Look past the photography and the best law firm websites share a handful of habits. They say plainly what the firm does, for whom and where. They give every practice area its own page. They introduce the attorneys as people. They make the first step easy. And they stay well inside the ethics rules, because a website is advertising in the eyes of the bar.
None of this needs a large budget. It needs clear thinking about who arrives on the site and what they are worried about.
They answer the visitor's first question at once
People rarely visit a law firm's website for fun. They arrive with a problem: a property line dispute, a contract gone wrong, a family matter. The strongest sites answer the visitor's first question, "can this firm help with my problem, here?", above the fold, in plain words. Slogans about excellence and integrity can wait; every firm claims them.
Every practice area has its own page
The weakest sites list practice areas as a row of words. The best give each one a page that explains, in plain language:
- What kind of matters the firm handles in that area, and for whom.
- How an engagement usually begins and what the client should bring.
- How fees are generally structured, where the firm is comfortable saying so.
- Who at the firm leads that work.
These pages are also what search engines and AI assistants read when someone asks a question. One clear page per service does more for being found than any trick. For more on that, see How do you get your business found on Google and in AI search?
The attorneys come across as people
Clients hire lawyers, not logos. The best bios open with what the attorney does for clients, then their background, admissions and education, with a recent, natural photograph. A short line about life outside the office often does more for trust than a list of memberships.
The first step is easy and obvious
A consultation request should be reachable from every page: a short form, a phone number that can be tapped on a phone, and a clear note of what happens next and how quickly. Good sites also say what not to send. Asking visitors not to include confidential details in a first message protects them and the firm.
They stay inside the advertising rules
A law firm's website is a communication about a lawyer's services, so the ethics rules apply. The ABA's Model Rule 7.1 governs those communications and Rule 7.2 sets specific rules for advertising. Each state adopts its own version, and the ABA keeps a chart of how state advertising rules differ. Maryland attorneys work under the Maryland Attorneys' Rules of Professional Conduct.
In practice, the careful sites avoid words like "best" and "guaranteed", present past results with proper context if at all, and have a partner read every page before it goes live.
They work for everyone, on every device
Many first visits happen on a phone, often in a hurry. The best sites load quickly, read comfortably at small sizes and never hide the phone number. They are also built to be accessible: the Department of Justice has published guidance on web accessibility and the ADA, and the W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 are the standard most designers build to. Good contrast, real text instead of text in images, and forms that work with a keyboard are the basics.
What separates good from memorable
| Common | Memorable |
|---|---|
| Stock photos of gavels and columns | Real photographs of the attorneys and the office |
| A list of practice areas | A clear page for each, written for clients |
| "Contact us" | A named first step and a stated response time |
| Claims of excellence | Specific, accurate descriptions of the work |
Where Bay House fits
We design websites for small and mid-sized firms that want to look as considered as the work they do: bespoke design, real photography, a page for every practice area and a consultation request that is easy to find. Our Signature Site starts from $12,500, and the Full Commission, from $25,000, adds an AI assistant that drafts a prompt reply to every enquiry for your approval. Every project ends in a fixed-price proposal; see our pricing. If you are weighing AI on the phones too, read AI receptionist for law firms: what it should and shouldn't do.
Common questions
What should be on a law firm's home page?
A plain statement of what the firm does and where, the main practice areas, a short introduction to the attorneys, and one obvious way to request a consultation. Everything else can live a click away.
Do bar advertising rules apply to a law firm website?
Yes. A website is a communication about a lawyer's services, so the ABA Model Rules on advertising, and your own state's version of them, apply to what it says.
Should a law firm website have a blog?
Only if someone will keep it up. A few well-written answers to the questions clients really ask are worth more than a stream of thin posts.
