Fractional CMO for consumer bankruptcy firms. More filed cases from people facing garnishment, foreclosure and creditor calls.
Your next client is likely staring at a garnishment notice or a foreclosure date. We help you show up for that search, sort Chapter 7 from Chapter 13 at intake, make fees manageable through payment plans, and track every lead to a filed case.
Where bankruptcy marketing loses filings.
Clients arrive in crisis, with little money and a lot of shame. Each of the seven dimensions shapes whether they file with you or freeze.
- Problem 01Marketing strategy
You advertise 'bankruptcy' while people search for the crisis.
People rarely search for a chapter. They search to stop a garnishment, save a house, keep a car or end creditor calls. Pages and ads built on those triggers reach them first.
Marketing strategy for law firms - Problem 02Marketing data
Leads are counted, and filed cases by chapter are not.
Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 differ in fee, timing and attorney time. Without filed cases by chapter and source, you can't tell which campaigns build a healthy mix and which just ring the phone.
- Problem 03Funnel friction and CRO
Callers hear the fee and stop answering.
Someone in debt hears an upfront number and goes quiet. Explain pre-filing payment plans for Chapter 7, and how Chapter 13 fees can be paid through the plan, and qualified people keep moving.
- Problem 04Marketing process
Signed clients stall before they file.
Paystubs, tax returns, credit counseling and fee installments all come before the petition. Without reminders and a clear checklist, signed clients drop off. The money spent to sign them is gone.
- Problem 05Marketing team
Paralegals chase documents while new leads wait.
Document collection eats the hours intake needs. New leads wait for callbacks while the team chases last month's paystubs. Conversion and filing speed both drop.
In-house, agency or fractional CMO for a law firm - Problem 06Marketing technology
Intake has no quick means test screen.
Chapter 7 eligibility depends partly on income compared with your state's median. A short screening form tied to your CRM routes each caller to the right consult before an attorney picks up.
- Problem 07Marketing communication
Your ads skip required disclosures or sound like debt settlement.
Federal law requires firms that help people file to identify as debt relief agencies in qualifying ads, and bar rules apply on top. Plain, compliant language that explains the process without shame or promises earns the call.
How the Marketing Impact OS runs in a bankruptcy firm.
We start at the moment of crisis and follow each client to the filed petition.
- 01
Weeks 1 and 2
Inspect
We pull filed cases by chapter and source and review intake and fee calls. We measure how many signed clients actually file.
We also check your ads and pages for the disclosures federal and state rules require. The dashboard shows what each source cost and how many cases it filed.
What you getA dashboard of signed clients, filed cases and cost per filed case by chapter and source.
Marketing Impact OSBankruptcy firmInspectMarketing attributionLast 90 days vs the 90 beforeAd spend$89,560+12%Filed cases53+8%Cost per filed case$1,690+4%Fees$546,500+9%Source Spend Leads Filed Fees Cost per case Google Ads $45,000 300 18 $180,000 $2,500 Local Services Ads $14,160 120 12 $114,000 $1,180 SEO $12,000 140 10 $105,000 $1,200 Referrals $0 40 9 $121,500 $0 Meta $18,400 210 4 $26,000 $4,600 Total $89,560 810 53 $546,500 $1,690 - 02
Weeks 3 and 4
Ideate
We rank fixes by the filings each one should add. The list covers trigger-based pages and ads, a pre-consult screen and payment plan messaging.
It also covers document reminders and a follow-up path for people who need time before they're ready.
What you getA ranked list of fixes, each with the filings we expect it to add.
Marketing Impact OSBankruptcy firmIdeateThe plan, ranked by impactGains per month- 1Answer after-hours calls liveCalls after 6 pm go to voicemail today.+4 filed cases+$41,000 in fees
- 2Move $3,000 a month from Meta to LSALSA costs $1,180 per filed case. Meta costs $4,600.+2 filed cases+$21,000 in fees
- 3Cut Google Ads terms that never signGoogle Ads costs $2,500 per filed case.Save $2,500Same filed cases
- 4Ask every past client for a referralReferrals turn 9 of 40 leads into filed cases.+1 filed case+$10,000 in fees
If the plan holds+7 filed cases a month
- 1
- 03
From week 5, biggest fix first
Implement
Your team and ours build crisis-specific landing pages, a screening form, and automated document and payment reminders.
The responsible attorney approves the ad copy under federal rules and your state bar's rules.
What you getA work list of crisis pages, the screening form and reminders, each with an owner, due week and status.
Marketing Impact OSBankruptcy firmImplementThe work2 of 4 done- Live answering after 6 pm and on weekendsIntake lead · Week 1Intake leadWeek 1Done
- Move $3,000 a month from Meta to LSAAgency · Week 1AgencyWeek 1Done
- Cut Google Ads terms that never signAgency · Week 3AgencyWeek 3In progress
- Referral ask at every closed matterCase managers · Week 6Case managersWeek 6Next
Monday check-in Every open task gets a status. A late one gets a new date and a reason.
- 04
Every week, with a review every 90 days
Iterate
Each week we read leads, consults, signed clients and filed cases by chapter and source. Budget moves to what files, and follow-up gets fixed where clients stall.
The loop runs until you hit your filing goal.
What you getA 90-day review of signed clients and filed cases against your starting point, with the next decision.
Marketing Impact OSBankruptcy firmIterate90 days laterBefore → after- Cost per filed case$1,690$1,243−26%
- Filed cases5366+25%
- Ad spend$89,560$82,060−8%
Cost per filed case by monthZachary's reviewFiled cases went from 53 to 66 on $7,500 less spend. Cost per filed case fell from $1,690 to $1,243. Next: put $2,000 a month into SEO pages for your top two chapters. SEO costs $1,200 per filed case.
The numbers we run your bankruptcy practice on.
- Filed cases by chapter
- Signed-to-filed rate
- Cost per filed case
- Lead-to-consult rate
- Fee installments paid on time
- Days from signing to filing
The right level of help for where you are.
Consumer bankruptcy firms with steady lead flow usually choose the Fractional CMO Retainer to manage intake, payment plans and channel mix each week. Firms buried in document follow-up add a Fractional Marketing Manager. A solo attorney can begin with the Marketing Impact Roadmap.
Compare all fractional CMO servicesFrequently asked questions.
What is the best bankruptcy law firm marketing?
Reach people at the trigger, not the chapter. Build pages and ads for wage garnishment, foreclosure, repossession and creditor lawsuits. Add a fast Chapter 7 or 13 screen and clear payment plan options. Stressed callers then book, sign and follow through to filing.
How do we get more signed clients to actually file?
Treat the time between signing and filing as part of marketing. Give clients a short document checklist, automated reminders, a clear payment schedule and a named contact. We track signed-to-filed rate by source, because some channels bring clients who sign and rarely finish.
What advertising rules apply to bankruptcy firms?
Your state bar's advertising rules, plus federal debt relief agency rules. The federal rules generally require qualifying ads to identify the firm as a debt relief agency. We build that statement into every template, and the responsible attorney approves each piece.
Should we market Chapter 13 differently from Chapter 7?
Yes. Chapter 13 prospects usually have steady income and something to protect, like a home behind on payments. Chapter 7 prospects often need fast relief and a fee they can manage up front. Separate pages, ads and intake scripts let each group see its own path.
How much does a fractional CMO cost for a bankruptcy firm?
Scope sets it: offices, lead volume, ad spend, and whether you need strategy, advice or weekly leadership. We quote after the assessment call. There is no setup fee, and ongoing work renews month by month.
Where to next.
Start with your free Marketing Impact score.
It takes a few minutes. You get a score from 1 to 5 on each of the seven dimensions of your marketing and see where to start. If you’d rather talk first, book a free 30-minute call.