A law firm’s website must prove three things within seconds: competence (clear practice areas), legitimacy (the partners’ backgrounds and bar admissions) and accessibility (how to get in touch, and on what terms). Private clients and in-house legal teams alike google a firm before calling: your website is your first pleading.
BLACKT has worked with around ten firms, including Simont Braun in Brussels. Here is what a firm’s website must contain, and what the rules of professional conduct govern.
The 6 essentials of a law firm website
- 1. One page per practice area: employment law and company law have neither the same clients nor the same search queries. A single “our expertise” page serves no one.
- 2. Lawyer profiles: background, bar, languages, publications. This is the most-read page after the home page.
- 3. A clear framework for getting in touch: how a first meeting works, how soon, which documents to bring. Vagueness drives people away.
- 4. Honest information about fees: without publishing a price list, explaining how you bill (fixed fee, time spent, success fee) reassures and filters.
- 5. A design that matches the calibre of your cases: sober does not mean dull. A firm’s website should convey the same rigour as its written submissions.
- 6. Flawless legal notices and GDPR compliance: a lawyer whose website is not compliant is pleading against themselves.
What the rules of professional conduct allow (and forbid)
Lawyers are free to communicate, provided it remains sincere, dignified information with no personalised soliciting. In practice, a website, a blog, pages per practice area and a Google presence are not only permitted but advisable. What is excluded: directly soliciting named clients, promising results and comparative advertising. The precise rules are set by the RIN (the French national rules of the legal profession) and by your bar: your agency must know them before writing a single line.
The content that brings in qualified cases
The firms that receive the best enquiries publish content that answers the questions their clients ask themselves before seeking advice: what to do during an inspection, how long you have to act, which documents to prepare. This content filters out irrelevant enquiries, prepares meetings and feeds your SEO, including in the answers of the AI tools your clients now turn to first.
FAQ
Is a law firm allowed to have a website?
Yes, with no prior authorisation. The site must remain sincere and dignified information, with no soliciting and no promise of results, in line with the rules of the profession.
How much does a law firm website cost?
The budget depends on the number of practice areas, the languages and the integrations (appointment booking, payment). A serious quote follows a conversation about the firm, not the other way round.
Should fees be displayed on the website?
Nothing requires it for most services, but explaining how you bill improves the quality of enquiries. Transparency about the method is better than silence.
BLACKT designs law firm websites that win cases: our offer for lawyers, and SEO for law firms.
Further reading
- websites for law firms: pages per practice area, partner profiles, careers and compliance.
- the Simont Braun case study: a redesign carried out without losing a single Google ranking.
