1. Start with the Godfrey service area, not a generic software brief
Godfrey is a village in Madison County, Illinois. The 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year population estimate for the village is 17,712, with a margin of error of 27. That geographic fact establishes the municipality and its county relationship; it does not establish legal demand, search volume, competition or likely revenue. For custom software, the useful implication is narrower: define whether the proposed workflow serves the firm’s Godfrey operations, its Madison County work, a broader Illinois practice, or another area entirely. A tool designed for one office process should not quietly assume that every matter, referral or inquiry belongs to the same geographic queue.
Recommended approach
Before a build discussion, write down the service area the workflow actually covers. Then separate location from operational rules: who may access a matter, which jurisdiction applies, which intake questions are required and when a person must review the record. That keeps local context from becoming an unsupported demand claim.
