Advertising for law firms

Legal services are bought at a moment of trouble, by someone who does not know how to evaluate quality and is anxious about cost.

Specialise or compete on nothing

A general practice competes with every other general practice on proximity and price. A firm known for one area competes with far fewer and attracts clients from a wider radius.

The specialism must be visible: in the site structure, the content, the search presence and the way the firm describes itself. A firm that does eleven things and lists them equally is read as doing none of them particularly.

Content is the channel

Legal questions are searched before a firm is contacted. Someone facing dismissal, a boundary dispute or a probate problem reads for hours before phoning anyone.

The firm that answered their question is the one they call. That is the whole mechanism, and it works because most firms publish nothing usable.

The bottom row is what most firms publish and the top row is what clients search for.

Fee transparency

Cost anxiety prevents a substantial proportion of enquiries. Publishing something, even a range or a fixed price for defined work, converts people who would not otherwise call.

Fixed-fee packages for common matters, such as a will, a property transaction or an employment settlement review, are increasingly expected and remove the largest objection.

The professional rules

Restrictions vary by jurisdiction and typically cover comparative claims, guarantees of outcome, statements about success rates, and direct approaches to individuals known to need advice.

Factual information about practice areas, qualifications, experience and fees is generally permitted. Check the local code before publishing testimonials, which are treated differently in different jurisdictions.

The individual lawyer matters more than the firm

Clients choose a person. Profiles should say what that lawyer actually does, what kind of matters they handle, how long they have practised and how they work, not list qualifications alone.

A short video introduction converts better than any biography, because it answers the unspoken question about whether this person is approachable.

Referral relationships

Accountants, estate agents, financial advisers and other firms refer work continuously. That network is built through contact rather than advertising and produces the highest-value matters.