WEBSITES FOR LAW FIRMS
Common mistakes on law firm websites (and how to fix them)
Most law firm websites don’t fail because of their design, but because of simpler things: they talk about the firm instead of the client, hide the contact options or look outdated. These are the mistakes I see most often when reviewing law firm websites, and how to fix each one, often without rebuilding the site.
1. Talking about the firm instead of the client
“Welcome to our firm. Founded in 1998, we are a team committed to excellence and quality.” It is the most common sentence on law firm websites, and it doesn’t answer the visitor’s question: can they help me with my problem?
How to fix it: start with the client’s problem and what you do to solve it. The firm’s history can go further down, as proof of experience. The guide what a law firm website needs includes a before-and-after example.
2. A list of practice areas with no explanation
A single page with a dozen bullet points (“Civil law”, “Criminal law”, “Corporate law”…) forces visitors to translate their problem into legal language. Google doesn’t know which searches that page answers either.
How to fix it: one page for each important area, written from real situations (“I’ve been dismissed”, “an inheritance without agreement”), with how you work, what clients should prepare and the most common questions. If you cover many areas, start with those that bring the most work.
3. Stock photos
Gavels, scales, handshakes and smiling people in a meeting room that isn’t yours. Visitors recognise them instantly and they say nothing about your firm.
How to fix it: a professional photo session of your team and offices. It is one of the investments that builds the most trust. In the meantime, fewer images are better than generic ones.
4. Hidden or unclear contact options
If getting in touch means opening the menu, clicking “Contact” and finding a form with no explanation, many people will put it off. Someone looking for a lawyer is often hesitant, and every obstacle counts.
How to fix it: a contact button visible on every page, including on mobile, and a sentence explaining what happens next: when you reply, whether the first consultation is charged and what the first step looks like.
5. A form that asks for too much
Some forms ask for the full case, attached documents and a dozen required fields. As well as putting people off, they send sensitive information through a channel that may not be appropriate.
How to fix it: ask only for what you need to reply: name, contact details and a short summary. Add a clear privacy note and leave the details of the case for the first conversation.
6. Promising results or showing clients without permission
“We win 98% of our cases”, client logos or recognisable cases on the blog. Besides reducing credibility, they can breach professional rules: in Spain, the General Statute of the Legal Profession forbids promising results that don’t depend solely on the lawyer and mentioning clients without their permission. Other countries have similar rules.
How to fix it: explain how you work and the kind of matters you handle, without identifying anyone. Use public reviews or authorised testimonials. This guide lists the limits in full.
What is and isn’t allowed is explained in law firm advertising online.
7. Outdated information
Lawyers who no longer work at the firm, the latest news item from four years ago, old opening hours or “© 2019” in the footer. To visitors, an abandoned website suggests a firm that doesn’t pay attention to detail.
How to fix it: review the website once a month: team, contact details, services and dates. If you won’t keep a blog going, it is better not to have one than to have it stalled. Guide: how often to update your website ↗
8. An incomplete legal notice
Many law firm websites have a legal notice copied from a template, without the bar association or membership number, or a privacy policy that doesn’t mention the form they actually use. On a law firm’s website, of all places, it shows.
How to fix it: include the details required for regulated professions where you practise (in Spain, the LSSI requires the professional body, membership number, qualification and applicable professional rules) and adapt the privacy policy to what your website really does.
9. A slow, insecure or awkward website on mobile
A website that loads slowly, looks wrong on a phone or shows security warnings loses enquiries. And a hacked website, common with unmaintained WordPress installations, is a serious problem for a firm that handles confidential information.
How to fix it: run your website through PageSpeed Insights, test it on your own phone and make sure someone looks after updates and backups. Guide: WordPress pros and cons ↗
Frequently asked questions about law firm website mistakes
What is the most serious mistake?
A website that doesn’t make clear within seconds what you do and who for. If visitors don’t recognise themselves in what they read, other improvements hardly matter.
Can I fix these mistakes without rebuilding the website?
Many of them, yes: copy, photos, contact options, the legal notice or outdated information can be improved on the current website. Rebuilding makes sense when the structure or technology prevents those changes.
How often should I review my firm’s website?
A quick check once a month (team, contact, services and dates) and a fuller review once a year, including copy, performance and security.
Want to know which mistakes your firm’s website has?
The strategy audit (€295 + VAT) reviews your website, your message and your channels, and gives you a diagnosis with priorities for fixing them. If you then want me to take care of it, custom web design starts at €1,995 + VAT.
See the audit ↗ See law firm websites ↗