Maguire Family Law

Maguire Family Law is a boutique family law firm with offices across the North West. In a competitive marketplace, MFL wanted to stand out from its competitors and drive enquiries for its well reputed divorce services.

Activity

RMS wanted to identify a topic that the firm could ‘own’ and raise awareness of on a national scale. A brainstorm revealed that MFL had been handling an increasing number of divorce cases involving coercive control and as a result, had developed a specialism in advising clients experiencing this often-hidden form of abuse.

It was decided that a PR campaign should focus on this topic, with the aim of highlighting the issue, educating the public, and ultimately, positioning Maguire Family Law as a trusted expert in handling divorce cases with an element of coercive control.

To shape the campaign, RMS identified key themes and angles and commissioned a nationally representative survey of 2,000 UK adults to uncover public awareness and opinions on coercive control.

The research revealed:

• 1 in 5 adults in the UK have been the victim of coercive control

• Over a third are unaware it’s a crime

• 14% of respondents who had experienced a coercively controlling relationship were still in it

• Financial dependence was cited as the biggest reason for staying in an abusive relationship

• Young people and men showed greater tolerance toward behaviours classified as coercive or controlling

Using this data, RMS developed a multi-faceted PR strategy:

• Media relations: We offered first sight of the research findings to The Independent, which resulted in a substantial article including commentary from MFL’s managing director, James Maguire. Following this, we pitched the story and secured coverage and commentary in a number of other leading media titles.

• Legal trade coverage: Placements in legal trade publications, further reinforced the firm’s authority on coercive control cases, opening up the opportunity for referrals from other firms.

• BBC collaboration: RMS worked with BBC producers and social affairs correspondents to develop an in-depth segment on coercive control. RMS identified and provided a case study of a woman who had been a victim of coercive control, facilitating her meeting with the BBC’s social affairs correspondent to share her story.

The feature included:

– An online article.
– Multiple TV appearances.
– Coverage on BBC Radio Manchester.
– Inclusion in BBC bulletins and newsletters.

• Ongoing expert positioning: Following the BBC coverage, MFL was invited to contribute to several discussions including:

– A panel discussion organised by BBC Radio 5 Live, led by Nicky Campbell, featuring MP Jess Phillips alongside industry leaders.
– A BBC Radio 4 segment exploring coercive control in legal proceedings.

Beyond media relations, RMS developed supporting content including:

• A dedicated landing page on the firm’s website

• PPC & SEO activity to support PR efforts

• Blog posts breaking down survey findings

• Social media assets

• A video series

Results

The campaign elevated MFL’s profile, delivering exceptional results:

• National and broadcast coverage: Multiple BBC TV and radio slots, a feature in The Independent, and legal trade press.

• Audience reach: 745M potential reach, with 932,000 estimated direct coverage views.

• Engagement: 37 interactions across coverage, including comments and shares, with consistently positive sentiment.

• Search impact: Following the BBC coverage (29/01/25) branded search impressions increased by 29% and clicks by 46% in the period of 29/01-28/02. This uplift in branded searches suggests that people actively sought out Maguire Family Law after seeing the media coverage.

• Long-term impact: Maguire Family Law continues to be recognised as a leading voice on coercive control, with ongoing invitations to participate in national media discussions.

Through strategic media outreach, compelling storytelling, and expert positioning, RMS successfully cemented Maguire Family Law as a trusted authority on coercive control in divorce proceedings.