“We offer flexible meeting options” tells a prospective client very little. Try: “You can choose a video call for an initial discussion or request an in-person meeting when reviewing documents together would be easier.” Now the reader can picture the choice. That’s the job of an example: to make a decision, process, or limitation easier to understand—not just make the article sound livelier.
Start with the point the example must explain
Before adding a story or scenario, state the article’s main point plainly. If you’re writing about how office arrangements affect client access and overhead, show that trade-off. Attractive furniture might make for a nice description, but it won’t help a lawyer decide what sort of space to use.
Look for the sentence that might make a new reader ask, “What would that mean in practice?” In an article about billing, that might be “Discuss the scope before work begins.” You could then distinguish a fixed fee for drafting one agreement from additional work caused by several rounds of negotiation. The boundary becomes clearer without implying that every matter can be priced the same way.
Before keeping an example, ask:
- Relevance: Does it explain the paragraph’s claim, or does it lead somewhere else?
- Specificity: Is there enough detail to make a choice, cost, or next step clear?
- Accuracy: Would a prospective client understand it as an illustration rather than a promise?
Choose a format that fits the job
You don’t need a client story for every point. In a small-practice blog, a short contrast or a sample sentence often does the work better.
Use a contrast to explain a trade-off
Consider a post about working from home versus using a shared office: “A home office may reduce monthly overhead, while a shared meeting room gives you a separate place for consultations. The better fit depends partly on how often clients need to meet in person and how you’ll handle confidential conversations.” That gives readers factors to weigh without declaring one setup right for every lawyer.
Use a short scenario to show a sequence
For a post about intake, follow a hypothetical prospective client through just a few steps: they describe a problem, the lawyer checks for conflicts before receiving extensive details, and both sides discuss whether an engagement is possible. Leave out background facts that don’t explain the process. Too much personal detail can distract readers or make a fictional scenario sound like a real case.
Use a sample phrase to clarify communication
Fees and scheduling often call for wording rather than a story. For example: “The quoted fee covers the initial review and one written response; I’ll discuss any additional work with you before proceeding.” Make clear that it’s illustrative language, not a script for every engagement or jurisdiction.
Make examples recognizable without exposing clients
Lawyers have experiences that would make compelling articles, but a good story isn’t necessarily yours to publish. Changing a name may not protect a client if the dates, location, business type, and unusual circumstances still identify the matter. Even a favorable outcome can reveal information the client expected to remain private.
It’s often safer to build a clearly hypothetical scenario around a recurring question than to disguise one client’s matter. A lawyer writing about practice-area choices, for instance, could compare scheduled advisory work for local businesses with urgent, unpredictable requests. That contrast shows how a service model affects workload and office needs without exposing anyone’s legal issue.
If you need to discuss a real matter, check the applicable professional rules and obtain any required client permission first. Ask whether the example reveals confidential information, suggests readers can expect a similar result, or makes an unusual outcome seem typical. Legal and tax information in a blog does not replace advice from a qualified professional; check current laws and professional rules in the relevant jurisdiction before publishing guidance tied to them.
Include the detail that changes the reader’s understanding
“A lawyer uses social media to find clients” is too broad to explain a sensible marketing choice. Consider instead: “A lawyer posts a short explanation of what happens during an initial consultation, then answers general follow-up questions without discussing anyone’s private matter in public comments.” The useful details are the type of post and the limit on public discussion. The platform, posting time, and number of reactions don’t matter unless the article is about those decisions.
Try removing one detail at a time. If the lesson still holds, cut it; if the point becomes misleading, put it back. In a billing example, whether work falls within the agreed scope matters. The client’s industry may not. This keeps an example concrete without letting it grow into a complicated anecdote.
Put the example next to the claim it explains. If a post covers several decisions, use a brief example for each rather than carrying one scenario through unrelated sections. Headings and nearby examples make the right passage easier to find; the guide to making a law firm blog post easier to scan covers the broader layout question.
Check what the example might imply
An example can be accurate and still leave the wrong impression. “A virtual office costs less than a private lease” may hold for one price comparison, but it leaves out meeting-room charges, mail services, and the need for private calls. Say which costs you’re comparing rather than treating the lowest advertised price as the total.
Be especially careful with results, timelines, and fees. A client who gets a quick answer in a scenario may lead readers to expect that turnaround for every inquiry. A sample fee can look like a standing quote. If figures genuinely help, label them as hypothetical and explain what could change the decision. Often you can make the comparison without inventing numbers.
Read each example as a prospective client would. Could they take it as a promise, assume it describes an actual client, or mistake general information for advice about their own situation? Revise it if so, especially where legal or tax obligations depend on individual circumstances.
Run one final edit at paragraph level
Underline the claim and circle the detail in the example that explains it. Cut anything without a clear job. In a paragraph about shared offices, you might need only two facts: the lawyer books a private room for consultations and pays for it when needed. If your real point is predictable monthly costs, swap in a comparison between a recurring room plan and pay-per-use bookings. The example should answer the question your paragraph actually raises.
