Lawyer websites in 2026: what to include and the advertising rules to check

Updated 3 October 2026 · 9 min read

People choosing a lawyer are usually anxious and short of time. They want to know three things quickly: can you help with my kind of problem, are you properly qualified where I live, and what will it cost? A good lawyer’s website answers those in the first screen and then makes the next step easy. It also has to stay inside the advertising rules of your jurisdiction, which differ a lot between countries and, in the US, between states. This guide covers both.

The short answer

Lead with your name, the kind of law you practise, your city and jurisdiction, and one clear way to start: call, book or send a short enquiry.
Show who regulates you. In England and Wales the SRA requires firms to display their SRA number and the clickable SRA logo, and to publish a complaints procedure and, for specified services, price and service information.
In the US, the ABA Model Rules 7.1 to 7.3 are the starting point for rules on misleading communications, advertising and solicitation, but each state sets its own. Check yours before you publish results, testimonials or claims of specialisation.
In India, Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules bars advocates from advertising or soliciting work; take your bar council’s advice before you publish a promotional website.
Never promise outcomes, and avoid “best”. Say what you do, for whom and what it costs.
This guide is general information, not legal advice about your obligations.

What clients check first

Do you handle my kind of problem? A visitor with a landlord dispute wants to see “tenancy and housing disputes”, not a list of every area of law.
Are you qualified and regulated here? They look for your jurisdiction, admissions, registration number and regulator.
What will it cost? Many people leave when there is no hint of fees. A first-consultation price, a fixed fee for common work, or an hourly range removes the fear.
How do I start? A visible phone number, booking link or short form, and what happens after.
Are you nearby, and do you speak my language? Address, service area and languages.
Can I trust you? Experience, reviews as your rules allow, publications, memberships and a photograph.

What to include

Content for a lawyer’s website
Element	What to put	Why it matters
Top of the page	Your name, “family lawyer / solicitor / attorney”, city and jurisdiction, a photo and one button to start	It answers the first three questions at once and matches how people search. See page titles and descriptions
Practice areas	A short list of what you do, each with a sentence on who it is for and a typical problem you solve	Visitors scan for their problem; vague lists of everything lose them
Fees and process	A price or “from” price for common work, how billing works, and the steps from first call to resolution	Reduces fear and filters enquiries
Credentials and regulation	Admissions or qualifications, registration or roll number, regulator, years in practice, languages	Proof you are authorised; required to be shown in some places
About you	A short, plain bio and a real photograph	People choose a person, not a firm name
Proof	Memberships, publications, talks, and reviews or testimonials only if your rules allow	Independent evidence, not self-praise
Questions and answers	Four to six real questions: How much? How long? Do I need a lawyer? What should I bring?	Matches how people search and how AI assistants answer
Contact	Phone, email, address, hours, map, and a form with a confidentiality note	One obvious next step, repeated at the end
Notices	A short disclaimer, any required regulatory text, and a privacy notice	Sets expectations and meets rules

The rules, by country

Rules on lawyer advertising differ widely and change. The summaries below show the shape of the rules and where to look; they are not a substitute for reading the rules that bind you or asking your regulator.

United States

The ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct set the pattern. Rule 7.1 prohibits false or misleading communications about a lawyer or the lawyer’s services; Rule 7.2 covers permitted advertising, including how to claim to be a certified specialist; Rule 7.3 restricts direct solicitation of people known to need legal services in a particular matter. The ABA amended these in 2018.
Every state adopts its own version, and many differ. Some require labels such as “Attorney Advertising”, restrict testimonials or case results, require disclaimers, or limit claims of specialisation. Look at your state bar’s rules and advertising guidance.
A website that invites enquiries can create confusion about whether you are acting for the visitor. Add a short notice that contacting you does not create a lawyer-client relationship, and warn visitors not to send confidential details until you have agreed to act.

England and Wales

The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s Transparency Rules require regulated firms and sole practitioners to publish certain information on their website, including price and service information for specified areas of work, details of the individuals or teams who will provide the service, and a complaints procedure that explains how and when a client can go to the Legal Ombudsman and the SRA.
The firm’s SRA number should be displayed prominently, and since 2019 firms with a website must show the SRA’s clickable logo.
Barristers and other legal professionals have their own regulators and rules; Scotland and Northern Ireland have separate regimes. Check the one that applies to you.

Europe

Rules are national and set by each country’s bar or law society. In most places factual advertising is permitted, while misleading claims, unsupported comparisons and certain kinds of direct solicitation are restricted. Some countries also regulate how you may describe a specialty and what title you use.
Check your bar association’s advertising rules and, if you serve clients across borders, the rules of the other countries too.

India

Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules prohibits advocates from advertising or soliciting work, directly or indirectly. The Bar Council has issued notices to online platforms listing advocates, and the Supreme Court has issued notice to it on the limits of permitted online listings.
Before you publish a website or list on a directory, ask your state bar council what information may be shown. See which directories matter.

Practice area pages: when one page is enough

A sole practitioner with two or three areas can cover them on one page. If you practise several distinct areas that people search for separately, such as immigration, employment and family law, a separate page for each, with its own questions, process and fees, can serve visitors better and give search engines more to match. See one page or many. Avoid near-identical pages for every town you might serve.

Writing about results and reviews

Do not promise outcomes. “We will win your case” is a breach of the rules in many places. Say what you do and how you work.
If you mention past results, check whether your rules allow it, what disclaimers they require, and whether the result is typical. Never imply a result is guaranteed.
Testimonials and reviews are restricted in some jurisdictions. Check before you quote them. Independent reviews on Google are different from testimonials you publish, but you must still not solicit or incentivise them. See how to get Google reviews.
Avoid “best”, “leading” and “top” unless you can prove it and your rules allow it.
Be careful with the word “specialist”. Some jurisdictions allow it only where you are certified by an approved body.

Your contact form and confidentiality

Tell visitors what the form is for, and warn them not to include confidential details until you have agreed to act.
Make clear that sending a message does not create a lawyer-client relationship.
Use a form that sends securely and is stored safely. Do not put sensitive details in an email subject.
Say when you will reply, and keep that promise.
Add a privacy notice that says what you do with the information.

Common mistakes

Using stock pictures of gavels and scales instead of a photograph of you.
Leaving out the city and jurisdiction.
Listing every area of law you have ever touched.
Hiding fees entirely.
Pages that look the same for every town, with only the place name changed.
An old site that shows a former firm, phone number or regulatory status.
Forgetting required regulatory information.
Publishing a result or review without checking the rules.

A simple structure for a one-page site

Name, “family lawyer in Boston”, jurisdiction, photo, and a button: “Book a free 20-minute call”.
Practice areas: divorce, custody, adoption, each with a sentence.
How it works and what it costs: three steps and a fee range.
Credentials: bar admissions, registration, years in practice, languages.
Four questions and answers.
Contact details, hours and a form with a confidentiality note.
Regulatory text and disclaimers.

For ready-made sections and notices for lawyers, see websites for lawyers.

Where BeVisible fits

BeVisible has a lawyer setup with ready-made practice areas, fee sections and a notice suited to where you work, and it flags wording that regulators often object to, such as “best” or promised outcomes, as you type. That is guidance, not legal advice: what you publish stays your responsibility. You can build and preview free, and publish free for 7 days with no card needed; after that one yearly plan keeps a website online, and one plan covers one website. Start from a photo or type your details.

Frequently asked questions

What should a lawyer’s website include?

Your name, practice areas, city and jurisdiction, a photograph, credentials and registration, fees or a fee range, how to start, questions and answers, contact details and any notices your regulator requires. Lead with the problems you solve and make the next step obvious.

Can lawyers advertise online?

Generally yes, within rules that vary by country and, in the US, by state. The usual limits are against misleading claims, guarantees of outcomes, unverifiable comparisons and certain forms of direct solicitation. In India, Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules bars advocates from advertising or soliciting work. Check your regulator.

What do the SRA Transparency Rules require on a law firm website?

Firms regulated by the SRA must publish price and service information for specified areas of work, details of the people who will provide those services, and a complaints procedure that explains how to go to the Legal Ombudsman and the SRA. They should display their SRA number prominently and show the SRA’s clickable logo.

Can a lawyer use testimonials or case results?

It depends on the jurisdiction. Some restrict or condition testimonials and results, requiring disclaimers or banning them. Check your bar’s rules before you publish either, and never imply a past result guarantees a future one.

Should a lawyer’s website show prices?

Showing a price or a fee range for common work usually helps, because people who see no hint of cost often leave. In England and Wales the SRA requires price information for specified services. Where you cannot give a price, explain how fees are set and what a first consultation costs.

Do I need a separate page for each practice area?

Only if you practise several distinct areas that people search for separately and each needs real content. A sole practitioner with two or three areas can cover them on one page. Avoid near-identical pages for each town.