Building trust before instruction – A human-centred approach

What happens when legal marketing focuses on support rather than services? Kirsty Hughes explains how early-stage, human-centred content can reshape engagement.

For many individuals, the decision to divorce is not a single moment but a gradual and often isolating process. Long before they instruct a solicitor, people are seeking reassurance, clarity and a sense of what comes next. Yet much of legal marketing still engages too late, focused on services rather than support.

This gap informed the development of The Candid Divorce Lawyer, Trethowans’ podcast and multi-channel content brand, which won the Innovative Marketing category at the Legal Growth Awards 2026.