Google Ads for Divorce Lawyers: Attract Qualified Clients, Not Spam Clicks

Last Updated on: 12th September 2025, 11:06 am

The topic of divorce is deeply personal and often urgent. People searching for a divorce lawyer usually want to move forward quickly, without jumping through endless hoops, and they’re looking for someone who genuinely understands what they’re going through.

That means your work starts way before the consultation! You need to convey empathy and reassurance right from the moment potential clients find you online. And Google Ads is the best way to do it.

Here’s how I advise my divorce lawyer clients to set up and optimise Google Ads, step-by-step, avoiding costly errors along the way.

Setting Clear Objectives for Your Google Ads Campaign

Before launching your Google Ads campaign, let’s be clear on what success actually looks like.

I’m not going to tell you to chase more website visits. This is a very basic conversion goal that doesn’t do much to speak to the quality of the leads you are getting. Instead, your goals would typically look like this: 

• Phone calls from prospects who genuinely need your expertise.
• Lead forms filled out by clients who already trust you’re the right fit.
• Meaningful conversations that easily turn into consultations and, eventually, new cases.

And when you know exactly what success looks like, you can:

• Focus on the KPIs that count. Instead of vanity metrics, focus on the actual conversions: phone calls, form fills, and consultations scheduled.
• Spend smarter. Confidently double down on the keywords, targeting methods, and ad groups that generate real business.
• Continually optimise for conversions. Because once you’re crystal clear on your goals, it’s much easier to pinpoint exactly where leads drop off and adjust your landing pages, ad copy, and audience targeting until they’re dialled in perfectly.

Structuring Your Campaign: How to Organise Ad Groups and Ads for Divorce Lawyers

How to Organise Ad Groups and Ads (the RIGHT Way) in Google Ads for Divorce Lawyers

A messy campaign structure is one of the biggest (and priciest!) pitfalls I see law firms fall into when they’re new to Google Ads. It actively drains their budget and invites spam leads through the door. 

Why Poorly Structured Campaigns Cost You Money

When your keywords aren’t clearly grouped, you’re paying for people who aren’t even looking for your specific legal services. Your CPC goes up, your conversion rates plummet, and you’re left pulling your hair out over spammy leads.

Here’s how to avoid that:

Organise From Day One

Always organise your campaigns right from the start. Restructuring later actually wipes your historical data. Yep, the very data you need to optimise and fine-tune your ads is lost.

I can’t stress enough how you should spend that extra hour or two setting everything up clearly and methodically from day one, or consult a Google Ads professional with extensive experience in Google Ads for divorce lawyers. 

Step 1: Set Up Your Campaigns Clearly

When using Google Ads for divorce lawyers, at the campaign level, you’re grouping ads around your primary goals. Ask yourself: what specific type of cases do I want to attract with this strategy? 

Depending on your practice, maybe you’re after high-asset divorces, child custody, or mediation clients. 

Separate each into its own campaign, because:

• Budget: Some types of clients might cost you more per click. You don’t want to overspend on lower-value cases. It’s better to spend $500 to attract a case worth $5000 than spend $100 to attract a case worth barely that!
• Locations: Wealthier clients might cluster in specific neighbourhoods or towns.
• Networks: Some cases do better on the Search Network alone, while others might also benefit from other placements.

For example, you might have:

• Campaign #1: High-Net-Worth Divorce (targeting affluent postcodes)
• Campaign #2: Child Custody & Support (broader local reach)

Step 2: Tighten Those Ad Groups!

Within each campaign, set up ad groups. Each ad group is its own neatly organised folder, laser-focused on a narrow theme. Your ads become more relevant, your Quality Score improves, and your CPC drops.

So, if your campaign is “High-Net-Worth Divorce,” your ad groups might look like:

• Ad Group #1: Asset Division
  Keywords: “asset division divorce lawyer,” “protect assets divorce,” “high-net-worth asset split”
  
• Ad Group #2: Alimony & Maintenance
  Keywords: “alimony lawyer near me,” “high-net-worth spousal support,” “alimony negotiation in (city)”

Notice how each group has keywords strictly related to one specific theme? That’s your goal.

Step 3: Keyword-Rich Ads in Google Ads for Divorce Lawyers

Make sure you use your main keywords directly in your ad headlines. Let’s say your client searches for an “asset division divorce lawyer.”

They see two ads:

• Ad #1: “Asset Division Divorce Lawyer | Expert in High-Value Cases”
• Ad #2: “Experienced Divorce Attorneys Ready to Help”

Which would you click? Yep, exactly, the first one! It feels more relevant because it mirrors exactly what your potential client searched for.

And don’t stop at one ad. Google’s official advice is to run at least three ads per ad group because of Ad rotation!

Ad rotation means Google is constantly testing your Google Ads for divorce lawyers against each other, using signals like location, search history, device, and keyword choice. It picks the best-performing ads in real time to maximise your clicks and conversions.

Choosing the Right Keywords (and Avoiding Spam Leads) in Google Ads for Divorce Lawyers

When you’re paying upwards of $30 or even $50 per click as a divorce lawyer, every single keyword counts. 

That’s why you should start by focusing on these two keyword categories:

1. Geographic Keywords

These are extremely important keywords because they signal high intent. Think about terms like:

• “divorce attorney in (city)”
• “family lawyer near me”

With these keywords, your ads appear for local prospects seeking legal services in your area as you read this.

And trust me, the one thing I’ve seen time and time again in my PPC agency for lawyers – the local lawyer who shows up at just the right time usually wins the click (and the client).

2. Specialisation Keywords

Clients are often looking for very specific legal help, not just catch-all “divorce” searches. 

Specialised keywords like “child custody lawyer,” “asset division attorney,“ or “high-net-worth divorce specialist” filter your audience to those who match exactly what you do best.

Clients LOVE specificity. If you clearly specialise, your ads will naturally attract higher-quality clicks.

Always (Always!) Include Negative Keywords

Negative keywords are non-negotiable. They protect your ad budget from clicks that will never convert, particularly if you’re choosing broad or phrase match types. Common examples to exclude for divorce lawyers:

• Free consultations (if you don’t offer them)
• DIY or “cheap divorce” searches
• Irrelevant legal categories (criminal defence attorneys, immigration, etc.)

Without negatives, you’ll spend a fortune on clicks that never become clients.

Budgeting Wisely: Factors for Family Lawyers

CPCs for divorce lawyers (and lawyers in general) are higher than for other industries, but I don’t want you to panic.

Right now, I want you to focus on your ideal leads and your Customer Acquisition Costs for those high-profile divorces or other particularly lucrative cases. 

Consider how much you’re prepared to spend to acquire one of them.

In many of the Google Ads campaigns I managed for my divorce lawyer clients, we find that we might end up paying more per conversion. However, this is because we’re solely attracting the ideal cases which bring in 10 or 20x as much! 

So paying more in Google Ads is a good signal if it’s driving you the ideal leads that help you earn more.

Targeting & Retargeting: Make Every Click Count

Clicks are good, but clients are better. To amplify your results, leverage advanced targeting:

• In-Market Audiences: Reach people Google identifies as actively searching for divorce or family law services based on their browsing history.
• Custom Audiences: Go beyond standard keywords by targeting visitors who’ve searched for your competitors or specific issues related to divorce law.

Don’t forget retargeting! 

Once leads visit your site, keep your firm front and centre with more Google Ads for divorce lawyers as they weigh their options. Tools like Google Tag Manager streamline retargeting set-up so you can recapture visitors who didn’t convert on their first visit.

Writing Effective Ad Copy in Google Ads for Divorce Layers: Examples and Best Practices

Good copy manages expectations clearly from the very first moment. Here’s the cheat sheet version (but do check out the full guide!):

• Understand and acknowledge search intent: Identify what your leads genuinely want (quick divorce? child custody advice?), then mirror that intent clearly in your copy.
  
• Strategically use keywords: Integrate your chosen keywords naturally, reflecting exactly what prospects are typing into Google.
  
• Dynamic Keyword Insertion (proceed with caution!): Big brands love it, but personally? I’m wary. While it can boost relevance by automatically inserting keywords, it’s notorious for sneaking awkward phrases into your headlines. If you must use it, double-check every keyword carefully or risk turning away your ideal clients.
  
• Local personalisation for immediate trust: Inject location-specific keywords, adjust phone numbers, or include recognisable local landmarks – people trust local expertise.
  
• Avoid using urgency and special offers as a crutch: Being overly pushy doesn’t resonate with prospects seeking sensitive legal advice. Keep it professional, reassuring, and approachable.
  
• Leverage Ad Assets (because character limits are tough): Extend your ad’s message with smart asset use. For divorce lawyer Google Ads, here’s what typically works wonders:
  • Call Assets: Perfect for prospects who need immediate consultation.
  • Sitelinks: Direct clients straight to specialised landing pages.
  • Location Assets: Essential for showing how easily accessible you are within their area.
    
• Never Skip Your Call to Action (CTA): Clearly tell your leads what step to take next: “Book a Free Consultation,” “Speak with [Attorney’s name] Now,” or “Schedule Your Call Today!”

Let’s look at a couple of real-world examples from divorce lawyers who did a phenomenal job!

Goosmann Law’s meta description reads:

“Compassionate representation to protect what you value most – your family.”

If you’re looking for a compassionate lawyer (and who wouldn’t be during a divorce?), this immediately hits home. They’ve zeroed in on empathy, making a connection from the first glance.

That said, Google gives you Ad Assets to amplify your message, and I always recommend using them. Assets like sitelinks, call buttons, and structured snippets give your ad more visibility, extending your copy and making your offer more irresistible.

Another great example is from Merel Family Law: 

This practice takes full advantage of Google’s recommended best practices by using multiple ad assets. They’ve included:

• An image asset portraying the kind of frustration and stress their audience can deeply relate to.
• A call asset, so it’s immediately easy to get in touch.
• A sitelink asset linking directly to their contact page, so no wasting time navigating around their site.

Their ad also features a description that uses words like “Move on with less pain and more hope.”

They first acknowledged the real emotional turmoil their audience faces, then instantly reassured them. For someone worried about confidentiality or overwhelmed by the thought of lengthy legal battles, words like “confidential” and “straightforward” address those fears head-on.

Conversion Tracking & Optimisation: Don’t Just Count Clicks

This is your reminder to turn on conversion tracking. Seriously, do it now.

When we talk about conversion tracking, most lawyers naturally think about form submissions or phone calls from ads. And sure, these are vital, but let’s not forget offline conversions, like sales calls or in-person consultations.

Those are easy to track: Each click from your Google Ads has a unique identifier called a Google Click ID (GCLID). 

You’ll save these GCLIDs alongside your client data in your CRM tool (you are using one, right?).

Once you have solid data, say, after a batch of initial consultations, you upload this information back into Google Ads. Voila! 

Now Google connects the dots, linking the clicks your ads received with the real-world conversions you landed.

“Claire, is this that important?” Yes! 

Relying only on form fills or website interactions (what I call (“proxy conversions”) gives you a limited view of what’s happening. Tracking offline conversions shows exactly which keywords, ads, and campaigns genuinely drive profitable client sign-ups.

Landing Pages: Don’t Lose Your Lead After the Click

Your ad convinces potential clients to click, but your landing page ultimately convinces them to hire you. 

Create dedicated landing pages that clearly match your ad’s message, streamline forms to increase submissions, and ensure fast page load times using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights.

I’m bringing Judge Anthony up again because his ad and landing page combination is a brilliant example of how to get clicks and keep attention. 

Take a look at the following ad:

Source: Google

The ad itself grabs attention instantly with the phrase “Divorce An Abusive Narcissist”, which taps directly into the audience’s most painful point. But… he didn’t stop there. 

The landing page immediately picks up on the emotional state of his visitors, opening with this powerful line:

“Narcissists lie, manipulate, and charm the court, leaving you drained and defeated. I’ve crushed their games for 22 years.”

He matches his ad copy precisely to the emotions his clients are feeling – drained, frustrated, at their wits’ end – and then drives home his authority. 

It’s personal, it’s bold, and it’s exactly why this type of messaging resonates.

Scale Your Divorce Law Practice with Confidence through Google Ads

Done right, Google Ads is one of the most powerful investments your law practice can make. Of course, you’ll have better results if you follow the tips above.

I know, I know…with so many moving parts, it can be hard to get it right. So, if you’d like hands-on help without having to make all the mistakes yourself, my team and I are here to help! 

We want your Google Ads campaign to become a consistent source of profitable, high-quality clients.

Or, if you’d like to learn Google Ads for yourself, my best-selling book Rapid Google Ads Success for Lawyers is the perfect step-by-step guide for lawyers ready to master PPC and grow their practice.

Either way, let’s get your law firm the results it deserves!