3 Ways to Make Valentine's Day Pay Off for Your Firm
Love is in the air -- or maybe that's just the air pollution being caused by everyone turning on their fireplaces for a romantic evening at home. After all, Valentine's Day isn't just a holiday for candy companies, florists, and edible underwear salesmen.
Believe it or not, lawyers can also benefit from Valentine's Day, and not just in the form of gavel-shaped chocolates. As it turns out, the holiday can be quite lucrative.
How so, you may ask? Consider the following:
1. 'Tis the Season -- for Litigation.
Yes, sadly, multiple studies seem to confirm that people want to get divorced after Valentine's Day. According to CNN Money, searches for divorce lawyers on lawyer referral sites jump about 40 percent after Valentine's Day. Now, to be fair, FindLaw found that the spike in "divorce" searches starts in January and lasts through March, but the fact remains that this is divorce season.
Why? According to the ABA Journal, "no one wants to get divorced during the holidays." Nancy Chemtob, a divorce lawyer in New York City, added, "The girlfriends, the mistresses, the wives -- they all get found out on Valentine's Day."
Valentine's Day isn't all bad, though. The American Express Spending and Saving Tracker reported in 2013 that 6 million Americans were planning on getting engaged on February 14. That's a lot of proposals -- and a lot of prenups, which are slowly becoming more normal, especially as young'ns wait until they're more financially secure to get married. See our tip about promotions (below) and consider offering a Valentine's Day Prenup Special, as well.
2. You Can Use Valentine's Day as a Promotion.
Plenty of couples want to untie the knot around February 14, so you can add some distinction to your business by offering free or lower-cost consultations around Valentine's Day. Or you could offer package deals for couples who really, really want to get divorced.
You could also go the "sweepstakes" route, as one lawyer in Charleston, West Virginia, is doing. This is the eighth year in which he's offering a free uncontested, no-fault divorce (with minimal child custody issues) to a lucky winner who writes in with the "most compelling story."
3. Showering Your Staff With Affection Can Work Wonders.
Rewarding your office staff when a holiday rolls around can pay off in terms of better morale. It can be something as simple as bringing in edible treats (it would have to be the day before if Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday; your employees would not be impressed by working on a weekend).
There's also a variety of gift ideas for office staff, which we've blogged about before in connection with other holidays. Just make sure to leave the DIY meat underpants at home, unless you want a Valentine's Day sexual harassment lawsuit on your hands.
Related Resources:
- Surprising Relationship Advice From Divorce Lawyers (Forbes)
- The Only Valentine's Day Card That Will Hold Up in a Court of Law (Someecards)
- Divorce Lawyers Love Day After Valentine's Day (FindLaw's Greedy Associates)
- Legal Valentine: 5 Reasons to Love Justice Ginsburg (FindLaw's Strategist)