Excellence in eLawyering Brings New Clients to Chicago Law Firm

By Lauren Daley, a 2008 graduate of North Central College in Naperville, IL, with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She has performed market research in the legal sector that aided in her development of an in-depth marketing plan.

Cowell Taradash of Chicago, Illinois, launched the website www.illinoisdivorce.com five years ago after they realized they were losing clients to low end, discount divorce attorneys. Managing partner Wes Cowell said this was a preventive measure to stop market loss while at the same time to gain market share. The five-lawyer firm’s decision to provide legal services via the internet proved successful:

• The site alone generates 10 to 15 percent of the firm’s business.
• The availability of their services over the internet presents convenience for both the attorneys and their clients.
• The internet empowers clients to seek and obtain information regarding legal services at their own convenience.
• eLawyering saves time for both lawyers and clients by offering online forms that dramatically reduce the need for travel.

Not only has the site been great for business development, it won the American Bar Association’s 2008 James I. Keane Memorial Award, which honors law offices that successfully and innovatively deliver legal services over the internet. The exceptional and affordable online legal services provided by the attorneys at Cowell Taradash earned them the award for excellence in eLawyering.

“Melanie R.” of Kane County, Illinois, provided a testimonial on the Illinois Divorce website which illustrates the convenience of using Cowell Taradash’s legal services via www.illinoisdivorce.com: 

“I don’t know what we would have done if we had been ordered to return to Illinois. Our attorney was very talented and dedicated and I am extremely grateful to have found you! Having you represent us was truly a blessing.” In Melanie’s case and others, internet based legal services act as a beneficial resource by providing flexibility and convenience for both the law firm and its clients.

Free resource

The www.illinoisdivorce.com site uses education to market the firm, by offering a free booklet, entitled Divorce in Illinois: What you need to know to protect yourself, your children, your property, and your future. The firm mails the paperback to website visitors who request it. Cowell Taradash has issued nearly 30,000 copies of the 32-page, content heavy booklet. The attorneys have found that the free divorce booklet generates new business due to the in-depth information regarding many aspects of divorce detailed inside. Furthermore, the booklet has a pass-along value which allows more than one person to utilize the free consultation option offered within. In addition to the free booklet, individuals seeking supplementary information can click on the “Ask a Legal Question” link and get a response free of charge. This particular link generates nearly a dozen hits per day, averaging approximately 350-400 inquiries per month.

In addition to its free resources, Cowell Taradash offers two services referred to as “We Represent You - $500” and “We Coach You - $185.” The firm opened approximately 1,000 of these cases in the last year and according to Wes Cowell, they have generated approximately $100,000 in revenue for the firm. Clients pay online by credit card using the firm’s merchant account.

• “We Represent You” cases require the client to complete an online questionnaire that provides the information needed for the attorney to prepare and file the divorce papers. With this service, the attorneys represent the client in divorce court, thus establishing an attorney-client relationship.
• “We Coach You” requires the client to complete the online questionnaire providing attorneys with necessary information to issue the proper paperwork for the client to complete on their own. Clients who use this service are not only responsible for filing their own paper work, but also are required to represent themselves in court.

Cowell said that simply using the sites free resources or the “We Coach You” service does not establish an attorney-client relationship. He said the online form and their disclaimer define the aspects of their business that establish an attorney-client relationship. Cowell Taradash’s Illinois Divorce website also offers a Quick Online Divorce link for uncontested divorce cases that, according to Cowell, has not generated any conflicts of interest.

Aside from offering affordable legal services via internet, the attorneys deliver exemplary services to their clients. It appears as though the website allows the firm to be more proficient and organized, and therefore allows the attorneys to deliver commendable service that is light on their clients’ pocketbooks as well. “Eric M.” from Waukegan, Illinois, stated in a testimonial:

"I hired the attorneys at Cowell Taradash, P.C. in a dire time of my life. The State of Illinois was unjustly demanding that I pay $77,000. Their understanding of issues and knowledge and familiarity with statutes combined with their professional style and approach resulted in a more than favorable resolution in my case. They saved me more than $70,000. This saved my property and my retirement plan and for the first time in a long time I had peace of mind. My life would have been in shambles had I lost this case. Their representation in court was passionate and articulate and I was impressed by their professionalism."