Keeping divorce and custody clients informed without endless calls

Family law clients are going through one of the hardest periods of their lives, and many call simply to be reassured. You can't take away the stress, but you can take away the uncertainty about where their case stands.

Name the stages and what each one means

Many divorce and custody cases move through intake and consultation, filing and serving the petition, temporary orders, discovery and financial disclosure, mediation and negotiation, a trial or final hearing if needed, and the final decree. The path differs by state and by case, so describe your own version - and tell the client what, if anything, they need to do at each step.

Separate updates from advice

Status updates ("mediation is scheduled for the 14th") can be short and written. Advice and emotional conversations belong in a call or meeting. Keeping the two apart makes both work better.

Be clear about what the client owes you

Financial disclosure is where many family cases stall. A clear list of the documents you need, and a note when they're complete, keeps the case moving and the client informed.

Protect privacy

Updates should reach only your client - not a shared family email or a phone the other party can see. Use a private channel with its own access.

How Gides helps

Gides gives each client a private page with their current stage and your latest note, behind their own access code. It comes with ready-made family law stages you can rename or switch off, works in English or Spanish, and sends the client an alert when their case moves - so the question "is anything happening?" answers itself.

Plans start at $99 a month for up to 50 active cases, with unlimited case managers. New firms: your first month is free with code FREEMONTH.

Questions: support@gidescase.com. Gides Case LLC.