Law Firm Owners: Scaling Your Firm Doesn’t Have to Be Hard — Here’s How I Did It

Scaling your law firm doesn’t have to be overwhelming. In fact, when you master a few core strategies — like building a team, creating systems, and getting your marketing dialed in — it gets exciting. That’s what we’re about here on the Scalable Law Podcast: more profit in your pocket, more time in your calendar, and a business that doesn’t rely solely on you.

I’m Caralee Fontenele — a lawyer, a business owner, and someone who’s walked the path from solo practice to scalable firm. And today, I want to share a powerful blog and conversation that dives deep into what it actually takes to scale a law firm sustainably and profitably.

Whether you're just getting started or you're already running a seven-figure practice, these lessons are timeless.

Reflecting on a Big Year — And Bigger Growth Ahead

I recorded this episode right before the Christmas holidays, at the end of 2024 — a time when most law firm owners are ready for a break. But as I looked back on the year, I was filled with gratitude. In both my law firm (Collective Family Law) and my business (Scalable Law), I’ve seen massive growth — not just for me, but for the dozens of law firm owners I’ve worked with this year.

We’ve had clients grow from $10K months to $40K months, and from $1 million to $2 million a year. They’ve built systems, automated their practices, hired incredible teams, and finally stepped out of being the bottleneck in their businesses.

And the truth is — they didn’t do it with magic. They did it with strategy. The same kind of strategy you’ll read in this blog.

Meet Seth Price: Law Firm Owner + Marketing Pro

I had the pleasure of interviewing Seth Price, who I met at ClioCon in Austin, Texas. Seth isn’t just a marketer — he’s a fellow law firm owner, with over 100 employees in his firm. What’s unique about Seth’s journey is how he grew his law firm by building an in-house marketing team — and eventually spun that team into a standalone digital agency, BluShark Digital, helping other firms grow through smart online strategies.

Seth understands what it means to wear multiple hats. He’s scaled his firm by mastering the three big pieces we talk about all the time here at Scalable Law:

1. Bringing in more leads through strategic marketing
2. Building a strong, incentivised team
3. Systemising service delivery

From Big Law Burnout to Entrepreneurial Breakthrough

Seth didn’t start out planning to build a scalable law firm. He was working in big law, feeling completely disconnected from the work. Like many of us, he craved impact, flexibility, and ownership over his future.

So, he took a leap. In the early 2000s, he helped launch a legal tech startup — and although it didn’t survive the dot-com bust, it sparked something in him: a love for building things.

Eventually, he and a law school friend launched their own firm. Seth handled marketing and operations. His partner handled the legal work. From day one, they split the roles — and that was key. As Seth puts it, “My job was to make the phone ring, and then build a business that could deliver.”

Law Firm Growth Starts With a Marketing Engine

What makes Seth stand out is how early he invested in marketing as a core function of the firm. He wasn’t relying on referrals or waiting for the phone to ring. He built websites, hired marketers, tracked results, and optimised every step.

Eventually, this in-house marketing department grew into BluShark Digital — an agency that now serves law firms globally.

What’s the takeaway for us law firm owners? If you want consistent revenue, you need a marketing engine.

And not just a website that sits online like a digital brochure. You need:

• Local SEO that helps you rank on Google Maps
• Quality content that speaks directly to your clients
• A clear marketing message that attracts your ideal clients (not everyone)
• A fast-loading, conversion-friendly website
• A system for turning leads into booked consults

Team Building: The True Bottleneck (and Breakthrough)

As much as I love marketing, it’s not the only piece of the growth puzzle. Seth and I agreed on something essential: the real competition in law isn’t for clients — it’s for talent.

Think about it. You can have all the leads in the world, but if you don’t have the team to service them, your firm can’t grow.

Seth shared his hiring model — starting people as law clerks, growing them into attorneys, and incentivising them properly. One big lesson: if you don’t pay market rates, you’ll lose your best people.

But it’s not just about money. Retention comes from creating a culture of excellence, having clear core values, and building a workplace where people actually want to stay. At Seth’s firm, they live by the values of passion, integrity, and excellence — and they hire and fire based on them.

The Role of Systems: Freeing the Owner from Every Job

Another big moment in our conversation was talking about letting go as the law firm owner.

You’re not the best person to do everything — especially intake, marketing, or operations. At some point, to scale, you need to build a leadership team around you. For Seth, that meant hiring a firm administrator early — someone to run the day-to-day and be the point person for staff.

For me, that same shift happened when I finally stopped answering the phone myself and hired dedicated intake and admin support. Game. Changer.

When you stop trying to do everything yourself, your business stops being a job — and starts becoming an asset.

Marketing Tips for Law Firm Owners

Toward the end of our conversation, Seth shared some no-fluff advice for law firm owners who want to improve their digital marketing:

• Start your website now. Even if it's simple. The age of your domain matters.
• Know where your profit comes from. Optimise content around your most valuable services.
• Invest wisely. A $1,000/month budget won’t cut it in a competitive market. Be realistic about what it takes.
• Learn just enough to be dangerous. You don’t need to become an SEO expert, but you do need to know what success looks like so you can hold your agency accountable.
• Track the right data. Focus on call quality, conversions, and client acquisition cost — not just impressions or clicks.

Intake: The Missing Link in Most Firms

We only touched on it briefly in this episode, but it’s worth repeating: if your intake is broken, nothing else works. You could be spending thousands on marketing, only to lose leads because no one answers the phone fast enough or follows up.

But here’s the headline: You are not the right person to do intake. Not as the owner. Not long-term.

You need trained staff, clear scripts, and systems that allow you to capture and convert leads consistently. Don’t ignore this. It’s one of the fastest ways to put more revenue in your business — without spending more on ads.

Final Thoughts for Law Firm Owners

If you’ve been feeling stuck — like your growth has plateaued, or your calendar is too full — know this: you’re not alone, and it doesn’t have to stay this way.

Scaling is possible. I’ve done it. Seth has done it. And hundreds of law firm owners around the world are doing it every single day.

But it starts with a decision.

A decision to step out of being the technician and into being the visionary.
A decision to build a firm that works for you — not because of you.
A decision to stop guessing and start building with strategy.

Want help taking the next step in scaling your firm?

Let’s map out your growth plan together.

Click here to book a free strategy call — and let’s get to work on building the law firm you actually want to run.

Connect with Caralee: 

• Instagram: @caralee_scalablelaw
• Facebook: @caraleefontenele
• LinkedIn: @caraleefontenele

Want even more insights? Listen to "Mastering Client Intake: The Key to Law Firm Growth with Seth Price (EP 171)” here.

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