Building a Customer-Centric Law Firm | Charles Hatley from Melone Hatley 

Ernesto Quezada: Welcome to Pathmonk Presents, the place where business owners and marketers share their insights on digital growth. In every episode, we discuss real strategies, why they worked, and also why they didn’t—get insights from real experience and save yourself a whole lot of time and money. Let’s get to it right now.

Before we get started with today’s episode, let’s have a quick look at what Pathmonk is all about. If you are winning leads, demos, or sales through your website, then Pathmonk might be interesting for you. Pathmonk is an extension to your website. It watches each visitor as they’re moving through your page and builds up their interest in your product or service in real time to deliver a great uplift in conversions from your website.

Usually, the buying journey can be divided into stages: awareness, consideration, and decision-making. Pathmonk figures out which stage a given visitor is in by watching every action they take on the website. It provides them with micro-experiences such as notifications, case studies, and introduction videos, helping them move to the next stage in the buying journey toward a conversion.

Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Charles from Malone Hadley. He’s the Vice President of Business Development there with the firm. How are you doing today, Charles?

Charles Hatley: I’m doing great. How are you doing today?

Ernesto: I’m doing great, thank you so much for asking. Well, let’s jump right into it. Charles, in your own words, can you tell us a little bit more about what Malone Hadley is doing?

Charles: We are a family law and estate planning law firm. We are your partner through the divorce and estate planning process. What we’ve done within the law firm space is taken ideas from a normal business model and applied those to a legal business model, which in the past have been very divergent.

Ernesto: Perfect. For our listeners to get a good understanding of the firm, what would you say are some of the key problems that you guys solve for clients?

Charles: If you’re married and going through a tough time with your spouse, we help you get to the other side. A lot of people look at divorce as an end to something, but we like to say it’s the beginning of a new relationship, especially when it comes to custody and visitation issues. While it’s tough on children, we focus on what they’ll gain when parents aren’t fighting. For estate planning, we discuss how we can protect you and your family’s future, even though you may no longer be around.

Ernesto: Definitely. Would it be fair to say that your ideal vertical is family law and trusts/estates? Or do you sometimes take on other cases?

Charles: We focus on family law and trusts/estates. If people come in with other problems, we’re very honest and say, “Look, this isn’t what we do.” For example, a family law attorney won’t serve you well for a felony or DUI case. In those instances, we network with other attorneys we know and trust to make sure clients are still supported.

Ernesto: That’s super important. Kudos to you for being honest about that. How would someone usually find out about your firm? Is there a top client acquisition channel?

Charles: Right now, our main focus is online marketing. Most people search for things like, “I need a divorce attorney” or “top-rated divorce attorney near me.” That’s where we capture a lot of clients. Phase two involves building relationships with ethical attorneys who refer cases to us when it’s outside their expertise.

Ernesto: That’s great to hear. For our listeners, they can check you out at malonelawpc.com. What role does the website play in client acquisition, Charles?

Charles: Our website is a place where people can learn about us. We offer free resources to help people understand the divorce process better without asking for anything in return. This way, clients become informed consumers and can hire the best attorney for their needs—even if that attorney isn’t us. We have content, videos, and resources to answer questions and make the process clearer for everyone.

Ernesto: That’s great. Are there any tools, tips, or methods you’d recommend for website lead generation?

Charles: We give everything away for free. One frustration I’ve had as a consumer is downloading “free guides” only to realize they’re just teasers. I’m confident enough in our services to give step-by-step instructions on how to file for divorce on your own. Our expertise comes in when clients realize what they can’t do alone.

Ernesto: That’s fantastic. Let’s switch gears and talk about you as a leader. What are some key tasks you focus on in your day-to-day work?

Charles: Every day, I ask myself, “What can I do today that truly matters?” I review website traffic, leads, revenue, and retention, but my priority is moving the organization forward in meaningful ways. For example, I recently had the idea to acquire a business instead of hiring someone, using their website to enhance our online authority. It’s now a big project we’re working on.

Ernesto: That’s awesome to hear. Let’s jump into our rapid-fire question round. Are you ready?

Charles: Absolutely.

Ernesto: Where do you usually stay updated on marketing information?

Charles: I listen to people and note the books they reference. Then I read those books myself.

Ernesto: What’s the last book you read?

Charles: The Culture of Revolution. It explores the shift from in-office to remote work and how to overcome biases in promotions and workplace interactions.

Ernesto: What’s one thing your firm is currently focused on the most?

Charles: Enhancing the employee experience. If we ask employees to respond to clients within 24 hours, leadership must do the same for employees. Happy employees naturally create happy clients.

Ernesto: If there were no boundaries in technology, what would you fix as a marketer?

Charles: The ability to test things faster. I’d love to A/B test something in two weeks, know the results immediately, and move forward.

Ernesto: If you could automate one repetitive task, what would it be?

Charles: Responding to external emails. While I enjoy internal emails, external ones can be draining.

Ernesto: What’s one piece of advice you’d give yourself if you restarted your journey?

Charles: Push harder. Marketing is like moving a giant wheel—it’s tough to start, but once it’s rolling, it’s hard to stop. Adding 30 more minutes of effort each day could make a huge difference.

Ernesto: That’s great advice. If someone forgets everything about this interview, what’s the one thing they should remember about Malone Hadley?

Charles: We are always innovating—how we run our business, how we treat clients, and how we achieve results.

Ernesto Quezada: Fantastic. Thank you so much, Charles. To our listeners, you can check them out at malonelawpc.com. Thank you for tuning in, and I look forward to our next episode of Pathmonk Presents. Thanks a lot, Charles!

Charles: Thank you.