Case Study: DMARCsimple

Professional Services Firm Recovers Email Deliverability

How a law firm went from spam folder struggles to 98% inbox placement through proper email authentication and DMARC implementation.

The Challenge

A mid-sized law firm in Florida discovered their emails were increasingly landing in spam folders:

  • Client complaints about missed emails, including time-sensitive legal documents
  • Opposing counsel reporting messages going to spam, creating potential liability
  • Marketing emails achieving only 15% open rates (industry average: 25-30%)
  • No authentication - SPF, DKIM, and DMARC were not configured
  • Domain spoofing - unknown senders were using their domain, damaging reputation

The firm had no visibility into who was sending email on their behalf or why deliverability was declining.

The Solution

CCMS implemented a phased email authentication program:

Phase 1: Discovery (Week 1-2)

  • Deployed DMARCsimple monitoring with p=none policy
  • Identified all legitimate sending sources (Office 365, marketing platform, document signing)
  • Discovered unauthorized senders using the domain

Phase 2: Authentication (Week 3-4)

  • Configured SPF records for all legitimate senders
  • Enabled DKIM signing for Office 365 and third-party services
  • Verified alignment between headers and envelope senders

Phase 3: Enforcement (Week 5-8)

  • Progressed DMARC policy from p=none to p=quarantine to p=reject
  • Monitored reports for false positives before each escalation
  • Achieved full enforcement blocking unauthorized senders

The Results

98%Inbox placement
32%Email open rate
100%Spoofing blocked

Within 60 days of starting the program:

  • Inbox placement improved from approximately 70% to 98%
  • Marketing email open rates increased from 15% to 32%
  • Zero client complaints about missed emails since enforcement
  • All domain spoofing attempts now blocked at recipient servers
  • Ongoing monitoring catches new sending sources automatically

Key Takeaways

This implementation demonstrated critical lessons for email authentication:

  • Discovery first - understand all senders before making policy changes
  • Phased enforcement - rushing to p=reject risks blocking legitimate email
  • Ongoing monitoring - new services and senders require continued attention
  • Business impact - deliverability directly affects operations and revenue

Industry

Legal / Professional Services

Company Size

25 attorneys, 50+ staff

Solution

DMARCsimple

Timeline

60 days to full enforcement

Related Resources

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