Web design for law firms is a regulated purchase before it is a creative one. A law firm site is attorney advertising in most states, so the copy, the testimonials and even the way results are described sit under professional conduct rules, not just taste. The second constraint is commercial: the site's job is to turn a stressed person with a legal problem into a consultation booked, which is a different brief from a brochure. This page covers both constraints and what to verify about any designer who claims law firm experience.
The site is advertising, and advertising is regulated
State professional conduct rules treat firm websites as communications about a lawyer's services. California's Rule 7.1, which tracks the ABA model rule most states start from, bars false or misleading communications, including truthful statements presented in a way that creates unjustified expectations, and its Chapter 7 rules require advertising to identify a responsible lawyer and restrict paying others to recommend the firm. Practical consequences for a design brief: no language that guarantees or implies outcomes, testimonials handled with disclaimers where the state requires them, and past results framed so they do not promise the same for the next client. Rules vary by state, so the firm's own bar rules govern; a designer who has shipped law firm sites should expect this review, not resist it.
What a law firm site has to do commercially
Legal clients rarely browse; they arrive with a problem, often from a search, and decide quickly whether to call. The pages that matter are practice area pages that answer the visitor's actual situation, attorney bios that establish who will handle the matter, and a contact path that works on a phone. Google's own guidance on helpful content applies directly: the pages should demonstrate first-hand expertise and be written for the person, not the ranking, and the guide's page experience advice means fast load and readable structure are part of the design job, not an add-on. A visually impressive site that buries the phone number or loads slowly on mobile fails the only test that matters.
Vetting a designer who claims legal experience
Ask for live law firm sites they built, then check them the way this directory checks agencies: from published evidence. Do the sites name a responsible attorney, avoid outcome guarantees, and load quickly on a phone? Does the designer publish pricing or at least a floor, and do their case examples name the client? Ask how they handle bar review, since some states require filing or pre-approval of certain advertising formats. Ask what happens after launch: who owns the domain, the hosting, the analytics and the content management login. A firm should leave the engagement owning everything, because switching designers is routine and being held hostage by one is a known failure mode.
What it costs and how to compare quotes
Law firm sites are quoted anywhere from template-based builds at a few thousand dollars to custom projects several times that, and the honest comparison is scope, not the number: how many practice area pages are written and by whom, whether content is included or billed separately, what the ongoing hosting and maintenance retainer covers, and whether SEO work is genuinely included or just claimed. Ask each finalist to itemise. The printed prices agencies publish are the reference points worth using; a quote that cannot be broken into parts cannot be compared against anything.
Questions people ask about web design for law firms
Do bar advertising rules apply to a law firm website?
Generally yes. Most states treat firm websites as communications about a lawyer's services, so rules against false or misleading statements and unjustified expectations apply. Rules vary by state, so check your own bar's requirements; this is general information, not legal advice.
Can a law firm site show past case results?
In many states yes, if presented without creating unjustified expectations, often with disclaimers. Some states are stricter about results and testimonials than others, so the safe brief is to draft against your state's rule and have the responsible attorney review before launch.
Should the designer also do the firm's SEO?
Only if they can show evidence of both skills separately. Design and search visibility are different trades; a designer who claims SEO should answer Google's own hiring questions, including examples and expected timeframes, and no one can guarantee a ranking.
What should the firm own after the project ends?
The domain, the hosting account, the site files, the content and every login. Verify this is in the contract before signing; ownership disputes at switching time are one of the most common complaints buyers report about web projects.