A law firm website: what to show clients and what conduct rules allow

A client looking for a lawyer usually has a matter that worries them, and before calling they check several firms - the one they were referred to and the ones they found on Google. On the website they look for answers to three questions: do you handle my matter, can I trust you and how do I start. A law firm also has something other industries do not: professional conduct rules that set what you may say about yourself.

In this article we go through it in order: how clients reach a law firm's site, what to show to build trust within the conduct rules, how to build practice-area pages, how to handle the first contact and how to be visible on Google. The rules described are Polish, but the logic applies more widely.

Short answer: a law firm website should clearly show which matters you handle and for whom - ideally with a separate page for each key practice area - who the lawyers are and what the first contact looks like, and getting in touch should be simple. The conduct rules set the limits: no comparisons with other firms, no promised outcomes and nothing that makes clients identifiable. The form collects only what is needed to call back.

How clients reach a law firm's site and what they check

Clients reach a law firm's site in two ways, and each gives the site a different job.

A referred client types the lawyer's or the firm's name into Google. They do not need convincing from scratch - they want to confirm they have come to the right place: whether the firm handles their type of matter, who the people are, what reviews the Google Business Profile has and how to book. A site that does not show this can waste even a good referral.

A client from search types in their problem: "divorce attorney Poznań", "employment lawyer Kraków". They see the Google map, lawyer directories and several firms' sites. They do not know you, so the site has to do all the work: show that you understand their situation and make the first step easy. Such a client, especially with an urgent matter, often contacts several firms at once.

A good site serves both groups. Everything else follows from that: what to show, how to structure it and how to respond to enquiries.

What to show so a client trusts you - within the conduct rules

Trust in the legal sector is built with specifics and people, not declarations. "Top-tier legal advice" is something any firm could write. "We represent employers in disputes with employees before the labour courts in Greater Poland" says what you do and for whom - and lets the client judge straight away whether you are the right address.

This is where professional conduct comes in. In Poland, since 2023 advocates may use commercial information, but under the Code of Ethics for Advocates it must be accurate, must not mislead, compare or be intrusive, and must respect professional secrecy. For legal advisers, informing about their practice is a right (art. 31 of the Code of Ethics for Legal Advisers), but art. 32 prohibits giving information about clients in criminal, fiscal-penal, misdemeanour, family and guardianship matters - even with their consent.

In practice it is safest to describe the types of matters and problems clients come with, rather than specific cases and their outcomes. Check the detailed limits in your own bar's current code, because the rules for advocates and legal advisers differ. If you run a solo practice, we cover it separately in A website for a solo lawyer.

Practice areas as separate pages

A list of twenty practice areas on one page helps nobody. A client typing "divorce attorney Poznań" wants a page about divorce, not an index of everything the firm does. Google works similarly: it matches a query to the page that answers it best.

That is why every key practice area should have its own page, written in the client's language rather than the statute's.

Create these pages only for areas you genuinely work in every day. Ten empty pages "just in case" look unreliable to clients and to Google alike. If you mainly serve businesses and finance matters, such a site has its own specifics - we expand on them in A website for a finance law firm.

First contact: fast, but without collecting case details

Since a client with an urgent matter writes to several firms, a fast, clear reply matters. Research on response times, such as the study published in Harvard Business Review in 2011, shows that a fast reply clearly raises the chance of a conversation. The point is not for a lawyer to answer within a minute, but for the client to know straight away what happens next.

The form should collect only what is needed to call back: contact details, the type of matter, a pressing deadline (for example an appeal deadline) and the preferred way to be contacted. Case details are better gathered in a conversation with the lawyer - they are covered by professional secrecy and are often specially protected personal data under the GDPR. Below the form you need a privacy notice: who the data controller is, why and on what legal basis the data is processed, how long it is kept and what rights the person providing it has.

If you are considering an AI assistant on the site, its role should be organisational: opening hours, directions, what the first consultation looks like, which documents to bring. It should not assess the matter or collect its details, and since 2 August 2026 it must clearly tell people it is an AI.

How a law firm can be visible on Google

Visibility on Google has several layers, and the first ones are free and work fastest.

• ↗Google Business Profile. The right category, address, opening hours, photos and a current phone number. When replying to reviews, do not confirm that someone was a client and do not refer to case details - secrecy applies there too.
• ↗Consistent details. The same name, address and phone number on the site, the Business Profile, lawyer directories and bar association search tools.
• ↗Practice-area pages with a location. Phrases like "[practice area] [city]" are realistic to win, because you compete with local firms rather than the whole market. Pages for cities where you have no office or matters usually do not work.
• ↗Articles answering clients' questions. "Is a partner liable for the company's debts", "what does a child support case look like" - one reliable, updated article per practice area is worth more than short weekly posts. An outdated legal article damages trust, so it has to be corrected when the law changes.

Broad phrases like "lawyer Warsaw" will be won by directories and large firms for a long time. It is better to start with phrases where a client looks for specific help in your city.

Client panel and English version: when they make sense

A client panel makes sense when you exchange many documents with clients or status questions eat the team's time. First, though, check whether your practice-management software already has a client area - more on that in A client portal for a law firm.

An English version makes sense if you genuinely serve foreign clients or companies with foreign capital. It should be written for that reader, with correct terminology, not translated word for word.

What a law firm website costs

In our price list a simple law firm showcase costs from PLN 5,000 net, a site with practice-area pages and local SEO from PLN 12,000, and a site with a client panel from PLN 26,000. An extra language version is PLN 1,000, and an AI assistant is a separate monthly subscription. The build usually takes 3-4 weeks for a showcase, 6-8 weeks for a site with practice areas and from 10 weeks for a site with a panel - preparing the content usually takes longest.

Work out the return cautiously: on margin and on clients you would not have won without the site, not on the value of a mandate. We break down market ranges and example calculations in How much a law firm website costs.

Frequently asked questions

Can a lawyer have a website and advertise on Google?

Yes. In Poland, advocates have been able to use commercial information since 2023, and for legal advisers informing about their practice is a right. The condition is similar in both cases: the message must be accurate, must not mislead, compare with other lawyers or breach professional secrecy.

Can I describe cases I have handled?

Carefully. A legal adviser may not give information about clients in criminal, fiscal-penal, misdemeanour, family and guardianship matters, even with their consent. An advocate is bound by professional secrecy and the ban on misleading information. It is safest to describe the types of matters and problems clients come with, without details that could identify anyone and without promises about outcomes.

Does a law firm need a blog?

Only if you can publish accurately and update articles when the law changes. A few good articles answering clients' questions in your practice areas will do more than frequent short posts.

How long does it take to build a law firm website?

Usually 3-4 weeks for a simple showcase, 6-8 weeks for a site with practice-area pages and from 10 weeks for a site with a client panel. What most often stretches the timeline is preparing the content, so it is worth starting with the practice-area descriptions and bios.

Will a website replace referrals?

No. Referrals will remain an important source of clients, but a referred client still checks the firm online before calling. A good site confirms the referral and, over time, adds a second source: clients from search.

Summary

A law firm website should help a client quickly establish whether they have come to the right place, and make the first step easy. Clear practice areas on separate pages, real people, a simple contact that does not collect case details, and a message consistent with professional ethics - that is the foundation on which visibility on Google can be built.

If you want to talk about a website for your firm, write to us.