example, rather than writing:

"Our Firm Provides Exceptional Legal Representation" write things like:

"What happens after you receive a breach-of-contract demand letter in Florida?" or:

"5 things a Florida small-business owner should do after an employee threatens to sue." Those pages can become free, long-term lead generators.

The ABA has also noted that digital marketing—including websites, SEO and social media—has become an important part of modern law-firm marketing.

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4. Get your first reviews—but ethically

After you have legitimately represented clients and they're permitted to provide feedback, reviews can become extremely valuable for local search.

Don't manufacture reviews, incentivize them improperly, or make misleading claims.

And remember that social-media pages used to promote a law practice can be subject to Florida's advertising rules. Florida specifically warns against misleading claims, unverifiable past results, guarantees/predictions, and noncompliant testimonials.

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5. Pick 2–3 "referral professions"

Don't network with everyone.

Choose professions that regularly encounter your ideal client.

For example, if you're a business lawyer:

• CPAs
• Business brokers
• Commercial realtors
• Bankers
• Business consultants

If you're a family lawyer:

• Therapists
• Financial planners
• CPAs
• Mediators
• Estate-planning attorneys

If you're an estate-planning lawyer:

• Financial advisors
• CPAs
• Insurance professionals
• Senior-care professionals
• Real-estate professionals

Then become useful to those people.

Give a short presentation. Write a useful article they can send to clients. Host a free educational seminar. Meet for coffee.

Don't make every interaction a sales pitch.

Your objective is:

"When this person encounters someone with this problem, I want my name to come to mind."

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6. Give people a reason to contact you now

A new lawyer often says:

"Call me if you need a lawyer." That's passive.

Instead, offer something concrete:

• Free 15-minute intake call
• Fixed-fee consultation
• Contract review
• Second-opinion consultation
• Legal-risk assessment
• Educational webinar
• Downloadable checklist
• Same-week consultation

The exact offering depends heavily on the practice area and applicable ethics rules.

The goal is to reduce the psychological barrier between "I have a legal problem" and "I'm going to contact this lawyer."

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7. Don't ignore other lawyers' overflow

This can be particularly powerful for a new solo.

Contact established attorneys in your geographic area and tell them:

"If you have a matter that's too small for your firm, outside your practice area, conflicts you can't take, or a client who needs a lawyer in my niche, I'd be glad to talk with them." A large firm may not want a $3,000 matter.

A solo lawyer may be perfectly happy to take it.

And once that lawyer knows you are reliable, one referral can become many.

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8. Use paid advertising only after you know what converts

Once you've figured out:

• Which cases you want
• What clients search for
• What your consultation-to-client conversion rate is
• How much a new client is worth
• Which geographic areas work
• Which messages generate inquiries

then paid advertising becomes much more rational.

You can test:

• Google Search Ads
• Local-service/referral platforms where permitted
• Facebook/Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Retargeting
• Legal directories
• Local sponsorships

But don't spend $5,000 on advertising before knowing whether your intake process can turn leads into clients.

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9. Build a ridiculously good intake process

This is where many lawyers lose the clients they successfully attract.

Someone calls at 10:30 a.m.

Nobody answers.

They leave a voicemail.

Nobody calls until tomorrow.

They've already hired someone else.

Your marketing system needs:

Lead → immediate response → conflict check → consultation → engagement → payment → representation

Track every lead in a simple spreadsheet or CRM:

After 30–50 leads, you'll start seeing what's actually working.

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10. Your first 90 days

I'd structure it roughly like this:

Days 1–30: Foundation

• Choose a clearly defined target client
• Build a professional website
• Set up your Google Business Profile
• Create practice-area pages
• Set up intake/CRM
• Prepare consultation process
• Contact your existing network
• Meet 15–20 lawyers
• Meet 10–15 referral professionals

Days 31–60: Become visible

• Publish 1–2 genuinely useful articles per week
• Continue lawyer networking
• Give presentations/webinars
• Ask appropriate past/current contacts for introductions
• Build relationships with referral sources
• Start collecting legitimate reviews when appropriate
• Test one modest marketing channel

Days 61–90: Double down

Look at where actual clients came from.

If you got:

• 5 clients from lawyers → meet more lawyers
• 4 from Google → invest in SEO/content
• 3 from CPAs → build the CPA network
• 0 from Instagram → stop spending time there

Follow the data, not marketing hype.

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The biggest thing I'd change in a new solo's mindset

Don't ask:

"How do I advertise my law firm?" Ask:

"Where does my ideal client already go when they have this problem?" Then put yourself there.

If you represent small businesses, the answer might be CPAs, business brokers, commercial realtors, business associations and Google.

If you represent injured people, it might be medical providers, Google and referrals.

If you do family law, it might be therapists, financial professionals, Google and personal referrals.

If you do criminal defense, it might be other lawyers, existing relationships and highly targeted search.

The best marketing strategy is very practice-area dependent.

One important Florida caveat

If this is for a Florida practice, I'd review The Florida Bar's current Handbook on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation before launching campaigns. The handbook was updated December 10, 2025, and Florida's advertising rules cover internet advertising and social media.

In particular, Florida currently requires certain advertisements to be filed for review at least 20 days before first use, while lawyer/law-firm websites are among the listed exemptions from that filing requirement.

If you tell me the lawyer's practice area, city/state, and approximate marketing budget (e.g. $500, $2,500, or $10,000/month), I can lay out a much more specific first-90-day client-acquisition strategy, including exactly where I'd spend the money and what I'd do each week.

Your marketing system needs:

Lead → immediate response → conflict check → consultation → engagement → payment → representation

Track every lead in a simple spreadsheet or CRM:

After 30–50 leads, you'll start seeing what's actually working.

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10. Your first 90 days

I'd structure it roughly like this:

Days 1–30: Foundation

• Choose a clearly defined target client
• Build a professional website
• Set up your Google Business Profile
• Create practice-area pages
• Set up intake/CRM
• Prepare consultation process
• Contact your existing network
• Meet 15–20 lawyers
• Meet 10–15 referral professionals

Days 31–60: Become visible

• Publish 1–2 genuinely useful articles per week
• Continue lawyer networking
• Give presentations/webinars
• Ask appropriate past/current contacts for introductions
• Build relationships with referral sources
• Start collecting legitimate reviews when appropriate
• Test one modest marketing channel

Days 61–90: Double down

Look at where actual clients came from.

If you got:

• 5 clients from lawyers → meet more lawyers
• 4 from Google → invest in SEO/content
• 3 from CPAs → build the CPA network
• 0 from Instagram → stop spending time there

Follow the data, not marketing hype.

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The biggest thing I'd change in a new solo's mindset

Don't ask:

"How do I advertise my law firm?" Ask:

"Where does my ideal client already go when they have this problem?" Then put yourself there.

If you represent small businesses, the answer might be CPAs, business brokers, commercial realtors, business associations and Google.

If you represent injured people, it might be medical providers, Google and referrals.

If you do family law, it might be therapists, financial professionals, Google and personal referrals.

If you do criminal defense, it might be other lawyers, existing relationships and highly targeted search.

The best marketing strategy is very practice-area dependent.

One important Florida caveat

If this is for a Florida practice, I'd review The Florida Bar's current Handbook on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation before launching campaigns. The handbook was updated December 10, 2025, and Florida's advertising rules cover internet advertising and social media.

Starting a solo law practice is an exciting hurdle, but getting those first few clients requires a smart, lean, and highly targeted marketing approach . Without a massive budget, you have to trade sweat equity, networking, and digital presence for traditional advertising.

Here is a practical, step-by-step roadmap for a solo lawyer to secure those crucial first clients:

• Define Your Niche First : Trying to be everything to everyone makes your marketing invisible. Pick a specific, tightly defined practice area (e.g., landlord-tenant disputes for small landlords, boutique trademark filing for e-commerce brands, or local DUI defense) so your messaging speaks directly to a specific pain point.
• Optimize Your Google Business Profile : This is your most powerful local tool. Claim your Google Business Profile immediately (even if you operate out of a virtual office or home office, with your address hidden if necessary) to show up in local "near me" map searches when people desperately need a lawyer.
• Build a Fast, Conversion-Focused Website : Your website doesn't need 50 pages; it needs to load fast, look professional, and state clearly what you do, who you help, and how to reach you immediately. Every page should feature a clear call-to-action (CTA) like "Schedule a Free 15-Minute Consultation."
• Leverage the Power of the "Warm Network" : Tell everyone you know—law school peers, former colleagues, college friends, family, and your neighbor—that you've opened your doors. People don't refer to "a lawyer"; they refer to you . Send a personalized email or text explaining your specific focus so they know who to look out for.
• Build Referral Partnerships with Non-Competing Lawyers : Establish relationships with solo lawyers who practice in different areas. If a corporate lawyer gets a call about a messy domestic dispute or a criminal charge, they'll want a trusted person to hand it off to. Take local attorneys out for coffee and offer reciprocal referrals.
• Show Up in Local Bar Associations and Networking Groups : Join your local county and state bar associations, attend mixers, and get active in local chambers of commerce or BNI (Business Network International) chapters. Face-to-face trust still converts faster than any digital ad for legal services.
• Answer Questions Where Clients Are Looking : Spend 20 minutes a day on platforms like Avvo, Reddit (in local city subreddits or niche legal advice threads), or Quora . Answer legal questions thoroughly, objectively, and without giving formal legal advice—always ending with a note to contact your office for a private consultation.
• Collect and Display Reviews Aggressively : For your very first few clients, deliver exceptional communication and results. The moment the matter closes successfully, politely ask them to leave a review on your Google Business Profile . Social proof is the ultimate conversion multiplier for a brand-new firm.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Your specific practice area (e.g., family law, criminal defense, business law)
• Your starting budget for marketing tools or advertising

I can give you a more tailored breakdown of where to focus your time and money.

Launching a solo law practice means wearing every hat, but client acquisition is the engine that keeps the doors open. Without a massive corporate marketing budget, a new solo attorney has to rely on high-leverage, trust-based, and localized strategies.

Here is a practical, step-by-step roadmap for a solo lawyer to secure those crucial first clients:

• Define Your Niche Clearly : Broad general practice is hard to market on a shoestring budget. Pick a specific, focused practice area (e.g., landlord-tenant disputes for small landlords, boutique business formation for local creatives, or DUI defense) so you can become the go-to expert rather than a generic option.
• Optimize Your Google Business Profile : For most local practices, your Google Business Profile is your most powerful digital asset. Claim it, verify your address (or service area), add your practice hours, and immediately start asking early contacts, former colleagues, or pro bono clients for honest reviews.
• Leverage Your Warm Network : Announce your new firm to every lawyer, law school classmate, college friend, family member, and former coworker you know. Other attorneys are your best referral source for conflicts of interest or cases outside their specialty, so make sure they know exactly what types of cases you are taking.
• Build a Clean, Conversion-Focused Website : You do not need a $10,000 enterprise site, but you do need a fast, mobile-friendly website with your practice areas, a professional photo, and a clear call-to-action (like a prominent phone number or a simple consultation booking form). Make sure your contact information is on every single page.
• Engage in Local Strategic Networking : Join your local Chamber of Commerce, BNI (Business Network International) chapters, or local bar association sections. Face-to-face trust still dictates a huge portion of legal hiring, especially for small business owners and individuals.
• Offer Content That Answers Specific Questions : Write short, highly specific articles or short-form posts addressing the exact panic-driven questions your potential clients type into Google at midnight (e.g., "What happens at a first arraignment in [Your County]?"). Post these on your site or LinkedIn to build authority.
• Consider Targeted Local Services or Legal Directories : If you have a modest ad budget, carefully targeted local Google Local Services Ads (where you only pay for actual leads/calls) can yield immediate phone calls for high-intent searches like family law or personal injury, unlike broad social media ads.

If you'd like, let me know:

• Your chosen practice area
• Your target geographic market (urban vs. rural)

I can give you a more tailored step-by-step launch checklist or a networking strategy for your specific field.

For a new solo lawyer, I’d avoid thinking of marketing as “getting my name out there.” The first objective is much narrower:

Get in front of people who already have a legal problem, and make it extremely easy for them to decide to talk to you.

The fastest path usually combines referrals + a strong local online presence + targeted relationship building, rather than spending heavily on broad advertising.

1. Pick a very specific client/problem

“Personal injury lawyer” is much harder to market than:

• “Charlotte lawyer helping small businesses with contracts”
• “Family lawyer for uncontested divorces”
• “Estate-planning lawyer for young families”
• “Criminal defense lawyer representing people charged with DWI”
• “Employment lawyer representing employees in wage disputes”

You don't necessarily have to restrict your practice to one matter. But your marketing message should give someone an immediate reason to call you.

A good positioning formula is:

I help [specific type of person] with [specific legal problem] in [geographic area].

2. Start with people who already know you

For the first 5–10 clients, I'd put disproportionate effort into your existing network.

Make a list of:

• Former colleagues
• Lawyers you know
• Law-school classmates
• Accountants/CPAs
• Financial advisors
• Realtors
• Insurance professionals
• Business owners
• HR consultants
• Therapists/mental-health professionals, where appropriate to your practice
• Community and professional organizations
• Friends and family

Don't send everyone a generic “I opened a law firm!” blast.

Instead, tell people exactly what you do and who you help.

For example:

“I've opened my own practice focusing on estate planning for families and small-business owners. If you run across someone who needs a will, trust, powers of attorney, or business succession planning, I'd be grateful if you kept me in mind.”

That's much easier for someone to remember and refer.

And be careful with referral arrangements. In North Carolina, lawyers generally cannot give something of value in exchange for a recommendation, although the rules allow certain advertising costs, intermediary organizations, and nominal gifts that aren't compensation for referrals.

3. Build a website that sells the consultation, not the lawyer

A new lawyer's website doesn't need 50 pages.

You need:

Homepage

• Who you help
• What problems you handle
• Where you practice
• Why someone should contact you
• Prominent phone/contact button

Practice-area pages

• One page per important service
• Explain the client's problem in plain English
• Explain what happens next
• Explain how to contact you

About page

• Your experience
• Bar admissions
• Education
• Professional background
• Humanizing information

Contact page

• Phone
• Email/form
• Office/location information
• Clear disclaimer regarding attorney-client relationships

North Carolina permits lawyers to advertise through websites, but communications must be truthful and not misleading. The State Bar also requires advertising communications to identify the responsible lawyer/law firm and contact information.

4. Own your Google presence

For a local solo practice, this can become one of your most valuable assets.

Make sure your practice has a properly configured Google Business Profile, with:

• Correct practice name
• Phone
• Website
• Address/service area
• Practice categories
• Hours
• Professional photographs
• Description of services

Then systematically build legitimate client reviews where permitted.

Don't manufacture reviews, pay clients for reviews, or have friends pretend to be clients.

North Carolina specifically addresses lawyer participation in online rating/review systems, so it's worth reviewing the applicable ethics guidance before implementing a review strategy.

5. Write answers to the questions prospective clients actually Google

This is where a solo lawyer can compete with much larger firms.

Suppose you're an estate-planning lawyer.

Instead of writing:

“Why You Should Choose Our Firm”

write:

• “Do I need a will if I don't own much?”
• “What happens to my house if I die without a will in North Carolina?”
• “Do married couples need separate wills?”
• “How much does an estate plan cost?”
• “What is a power of attorney and when does it take effect?”

Those pages can bring people to you when they already have the problem you're solving.

The same principle works in virtually every practice area.

6. Build referral relationships with other professionals

This is one of the most underused strategies for a new solo.

Don't walk into a CPA's office and say:

“Can you send me clients?”

Instead, become useful to them.

For example:

Estate lawyer → CPAs

Offer a short presentation:

“Five estate-planning mistakes I see business owners make.”

Business lawyer → accountants

“Five contract provisions every small business should understand.”

Family lawyer → therapists

“Legal issues clients commonly encounter during divorce.”

Employment lawyer → HR consultants

“What small businesses should know before terminating an employee.”

You're creating a reason for the professional to remember you.

And importantly, you're building relationships rather than purchasing referrals.

7. Network with other lawyers

This may actually produce your first clients faster than advertising.

Lawyers constantly encounter matters they don't want, don't have time for, or aren't equipped to handle.

Tell other attorneys:

“If you get a [type of matter] that you don't want to take, I'd be happy to speak with the person.”

Also look for:

• Lawyers retiring
• Lawyers changing practice areas
• Larger firms with conflicts
• Lawyers who don't handle a particular type of case
• Solo lawyers who are overloaded

Make yourself the person they think of when that particular problem lands on their desk.

8. Give people a reason to call now

A common mistake is making the website say:

“Contact us to learn more.”

That's weak.

Instead:

Not sure whether you have a case? Schedule a consultation to discuss your situation.

Or:

Need a will but don't know where to start? We'll explain what you need and what it will cost.

Or, where appropriate:

Call today to discuss whether we can help.

You want the prospective client to understand what happens after they click the button.

9. Consider paid advertising only after the basics work

Google Ads can work extremely well for certain practice areas—but it can also burn thousands of dollars surprisingly quickly.

I'd first establish:

Offer → website → phone/contact process → consultation → engagement

Then advertise.

For example, if you're a DWI lawyer and someone searches:

“DWI lawyer Charlotte”

that's a very different prospect from someone who sees a random billboard.

The former has already identified a legal problem.

10. Make the intake process ridiculously good

This is where many lawyers lose the marketing battle they've already won.

Someone calls at 2:00 PM.

They get voicemail.

They leave a message.

Nobody calls back until the next morning.

You just paid Google $150 for a lead that may now call another lawyer.

For a new solo, I'd establish:

Lead comes in → immediate acknowledgment → prompt human response → conflict check → consultation scheduled → follow-up → engagement decision.

Track:

• Where the lead came from
• Practice area
• Consultation booked?
• Consultation happened?
• Retained?
• Revenue
• Cost per lead
• Cost per retained client

After 3–6 months, you'll know what's actually producing clients.

---

The 90-day approach I'd use

Days 1–30: Foundation

Get these done first:

1. Choose your primary target client/problem.
2. Create a professional website.
3. Establish your Google Business Profile.
4. Create 3–5 strong practice-area/service pages.
5. Set up an excellent intake process.
6. Contact your personal/professional network.
7. Meet 10–20 potential referral partners.
8. Meet other lawyers in your practice area and complementary practices.

Days 31–60: Authority

Publish useful content consistently.

I'd aim for one genuinely useful article/video per week, rather than five mediocre social-media posts.

At the same time:

• Attend relevant bar events.
• Join one or two organizations where your prospective clients actually are.
• Give a presentation.
• Have coffee with referral sources.
• Follow up with everyone you've met.

Days 61–90: Scale what works

Now look at the numbers.

If your first 10 clients came from:

• 5 lawyer referrals
• 3 Google searches
• 1 CPA
• 1 former colleague

Don't automatically spend $5,000 on Facebook advertising.

Double down on the channels already producing clients.

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One important North Carolina consideration

Since you're apparently asking from the Charlotte/NC context, I'd be particularly careful about the ethics rules governing lawyer advertising and solicitation. North Carolina permits broad advertising, including websites and Internet advertising, but communications cannot be false or misleading; there are also specific restrictions around solicitation, referrals, testimonials/recommendations, lead generators, and claims such as being a “specialist.”

For example, North Carolina's Rule 7.3 generally restricts live person-to-person solicitation motivated by financial gain, with specified exceptions.

So I'd have your marketing materials reviewed for compliance before launching a large campaign, particularly if you're considering lead-generation companies or aggressive direct outreach.

The basic formula

If I were launching a solo practice from zero, I'd think about the business this way:

Specific problem
↓
Specific client
↓
Strong local/online presence
↓
Referral relationships
↓
Useful legal information
↓
Easy consultation
↓
Excellent intake
↓
Excellent client experience
↓
More referrals

The biggest mistake is trying to look like a 50-lawyer firm on day one.

A solo lawyer can actually have a huge competitive advantage: you're accessible, personal, specialized, and able to build relationships directly. Your first objective isn't to become famous. It's to become the lawyer that 20–30 specific people know to call when a particular problem comes up.

Marketing a solo law practice from scratch requires a lean, high-trust strategy . Since you don't have a massive budget, your goal is to build immediate local or niche authority, leverage your existing network, and reduce the friction for potential clients to reach you.

Here is a practical, step-by-step roadmap to land your first clients:

• Tap Your Warm Network : Announce your new practice to every single person you know—former classmates, friends, family, neighbors, and past colleagues. People hire lawyers they trust before they hire logos. Send a personal email or text (not just a mass blast) explaining what you are doing and the exact type of clients you are looking to help.
• Build a High-Conversion Google Business Profile : For most local practices (family law, estate planning, criminal defense, personal injury), a verified and optimized Google Business Profile is non-negotiable. Ensure your address, phone number, hours, and practice areas are pristine. Ask your early contacts, past co-counsel, or mentors to leave legitimate reviews as soon as you handle initial consults or pro bono work.
• Establish a Clean, Trustworthy Website : You don't need a $10,000 custom site on day one, but you do need a fast, mobile-friendly site with a clear value proposition, your location, your practice areas, and a frictionless way to contact you (like a prominent phone number and a simple intake form). Make sure your legal disclaimers and state bar compliance are covered.
• Cultivate Referral Partnerships : Identify non-competing attorneys who handle different practice areas. For example, if you do criminal defense, network with family law attorneys who frequently encounter clients facing related domestic issues. Take local lawyers out for coffee or lunch, explain your niche, and establish a mutual referral pipeline.
• Leverage Local and Niche Networking : Join your local Chamber of Commerce, county bar association, and relevant industry groups. Show up consistently rather than just collecting business cards. Offer to give a free educational presentation or write a short article for a local business journal to position yourself as an accessible expert.
• Answer Questions on Legal Communities or Social Media : Find where your potential clients or referral sources hang out—whether it's local Facebook/Nextdoor groups asking for recommendations, or LinkedIn for business-to-business (B2B) practices. Provide helpful, non-binding legal information rather than hard-selling your services.

If you'd like to narrow this down, let me know:

• What is your specific practice area (e.g., estate planning, criminal defense, corporate)?
• What is your initial marketing budget?

I can give you a more tailored approach based on your specialty.

A solo lawyer getting a new practice off the ground usually wins their first clients through relationships, trust-building, and being visible where potential clients are already looking. The goal at the beginning is not to “do all marketing”; it is to create a repeatable client pipeline.

Here is a practical approach:

1. Start with your existing network (fastest path to first clients)

Before spending money on ads, contact people who already know and trust you:

• Former colleagues
• Law school classmates
• Former supervisors
• Friends and family
• Community organizations
• Former clients (if permitted and appropriate)
• Accountants, real estate agents, financial advisors, insurance brokers, business owners

Do not simply announce “I opened a firm.” Tell people:

• What type of cases you handle
• Who you help
• What situations should make them think of you

Example:

“I’m focusing my practice on helping small businesses with contracts and disputes. If you know a business owner who needs help reviewing agreements or resolving a dispute, I’d appreciate an introduction.”

Referrals are often the first source of sustainable business for solo attorneys.

---

2. Pick a clear niche (even if you accept other work)

A new lawyer who says “I handle all legal matters” is difficult to remember.

Compare:

Weak:

“I’m a general practice attorney.”

Stronger:

“I help divorcing parents protect custody rights and navigate the divorce process.”

Stronger:

“I represent small businesses with contracts, collections, and business disputes.”

People refer specialists more easily. Your marketing message should answer:

• Who do you help?
• What problem do you solve?
• Why should someone choose you?

---

3. Build a professional online foundation

At minimum:

Website

Your website should have:

• Clear practice areas
• Attorney biography written for clients (not a résumé)
• Phone number prominently displayed
• Consultation instructions
• Answers to common client questions

A potential client often checks an attorney online before calling.

Google Business Profile

For local practices, this is one of the most important free tools. Keep it updated with:

• Correct address/phone
• Practice categories
• Photos
• Posts
• Reviews (where ethically allowed)

Reviews

After successful matters, ask satisfied clients for reviews consistent with your jurisdiction’s ethics rules.

---

4. Create useful content instead of generic advertising

Most clients do not wake up wanting a lawyer. They search because they have a problem.

Create content answering questions like:

• “What happens after I receive a lawsuit?”
• “How much does an uncontested divorce cost?”
• “Can my employer fire me after a workplace injury?”
• “What should I do after a car accident?”

Good content builds trust before the first consultation.

Simple formats:

• One short article per week
• LinkedIn posts
• Short videos answering FAQs
• Community presentations

---

5. Build referral partnerships

Meet professionals who regularly encounter legal problems:

Examples:

• CPAs
• Realtors
• Mortgage brokers
• Doctors
• Therapists
• HR consultants
• Small business owners
• Other attorneys outside your practice area

Do not approach them by asking for referrals immediately. Build relationships first.

---

6. Make intake a competitive advantage

Many lawyers lose potential clients because they:

• Do not answer calls quickly
• Take too long to return messages
• Have confusing consultation processes

A new solo can compete simply by being responsive and organized. Effective intake and follow-up are critical because generating leads does not help if inquiries are not converted into clients.

Have:

• A dedicated phone number
• A consultation scheduling process
• A script/checklist for calls
• Follow-up reminders

---

7. Use paid advertising carefully

Paid ads can work, but new solos often waste money because they advertise before their foundation is ready.

Before spending heavily:

• Know your cost per client
• Know your consultation-to-client conversion rate
• Have a good website
• Have a reliable intake process

Start small:

• Test one geographic area
• Test one practice area
• Track every inquiry

---

8. A realistic first 90-day plan

First 30 days

• Define your target client
• Launch website
• Set up Google Business Profile
• Contact 50 people in your network
• Schedule coffee meetings with referral sources

Days 31–60

• Publish weekly content
• Attend networking events
• Meet other attorneys
• Request appropriate reviews
• Improve intake process

Days 61–90

• Evaluate what is producing consultations
• Double down on successful channels
• Consider targeted advertising

---

The biggest mistake new solo lawyers make is trying to look like a large firm. A solo’s advantage is personal access, responsiveness, and a clear identity. The first 5–10 clients usually come from people who trust you, people who trust people who trust you, and people who find you while searching for a specific legal problem.

If you tell me the practice area (family law, criminal defense, estate planning, PI, business law, immigration, etc.) and location, I can suggest a more targeted first-client strategy.

Starting a solo law practice and landing those crucial first clients requires a mix of immediate hustle, relationship building, and laying down a digital foundation. When you are on your own with a limited budget, you have to trade sweat equity and personal connection for expensive advertising.

Here is a structured, scannable roadmap to get your first clients:

• Tap Your Warm Network
  • Inform everyone you know—friends, family, former college and law school classmates, and neighbors—that you have officially opened your doors.
  • Schedule coffee or lunch with non-competing attorneys (e.g., if you do criminal defense, talk to personal injury or family law lawyers) who frequently get inquiries in your practice area that they cannot take.
• Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
  • Set up a Google Business Profile immediately so you show up in local map searches when people look for a lawyer in your city.
  • Populate it with your office address (or service area), phone number, website, hours, and clear categories for your practice areas.
  • Ask early supporters, past colleagues, or clients to leave honest reviews as soon as you are legally permitted to do so under your jurisdiction's ethics rules.
• Build a Clean, Conversion-Focused Website
  • You do not need a $10,000 custom site on day one, but you do need a mobile-friendly, professional website that loads quickly.
  • Ensure your phone number and a simple contact form are visible "above the fold" on every page. Potential clients in distress want to know immediately: Do you handle my problem? How do I reach you right now?
• Establish Local and Niche Networking
  • Join your local county and state bar associations, and actively attend their meetings and CLE (Continuing Legal Education) events.
  • Get involved in local chambers of commerce or BNI (Business Network International) chapters to meet small business owners and community leaders.
• Share Your Expertise Content-Style
  • Write practical, plain-English articles or LinkedIn posts answering common legal questions people face in your niche (e.g., "5 ÷ 3" is a math problem, but "What happens at an arraignment?" is a question your future clients are Googling).
  • Educational content builds immediate trust and signals to referral sources that you know your stuff.
• Offer Pro Bono or Low-Bono Work Locally
  • Volunteer with local legal aid organizations or take court-appointed cases if your jurisdiction allows.
  • This sharpens your practical skills, gets you in front of judges and prosecutors, and often leads to word-of-mouth referrals from community members and fellow volunteers.

To give you the most tailored strategy, could you tell me:

• What is your specific practice area (e.g., family law, criminal defense, estate planning, intellectual property)?
• What is your initial marketing budget?

For a new solo lawyer, the biggest mistake is thinking “I need to advertise.” What you really need is a client-acquisition system.

The fastest path to the first 5–20 clients is usually a combination of referrals + local search + a very specific positioning statement, rather than immediately spending thousands on ads.

1. Pick a very specific target client

Don't market yourself as:

“I handle all types of legal matters.”

Instead:

“I represent small-business owners in Montgomery County with contract disputes and business formation.”

Or:

“I help Tennessee families navigate uncontested divorces.”

The more specific the problem, the easier it is for someone to think, “That's exactly what I need.”

You can broaden later. At the beginning, I'd pick 1–2 practice areas and 1–2 client types.

---

2. Start with people who already know and trust you

This is probably your highest-value first move.

Make a list of:

• Former colleagues
• Former classmates
• Law school contacts
• Other attorneys
• Accountants/CPAs
• Realtors
• Insurance agents
• Financial advisors
• Business owners
• Therapists/physicians, where appropriate
• Local nonprofit leaders
• Community organizations
• Friends and family

Don't ask:

“Do you know anyone who needs a lawyer?”

That's vague and uncomfortable.

Instead:

“I'm opening a practice focused on [specific problem]. If you run across someone dealing with that issue, I'd appreciate you keeping me in mind.”

You're not begging for business. You're educating your network about what you do.

---

3. Build relationships with other lawyers

This is one of the most underused strategies for a new solo.

Other lawyers have clients they can't or don't want to handle:

• Conflict cases
• Cases outside their geographic area
• Matters outside their practice area
• Overflow
• Small matters they don't want
• Cases requiring a particular specialty
• Clients they can't take because of workload

Tell 50 lawyers exactly what you're available to handle.

And don't just contact lawyers in your practice area. A family lawyer may know someone who needs an estate lawyer. A criminal lawyer may encounter someone needing a civil lawyer.

Your first referral network can become more valuable than your advertising budget.

---

4. Get your Google/local presence right

For a local solo practice, this is essential.

Have:

• A professional website
• A Google Business Profile
• A dedicated page for each major practice area
• Your phone number prominently displayed
• A clear explanation of who you help
• Your geographic service area
• Attorney bio
• Consultation/intake process
• Reviews when you legitimately earn them

Don't make the website a biography about you.

Make it answer the prospective client's questions:

“Do you handle my problem?”
“Do you serve my area?”
“Can I trust you?”
“What happens if I call?”

The ABA notes that websites, SEO, social media and other digital channels are now significant parts of law-firm marketing, while emphasizing that lawyer advertising remains subject to professional-conduct rules. www.americanbar.org

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5. Create content that answers actual client questions

Don't start by writing generic articles like:

“The History of Tennessee Contract Law”

Write what someone would type into Google at 11:30 PM when they're worried:

• “What happens if I get served with a lawsuit in Tennessee?”
• “How long does an uncontested divorce take in Tennessee?”
• “Can my landlord keep my security deposit?”
• “What should I do after a car accident?”
• “Can an LLC protect me from a lawsuit?”
• “What happens if someone breaches my contract?”

Each article should have one purpose:

Get the person to call you.

You don't need 100 blog posts. I'd rather see a new lawyer produce 10 exceptionally useful pages aimed at actual prospective clients.

---

6. Don't rush into Google Ads

Paid advertising can work, but it's easy for a new solo to burn money.

Before spending heavily, make sure you have:

Ad → landing page → phone call/form → intake → consultation → engagement

working properly.

If you spend $2,000 generating leads but don't answer the phone promptly, don't follow up, or have an awkward intake process, you're essentially paying to discover that your sales process doesn't work.

---

7. Make your intake process extremely good

This is where many lawyers lose clients.

Someone searches for a lawyer, calls three offices, and leaves messages.

Lawyer #1 calls back tomorrow.

Lawyer #2 never calls.

Lawyer #3 answers the phone, asks a few appropriate screening questions, explains the next step and schedules a consultation.

Guess who gets the client?

Your marketing doesn't end when someone calls. That's when it becomes sales.

Have a simple system for:

1. Answering calls
2. Conflict checking
3. Determining whether the matter fits
4. Scheduling consultations
5. Following up with qualified prospects
6. Sending engagement paperwork
7. Collecting the initial fee/retainer

---

8. Use community involvement strategically

Instead of thinking:

“How do I advertise my law firm?”

Think:

“Where do the people who need my services already congregate?”

For example:

Business lawyer:
Chamber of Commerce, entrepreneur groups, accountants, business associations.

Estate planning lawyer:
Financial advisors, CPAs, senior organizations, community groups.

Family lawyer:
Relevant counselors/therapists, mediators, community organizations and referral relationships.

Real estate lawyer:
Realtors, brokers, title professionals, investors and property managers.

The objective isn't to walk into a networking event and announce, “I'm a lawyer—send me clients.”

It's to become the lawyer people associate with a particular problem.

---

9. Ask for referrals—but don't pay improperly for them

This is an area where lawyers need to be particularly careful.

The applicable jurisdiction's professional-conduct rules govern advertising, solicitation, referrals and fee arrangements. For example, Tennessee's Rule 7.3 restricts certain live person-to-person solicitation and imposes requirements on certain written/electronic solicitations. Tennessee also specifically addresses paid lead generation and referral arrangements.

So don't casually create arrangements like:

“I'll give you $100 for every client you send me.”

Have the arrangement reviewed under the rules applicable to your jurisdiction.

---

10. Develop a referral “flywheel”

The long-term goal looks like this:

Great client experience
↓
Satisfied client
↓
Review/referral
↓
New client
↓
Great experience
↓
More referrals

That's much more powerful than constantly buying another advertisement.

And be careful with online reviews: lawyers have confidentiality obligations, so responding to a negative review can create ethical problems if you reveal client information. The ABA specifically flags this issue.

---

If I were starting a solo practice tomorrow

I'd spend the first 30 days roughly like this:

The key is not trying 20 marketing tactics simultaneously.

Pick a specific client + specific problem, get that message in front of people who can refer those clients, become easy to find locally, and make it extremely easy for a qualified prospect to become a client.

If you're starting a solo practice in Tennessee, I can also give you a very concrete 90-day “first 10 clients” marketing plan, including what I'd do each week, what I'd spend ($0 / $500 / $2,000 versions), and the specific referral sources I'd target.