What makes a good law firm website?

Start with your own state's rules

The American Bar Association publishes the Model Rules of Professional Conduct. In the ABA's own words, they "serve as models for the ethics rules of most jurisdictions." Your firm must identify the professional conduct rules that apply to its website; Rule 8.5 covers which jurisdiction's rules apply. Those rules may differ from the ABA text and include additional advertising requirements.

Before publication, identify the applicable jurisdictions and review their rules and relevant advertising guidance. Below I quote only the ABA text, with paragraph numbers, so you can compare it with your state's version.

What Rules 7.1–7.3 say

Sources: rule pages and comments on americanbar.org, linked in the table. The page for Rule 7.2 is titled "Communications Concerning a Lawyer's Services: Specific Rules", and the page for Rule 7.3 is titled "Solicitation of Clients".

Case results and testimonials

Comment [3] to Rule 7.1 says a truthful report of results for clients may still mislead if it leads a reasonable person to form "an unjustified expectation that the same results could be obtained for other clients." The same comment says "an appropriate disclaimer or qualifying language may preclude a finding" that a statement creates unjustified expectations. Your state may prescribe its own wording for such a disclaimer.

That comment also covers comparisons with other firms: "an unsubstantiated comparison of the lawyer’s or law firm’s services or fees" may be misleading. This is why I keep outcome promises and superlatives out of the copy I write for law firms.

"Specialist" and "certified"

Under Rule 7.2(c), a lawyer may say they are certified as a specialist only if the certifying organization is approved by an appropriate state authority or accredited by the ABA, and "the name of the certifying organization is clearly identified in the communication." Comment [9] to Rule 7.2 says a lawyer is generally permitted to state that the lawyer "concentrates in" or "specializes in" particular fields based on experience, training or education, and that such statements remain subject to the false and misleading standard of Rule 7.1. This paragraph deserves a close look in your state's version.

Name and contact details

Comment [12] to Rule 7.2 says contact information includes "a website address, a telephone number, an email address or a physical office location."

Paying a web designer

Paragraph 7.2(b)(1) lets a lawyer "pay the reasonable costs of advertisements or communications permitted by this Rule." Comment [3] to Rule 7.2 names website designers among the vendors engaged for marketing or client development services whom a lawyer may compensate.

What a client looks for first

Someone looking for a lawyer is often frightened and scans the site for one answer: does this firm handle cases like mine? On the law firm sites I build, these come first:

• Practice areas in the client's own words. People type "custody of my kids" into a search box; "child custody" is the lawyer's term. Each area gets a section or a page that describes the situation and explains what usually happens first.
• The attorney who takes the case: name, photo, bar admissions and the kinds of matters that person handles.
• The first consultation: how long it takes, whether there is a fee, who the client will speak to and what documents to bring.
• Fees: hourly, flat fee or contingency, and which one applies to each kind of matter. Comment [1] to Rule 7.2 lists "the basis on which the lawyer’s fees are determined, including prices for specific services" among the information the rule permits a lawyer to publish.
• The counties, towns and courts where the firm practices. Local searches are "divorce lawyer" plus a city.
• A phone number visitors can tap to call, plus a short contact form for people who prefer to write or cannot speak privately.

The contact form

A form that invites a person to describe their matter touches a different rule. Comment [2] to Rule 1.18, on prospective clients, says a consultation is likely to have occurred if a lawyer's advertising invites information about a potential representation "without clear and reasonably understandable warnings and cautionary statements that limit the lawyer’s obligations," and a person sends that information.

On the law firm sites I build, the form carries a line that sending a message does not create an attorney-client relationship. That notice alone does not establish that no duties to a prospective client arise. Your firm reviews the form and approves its wording under the applicable rules.

How much does a law firm website cost in 2026?

The figures below are the providers' published estimates alongside my prices. Project scope and ongoing costs vary, so they do not describe equivalent packages.

Flamingo Agency updated its guide on December 7, 2025, and Timmermann Group published its guide on November 14, 2025. PaperStreet, which designs law firm sites, lists its own packages starting at $3,000 for a pre-designed template, as a total first-year cost, and at $18,000 for a custom design.

For small business sites in general, see How much a small business website costs.

How I build a law firm site

One practice area on a single page is $50. A firm with three or four practice areas gets a multi-page site for $75–150. You get the exact price within 15 minutes, and the site is live within 24 hours of my email confirming I have everything. If you don't have the text, I write it from your brief.

You review every page before you pay. Rule 7.2(d) requires the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for the communication.

You pay only after you have seen the finished site live. If you don't like it, you pay nothing. After payment you get the files and the rights to everything I made for the site.

What a law firm site from me includes →

See what a website needs by industry: for plumbers and law firms.