Law & Order was a hit TV show for years. But in real life, issues of criminal wrongdoing are often a sensitive subject. When your firm practices criminal law, you may find yourself wondering how much you should write about touchy topics such as drug possession, murder or blackmail in your legal content marketing.

Some law firms will actually avoid writing about these things at all in their criminal law writing, but that’s a mistake. Instead, you should use sensitivity and good judgment to discuss these matters in a way that will benefit your clients and help make your positions clear.

Here are a few ideas on how to write tactful, relevant content for your criminal law firm’s marketing materials.

Stick to the Facts

When you write about drug possession or other crimes, keep the judgments and admonishments off the page. Someone looking for a criminal lawyer already has enough problems in their life. They don’t need to be told they did something stupid or got themselves into a bad situation. You’re their lawyer, not their counselor. Keep to legal information they can use and keep your tone neutral.

Be Sensitive

Often it’s family members, and not the person accused of the crime, who are seeking out legal representation. Remember to be sensitive in your writing. Don’t belittle anyone accused of a crime or accuse their families of fostering a poor environment that led them to break the law. Here’s a good test: Pretend your family member was accused of a crime and reread your post. Would anything in it upset you?

Use the Right Criminal Law Writing Tactics

Every form of legal marketing has advantages and drawbacks. For instance, social media, which often limits the length or scope of a post, may not be the best place to address a complicated criminal law matter. Perhaps it’s best to skip tweets about complicated legal matters and use Twitter for more neutral subjects such as extending morning greetings or cheering on a favorite sports team. Use a format better suited to long discussions, such as blogs or e-newsletters, for the more complex issues.

Answer Questions

Being charged with a crime is scary. Potential clients will have a lot of questions, and they will need straight answers to help them make decisions. Make your website a resource. Think beyond just singing your own praises and explain answers to common questions related to drug possession, murder charges and other crimes. Being frank may feel uncomfortable, but your clients will welcome the honesty.

Get Some Help

While filing court briefs and discussing trial strategy may come naturally to you, legal content marketing for criminal law may not. If you feel uncertain about what to write about or worry about offending potential clients, get help from someone with expertise in this area.

At Lawyers Writing for Lawyers, we’re lawyers ourselves and understand legal terms and ideas that we can explain on your site. Contact us today for all your criminal law legal marketing needs.