What a law firm website needs: a checklist

Someone looking for a lawyer usually has a problem and some worry about it. Before they write or call, they want to know three things: do you handle this kind of matter, can they trust you, and what happens when they get in touch. A good law firm website answers those questions calmly and plainly.

The essentials

• Practice areas in plain words. "Tenancy disputes" says more than "real estate litigation" to most people.
• Who you are: the lawyers' names, where they are admitted to practise, and the languages they work in.
• How a first consultation works: by phone, video or in person, how long it takes and whether there is a fee.
• Where your clients are: one city, a whole country, or clients abroad.
• Contact details: address, phone, email and a short contact form.

Write for the client, not for other lawyers

Short sentences, everyday words, one idea per paragraph. Explain what a client can expect rather than listing every statute you know. If you work in more than one language, say so near the top: it is often the reason someone picks you.

Claims and notices to check

Many bars and law societies limit how lawyers may advertise. The rules differ from place to place, so check the ones where you practise. Common points:

• Avoid words like "best", "leading" or "expert" unless your rules allow them.
• Do not promise results, and be careful with past results or client reviews.
• Say that the website is general information, not legal advice, and that contacting you does not by itself create a lawyer-client relationship.
• Ask people not to send confidential details through the contact form before you have agreed to act.

A blog, if you will keep it up

Articles that answer the questions clients actually ask, such as how long a process takes or which documents to bring, help people trust you and help them find you through search. Two good articles are better than ten thin ones. A blog that stopped two years ago looks worse than none.

On Almulx

The Counsel design is made for law firms: serif headings on a quiet paper tone, a row with where you are admitted, the languages you work in and how a first consultation works, and a blog laid out for long reading. Choose Law Firm as your kind of business and you get a Disclaimer page and short notes under every article and on the contact page, from fixed text rather than AI. The first draft avoids words like "best" and "expert" and never promises results. The notices are general, so check them against your own rules. See the Counsel design.