How to Get the First 10 Customers for a Family Law Case Tracker

1. Pick one state and one pain

Family law procedure varies by state, so start with one, ideally where you or a friend has a contact. Pick a single painful job your tracker handles well, such as tracking financial disclosure deadlines or hearing dates across 30 open matters. Your first pitch should name that job, not list features.

2. Build a list from the state bar directory

Most state bars have a public lawyer search where you can filter by practice area and city. Cross-check with Avvo and Google Maps searches like "family law attorney [city]" and keep only firms with one lawyer listed. Aim for 100 names with email addresses from their own websites.

3. Join where solo family lawyers talk

Join r/LawFirm and the Lawyer Entrepreneur and solo practitioner groups on Facebook, plus your state bar's family law section listserv if it accepts non-member vendors or you can get an introduction. Read for two weeks and note the exact words lawyers use about missed deadlines, client portals and Clio being too much. Answer questions helpfully and do not pitch in threads.

4. Send short, specific cold emails

Write 10 a day by hand. Example: "Hi Ms. Patel, I'm building a simple case tracker just for solo family lawyers in Ohio. I'm trying to learn how you keep track of disclosure and hearing deadlines today. Would you give me 15 minutes this week? I'm not selling anything on the call." Follow up once after four days.

5. Run discovery calls, then show the product

On each call, ask them to walk you through their last week: where deadlines live, what they forgot, what their current tool costs. Only after that, share your screen and show the one workflow that matches their pain. Ask directly: "If this did that, would you pay $X a month starting now?"

6. Set them up yourself

Offer to import their open matters from a spreadsheet or their calendar during a 30 minute call. Solo lawyers rarely have time to onboard, so doing it for them is often what turns a yes into a payment. Charge from day one, even a discounted founding price, so you learn who truly values it.

7. Ask every customer for two names

Solo family lawyers know each other from courthouse hallways, mediations and CLE events. After a customer has used the tool for two weeks, ask: "Who are two other solos you trade coverage with who would want this?" Ask if they will send a one-line intro email you draft for them.

8. Show up at local bar and CLE events

County bar family law section lunches and CLE sessions are cheap or free to attend and full of your buyers. Go to listen, collect cards, and follow up the next day referencing something they said. Hulby, an AI cofounder, can handle the daily list building and follow-up drafting so you spend your time on the calls.

Do I need to be a lawyer to sell to lawyers?

No. You need to understand their workflow. Run enough discovery calls to use their language accurately and be honest about what you are not.

How should I handle confidentiality concerns?

Expect them on every call. Have a plain one-page explanation of where data is stored, who can access it, and how it is encrypted before you start selling.

What should I charge my first customers?

Start with a simple monthly price below what they pay for their practice management tool, and offer a locked founding rate for the first 10.

How many emails will it take to get 10 customers?

It depends on your targeting and message. Track replies and calls per 50 emails, and change one thing at a time when results are weak.