When I built my family law website back in 1995, I got lots of criticism from attorneys for giving away my information for free. They were baffled as to how telling potential clients how family law worked and how they could do things without an attorney could possibly work for us. They were annoyed and concerned that we would hurt our business along with theirs.

Here we are 15 years later, and there is no question that giving away information worked out for us. Most of our competitors now give away information as well. Times have changed, and now everyone understands that giving information away builds trust, and that’s an essential element of getting hired.

Unfortunately, lots of attorneys still worry about keeping secrets, and the information they provide on their websites isn’t comprehensive. What they’re giving away is frequently less than their best. Much of what I find on attorney websites isn’t really helpful. It’s frequently a cursory overview of the law. It often lacks practical application. It just isn’t always useful to someone facing a difficult situation.

If you’re holding back, stop.

You need to give away your best stuff if you want to build credibility and trust through your website. Don’t hold back, and don’t keep secrets. Give visitors everything you’ve got, and they’ll assume you’re great. They’ll also assume you’ve got even more good stuff they haven’t yet seen. There’s no upside to keeping the information to yourself. The world has shifted, and the more you give, the more you’ll get.

Make your website material as comprehensive as possible. Make it practical, and help visitors apply to the information to their particular situation. Teach them the ins and outs of the law, show them the local rules, provide the forms, and give them your insight into how to deal with the local courts and bureaucracy. Tell them so much that they can do it without you. Give them everything they need to do it all themselves.

When you go that far—when you go all the way—clients will pour through your doors offering to pay you to give them even more.