Does a lawyer website count as advertising?

Generally yes. It is a communication about your services, so your state's advertising rules apply. Check your state's rules; this is not legal advice.

Do I still need an "Attorney Advertising" label on a New York website?

New York's amended advertising rules took effect on 1 June 2026 and dropped the blanket labeling requirement that used to apply to website home pages. Other states differ, so confirm with your bar.

Can I put client testimonials and case results on my site?

It depends on your state; some allow them with disclaimers or consent, others restrict them. Never post fake or paid reviews or imply past results guarantee future ones.

Can I call myself a specialist on my website?

Under the ABA Model Rule, only if you are certified by an approved organization and that organization is clearly named. Phrases like "focuses on" are usually safer.

What should my contact form say?

Say that submitting the form does not create an attorney-client relationship, that visitors should not send confidential details yet, and that site content is not legal advice.

Is Avvo or Justia enough without my own website?

They help visibility, but you do not control those pages. Use them to point people back to your own site, where they can book.

Will FAQ markup give my firm extra space in Google?

No. Google stopped showing FAQ rich results for all sites in May 2026. FAQs still help visitors.

Websites by Industry

Website for Lawyers in 2026: What a Solo or Small Law Firm Site Needs to Win Clients and Stay Within the Advertising Rules

By ITCM Team · Updated November 2026

Most people looking for a lawyer search on their phone, often under stress. Your website must show clearly what you handle and make it easy to reach you, while respecting your state bar's advertising rules. This guide covers what a solo or small firm site needs in 2026. It is practical web advice, not legal advice: always check your own state's rules of professional conduct or ask your bar's ethics hotline.

Key takeaways

Build one clear page per practice area and one bio per attorney.
ABA Model Rules 7.1-7.3 are the baseline, but your state's version of the rules is what applies to you.
Every contact form needs a short notice: no attorney-client relationship yet, and do not send confidential details.
Run a simple conflict check before you collect the full story.
Use a secure portal or upload link for documents instead of plain email attachments.
Directories and Google ads help, but your own site is the only asset you fully control.

What should a law firm website include in 2026?

A visitor who was just arrested, served with divorce papers or hurt in a crash wants to know three things fast: do you handle my problem, do you work where I live, and how do I talk to you.

Home page that names your main practice areas and the city or state you serve
One page per practice area (for example DUI defense, uncontested divorce, estate planning)
Attorney bio pages with bar admissions, education and real experience
Contact page and short intake form with the right disclaimers
Free or paid consultation booking, clearly labeled
Fees page or at least a clear explanation of how you bill (flat fee, hourly, contingency)
Disclaimer, privacy policy and accessibility statement

How should I structure practice area pages?

Practice area pages are where most search traffic lands. Someone searching for an estate planning lawyer in their city wants a page about exactly that.

Give each practice area its own page: who it is for, the process, typical documents or deadlines, how fees work, and a booking button. Our guide on service page structure that ranks shows the layout we use.

Keep the tone educational: explaining the steps of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or a green card process builds trust. Add a line that the content is general information, not legal advice, and show when it was last reviewed. The ABA suggested both points for lawyer websites in Formal Opinion 10-457.

What makes a good attorney bio page?

Use a real, recent photo, bar admissions, education, the matters you handle, languages you speak, and a short human paragraph about why you do this work.

Be careful with words like "expert" or "specialist". Under ABA Model Rule 7.2(c), a lawyer should not say or imply they are certified as a specialist unless an approved organization certified them and the certifying body is clearly named. States have their own versions, so phrases like "focuses on" or "practice limited to" are often the safer choice.

What do ABA Model Rules 7.1-7.3 mean for my website?

Your website is a communication about your services, so the advertising rules apply to it. In 2018 the ABA simplified these rules. In short:

Rule 7.1: no false or misleading communication about you or your services, including true statements that leave a misleading impression
Rule 7.2: advertising is allowed; you cannot pay for recommendations (with narrow exceptions); specialist claims need recognized certification; ads must include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or firm
Rule 7.3: limits on soliciting a specific person, especially live person-to-person contact for money

Website element	Common risk	Safer approach
Case results	Implies you will win again	Give context; add disclaimer where required
Testimonials	Banned or restricted in some states	Check your state; get written consent
"Specialist" or "expert"	Uncertified specialty claim	Use "focuses on" unless certified
Footer	Missing responsible lawyer	Lawyer or firm name and contact info

Do state bar rules differ for lawyer websites?

Yes. The ABA Model Rules are a model; each state adopts its own version. Testimonials, past results, "specialist" wording and required labels vary from state to state.

Florida's Supreme Court made lawyer websites subject to the state's substantive advertising rules from 2010 (websites are exempt from the filing requirement), and its rules have been strict on testimonials and past results. New York, on the other hand, used to require the words "Attorney Advertising" on a website's home page and the exact disclaimer "Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome" with results. On 1 June 2026, New York's amended rules took effect, largely adopting the ABA's 2018 approach and dropping the blanket "Attorney Advertising" labeling requirement. Older New York sites deserve a fresh review.

Have the site reviewed against your own state's rules before launch. This article is not legal advice.

What disclaimer should a law firm contact form have?

In Formal Opinion 10-457, the ABA said that when a website invites people to submit information and they do, a prospective client relationship under Rule 1.18 may arise, and it recommended clear warnings.

Put a short notice right above the submit button, not hidden in the footer. A typical notice covers:

Sending this form does not create an attorney-client relationship
Please do not send confidential or sensitive details until we confirm we can help you
Information on this site is general and is not legal advice
We will reply within a stated time (and say how)

How do I handle intake, conflict checks and booking online?

A good intake form protects you and the visitor. Ask first for the basics you need for a conflict check: the person's name, the names of the other parties (opposing party, spouse, company), the practice area and location. Only after the conflict check clears should you ask for the full story.

Send each inquiry to one place where nothing gets lost. Many small firms still copy web leads into spreadsheets; at ITCM we often replace them with a simple lead list that shows status (new, conflict check, booked, retained, declined) and who follows up. Our guide on contact forms that convert explains how to keep the form short without losing what you need.

Add 24/7 consultation booking, because people often search at night or on weekends. Be clear about price and length (for example a free 15-minute call or a paid one-hour consultation) and keep the conflict check before the booking. Send a polite decline or referral to people you cannot help, so it is clear you are not representing them.

Do lawyers need a secure client portal for documents?

Clients send IDs, medical records, contracts and tax papers. Under Model Rule 1.6(c) a lawyer must make reasonable efforts to prevent unauthorized disclosure of client information, and ABA Formal Opinion 477R (2017) says that very sensitive matters may call for stronger protection than ordinary email.

A simple secure portal or upload link solves most of this: files go over HTTPS into protected storage, each client sees only their own matter, and logins use two-factor authentication. Read more in our customer portal guide.

Security also means the website itself. We regularly recover hacked WordPress sites, and a law firm site full of spam links or a fake login page damages trust fast. Keep plugins updated, use strong logins and keep backups; our guide on recovering a hacked website covers the steps.

Does a law firm website need to be accessible?

Yes, plan for it. In March 2022 the US Department of Justice published guidance saying businesses open to the public should make their websites accessible to people with disabilities. It did not mandate one technical standard, but WCAG is the common reference.

For a law firm this means readable contrast, forms that work with a keyboard and screen reader, captioned videos and accessible PDFs. Our ADA website compliance guide has a simple checklist.

Google Business Profile, Avvo, Justia or Local Services Ads: which matters most?

Google Business Profile is free and drives map results for searches like "lawyer near me". Google's guidelines treat lawyers as individual practitioners: in a firm with several public-facing lawyers at one location, the firm can have a profile and each lawyer can have their own; a solo lawyer who is the only practitioner at a branded firm is better off with one shared profile. Do not create extra profiles for each practice area. Our Google Business Profile checklist covers the rest.

Directories like Avvo and Justia let you claim or create a profile and can add visibility and reviews, but you do not control their pages. Use them as signposts back to your own site.

Google Local Services Ads for legal services show at the top of some searches, charge per lead rather than per click, and require license and business verification before you earn the Google Verified badge. Google also says ads that rarely answer calls or messages can be shown less.

Channel	Best for	Who controls it
Your own website	Trust, detail, intake, booking	You
Google Business Profile	Map and "near me" searches, reviews	Google rules
Avvo / Justia	Extra visibility and reviews	Directory
Local Services Ads	Paid leads at the top of results	Google rules and budget

Law firm website: template/platform vs custom

Templates from website builders and legal marketing platforms are quick to start and fine for a very small budget. The trade-offs: generic text not written for your state's rules, growing monthly fees and limited intake logic.

A custom site costs more effort up front but fits your exact practice areas, intake questions, conflict check flow and booking rules. With ITCM's demo-first process you do not judge a mockup: you see real working pages for your firm before you decide anything.

Factor	Template / platform	Custom
Start time	Fast	Days to weeks
Intake and conflict flow	Basic form	Built for your process
State-specific wording	Generic	Written for your rules
Ownership	Depends on contract	Agreed up front

Get your law firm website built free, pay only if you like it

ITCM builds your website and an installable app for free. You see it finished, and you pay $150 one time only if you are happy. The $150 covers the website, the installable app, 24/7 online booking, lead management, an admin panel and 3 design options. Anything extra gets a fixed quote before any work begins, and an optional care plan starts from $100/month.

See how the free build works and request yours.

Frequently asked questions

Does a lawyer website count as advertising?: Generally yes. It is a communication about your services, so your state's advertising rules apply. Check your state's rules; this is not legal advice.
Do I still need an "Attorney Advertising" label on a New York website?: New York's amended advertising rules took effect on 1 June 2026 and dropped the blanket labeling requirement that used to apply to website home pages. Other states differ, so confirm with your bar.
Can I put client testimonials and case results on my site?: It depends on your state; some allow them with disclaimers or consent, others restrict them. Never post fake or paid reviews or imply past results guarantee future ones.
Can I call myself a specialist on my website?: Under the ABA Model Rule, only if you are certified by an approved organization and that organization is clearly named. Phrases like "focuses on" are usually safer.
What should my contact form say?: Say that submitting the form does not create an attorney-client relationship, that visitors should not send confidential details yet, and that site content is not legal advice.
Is Avvo or Justia enough without my own website?: They help visibility, but you do not control those pages. Use them to point people back to your own site, where they can book.
Will FAQ markup give my firm extra space in Google?: No. Google stopped showing FAQ rich results for all sites in May 2026. FAQs still help visitors.

Get a website + app built for free

We build your website and mobile app first, and you see it finished. If you’re happy, you pay $150 one-time. If you’re not, you pay nothing.

See the $150 offer Free website audit

← All articles