Lawyer websites: present your practice areas and make contact easier

We examine relevant competing firms, local results and examples that clearly present practice areas. The benchmark focuses on useful information for people seeking legal assistance, identification and contact. We first determine your bar association, jurisdiction, actual activities and the matters your firm wants and is able to handle.

“Employment lawyer [town]”, “commercial lease lawyer” and “mutual consent divorce lawyer” are possibilities to check against your practice. Selecting them does not permit claims of unrecognised specialisation, guaranteed results or a fictional office. Domain-name, advertising and solicitation rules are examined before any action.

Pages explain situations, engagement arrangements and the first conversation, with a real portrait and verifiable professional information. Reviews or case references are not reused without professional-conduct checks. We track relevant enquiries and appointments without publishing win rates. The quote specifies the extent of benchmarking and keyword research; a website foundation does not include unlimited legal and competitor research.

The structure can begin with practice areas actually handled and audiences served by the firm. Each page explains situations in which a conversation may help, the scope presented and how to get in touch. Professional titles and specialisation claims are approved by the firm before publication. Informational articles are distinguished from service pages and have a designated reviewer. The website must not imply that general text answers an individual situation. The team presentation helps identify contacts without inventing references or results.

Fictional example: a business leader wants to discuss a dispute but does not know which area to select. They find an understandable page, check that the firm accepts this kind of enquiry and send a brief message. The confirmation explains next-step arrangements without announcing that a case has been accepted. If a deadline needs flagging, the form allows it while specifying the channel actually designated by the firm. The website promises neither an immediate response, a strategy nor a favourable outcome from this initial enquiry.

The initial form can collect the general topic, contact identity and response method. It must not invite people to describe the entire case or upload confidential documents to a public area. Information needed to review the enquiry is then collected through the firm's chosen channel. Appointment arrangements are presented without confusing a slot request with a confirmed consultation. Existing clients should find their usual contact so they do not send follow-up documents to a general sales enquiry form.

A calendar link may be suitable if appointment types and terms are defined. An integration requires checks of confirmations, cancellations and any payments. A client area with documents and messages adds requirements for access permissions, availability and document handling. This scope must not be assumed included in a brochure website. The quote distinguishes the firm's presentation, enquiry routing and client relationship tools. Content and arrangements are reviewed by the firm according to the rules applicable to its practice.

Prepare the areas actually handled, approved biographies, contact arrangements and content you can publish. Examples are anonymised or fictional and must not allow a case to be identified. Photographs, third-party logos and any testimonials are examined before integration. A page does not need a quantified result to explain your work clearly.

Acceptance testing follows a new enquiry, an existing client and an out-of-scope question. We check recipients and the confirmation message. No form should imply that a deadline will be monitored or an engagement begins automatically. Links to practical arrangements remain visible before an enquiry is sent.

A redesign can distinguish permanent content from articles requiring updates. We plan a review date and responsible person for the relevant texts, without automatically publishing unapproved advice. The handover exercise involves correcting a practice area or biography, then checking associated links. Old URLs used in emails or publications are retained or redirected appropriately. This organisation lets the firm retain control of its information without depending on artificial article churn.

For a French lawyer, the RIN, Articles 10.2 to 10.5, permits advertising and personalised solicitation subject to conditions: truthful information, professional principles and identification of the firm and bar. Misleading, comparative or disparaging statements are excluded. A specialisation cannot be presented merely as a marketing claim.

The launch or substantial modification of the website is reported without delay to the bar council, together with its domain names. The domain must include the lawyer’s name or the firm’s name; a generic name referring to a legal subject is not an accepted SEO solution. Personalised solicitation excludes in-person approaches, telephone calls and text messages to mobile devices; it specifies how the cost is determined.

In practice, Gloria prepares accurate practice-area pages, verifiable contact details and restrained forms. Advertisements, republished reviews, external links and follow-up copy are reviewed by the lawyer. Keywords and testimonials cannot circumvent professional secrecy or communication rules.

This guidance concerns France. For a Belgian, Luxembourgish, Swiss or Canadian firm, the texts and approvals differ: see our references by country and profession. We identify the relevant bar before choosing advertisements, reviews or follow-ups.