Marketing for family lawyers, built for how separating people search
People rarely shop for a family lawyer calmly. Some search late at night after a hard conversation. Some have been served with papers. Others have been quietly researching for months before they’re ready to call. Black Shark Digital helps family law firms be found, trusted and contacted at each of those moments, with marketing that respects how private and stressful separation is.
Your marketing is run by Andrej Mchantaf, a lawyer turned marketer with 20 years’ experience, from our base in Manly NSW. We keep our client list small on purpose, with a maximum of five law firms at any one time, and right now we have 4 client spots left.
Book a free marketing review or call 0421 192 045
How people look for a family lawyer
They search for their problem, usually with their suburb: “family lawyer near me”, “divorce lawyer”, “property settlement lawyer”, “child custody lawyer”. The law now talks about parenting arrangements, but many people still search for custody, so your pages need to meet them where they are.
They search privately, on their own phone, and they often read a lot before they make contact. They compare firms on how clearly you explain the process and what it might cost, on your reviews, and on whether you sound like someone they could talk to. Time limits push some people to act: property proceedings generally need to start within 12 months of a divorce order taking effect, or within 2 years of a de facto relationship ending.
Two very different kinds of enquiry
Urgent matters
Children not being returned, family violence, or court papers with a deadline. These people need a firm that answers the phone and can tell them what happens next. Google Ads matters most here, along with a clear phone number on every page and someone to answer it.
Planned matters
Property settlements, parenting arrangements and separations where people are weighing up their options. They read guides, compare firms and come back several times before they enquire. SEO and helpful content matter most here, because you want to be the firm that explained things clearly the first time.
The two kinds need different campaigns, pages and follow-up, and they’re worth different amounts to your firm. A property settlement with a significant asset pool is a very different piece of work from a simple divorce application, which many people do themselves. We build campaigns around the matters you want and keep out the ones you don’t.
Family law marketing and the rules
Family law advertising has extra sensitivities on top of the Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules, which ban false, misleading, deceptive or offensive advertising and the use of “accredited specialist” without accreditation:
- Publishing about cases. Section 114Q of the Family Law Act 1975 makes it an offence to communicate to the public an account of proceedings that identifies a party, a witness or someone else involved, unless an exception applies. Add your duty of confidentiality, and client stories are rarely a good idea. We build your marketing around how you help, not who you’ve helped.
- Ad platform targeting. Google treats divorce services as a “relationship hardships” sensitive interest category, which rules out remarketing lists, Customer Match and other advertiser-built audiences for those ads. We plan campaigns around search intent instead, and check Meta’s current policies before running social ads.
- No promised outcomes. Nobody can promise a share of the asset pool or a parenting result, so we don’t write ads that imply one.
This is a summary, not legal advice. Check how the rules apply to your firm.
How we market family law firms
Campaigns by matter type and location
Property settlement, parenting, divorce and de facto matters get their own campaigns, keywords and landing pages, targeted to the areas your clients come from. Negative keywords keep out searches for forms, kits, Legal Aid and free help, unless you want those enquiries. Read more about Google Ads for lawyers.
Pages that answer the hard questions
What happens to the house? How are children’s arrangements decided? How long does it take, and what does it cost? Pages that answer these plainly, and are checked by a lawyer at your firm, are what people read before they call. They’re also what Google wants to rank. Read more about SEO for lawyers.
Local search and reviews
Most people want a family lawyer near home. A well-run Google Business Profile and a steady flow of genuine reviews often decide which firm they call. Many family law clients won’t want to be named publicly, so we help you ask at the right time, in the right way, without pressure.
Discreet enquiry handling
Forms ask what kind of matter it is and how and when it is safe to make contact. Follow-up respects that. For some people, a call or email at the wrong moment can make things worse.
Tracking to first consultations
Where you can share it, we feed back which enquiries became consultations and engaged matters, so your budget follows the matters that suit your practice. Read more about lead generation for lawyers.
Family law marketing in Sydney
We’re based in Manly and work with family law firms across Sydney. Most family law searches are local, so Sydney firms usually do best with a page for each matter type, strong local signals for the areas they serve, and ads targeted to the suburbs their clients actually come from. See how we help with law firm marketing in Sydney.
What it costs
We don’t publish a price list or sell packages. Your fee is quoted for your firm, based on scope (which services, and how many practice areas, matter types and regions), your budget and the complexity of the work. After your free review you get a clear written quote, so you know exactly what you’re paying for before you decide.
Your ad spend never passes through us. You pay Google, Meta and any other platform directly on your own credit card, so there is no markup and you can see every charge in the platform’s own billing. Your firm owns its ad accounts outright, and if you ever leave, you keep them with all their history and data.
What our clients say
Carl Mickels, Partner at Firths, on working with Black Shark Digital
“He’s been quite the success for us”
“I have no hesitation of recommending him”
— Carl Mickels, Partner, Firths
Results depend on your practice area, location, budget and how quickly enquiries are followed up. We will tell you what is realistic for your firm before you spend a dollar.
Why family law firms choose Black Shark Digital
- A lawyer turned marketer runs your marketing. Andrej understands what separating people worry about, what they need to hear before they call and where the professional rules sit.
- 20 years in digital advertising, mostly for big-name law firms. He founded Black Shark Digital in 2020.
- Thousands of new clients acquired across the campaigns we’ve run.
- Certified experts for Google Search Ads, running campaigns in accounts your firm owns.
- A deliberately small client list. No more than five law firms at a time.
- Direct access. You deal with Andrej, and your firm’s information stays confidential.
Marketing for family lawyers: FAQs
What do people search for when they need a family lawyer?
Mostly the problem, not the practice area: “family lawyer near me”, “divorce lawyer”, “property settlement lawyer” and “child custody lawyer”. The law now talks about parenting arrangements, but many people still search for custody. We build campaigns and pages around the words people actually use.
Can family law firms use remarketing ads?
Often not in the usual way. Google treats divorce services as a “relationship hardships” sensitive interest category, which rules out remarketing lists, Customer Match and other advertiser-built audiences for those ads. Campaigns are built around search intent instead, and we check the current Google and Meta policies when we set them up.
Can we share client stories on our website?
Be very careful. Section 114Q of the Family Law Act 1975 makes it an offence to communicate to the public an account of proceedings that identifies a party, a witness or someone else involved, unless an exception applies. Your duty of confidentiality also applies. We don’t build family law marketing around client stories.
Should we advertise for divorce applications?
It depends on your firm. Many people apply for a divorce themselves, so broad divorce searches attract a lot of do-it-yourself traffic. Property settlements and parenting matters usually involve more legal work. We target the matters you want and exclude searches for forms, kits and free help, unless you want those enquiries.
How do we get more Google reviews from family law clients?
Ask at the right moment, make it easy, and never pressure anyone. Many family law clients won’t want to be named publicly, so expect fewer reviews than in other practice areas. Never offer anything in exchange for a review, and never publish fake ones.
Can we call our lawyers family law specialists?
Only if they are accredited specialists through their law society. The conduct rules ban using “accredited specialist” or implying specialist expertise without accreditation. Lawyers who aren’t accredited can say they practise in family law, or that they practise only in family law, if that’s true.
How quickly should we respond to a family law enquiry?
As quickly as you can, and discreetly. Some people need help that day; others have been thinking about it for months and finally made contact. Your forms should ask how and when it is safe to contact them, and your team should follow that.
How much does family law marketing cost?
There is no price list or package. Your fee is quoted for your firm, based on scope, budget and complexity. You pay Google, Meta and other platforms directly, with no markup. You get a clear written quote after your free review.
Book a free marketing review
Tell us which family law matters you want more of and where your clients come from. Andrej will look at your website, your Google presence and any campaigns you’re running, and give you a plain-English summary of what is working, what is wasting money and what he would change first.
Book a free marketing review or call 0421 192 045
Email: info@blackshark.digital · Based in Manly NSW.