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What pages does a law firm website need?

Fewer than most vendors sell you, and more than a one-page site. Here is each page a small firm needs, and the job it does.

By Mark Jarvis, Settled Sites ยท Updated

In short.

Most small law firm websites need fifteen to twenty pages: a homepage, one page for each practice area or service, a fees page, attorney bios, contact with directions, a few guides that answer common client questions, and the legal pages (privacy, accessibility and a disclaimer). In Illinois the site must also name a responsible lawyer or firm and an office address (Rule 7.2).

The pages, and their jobs.

  • Homepage. Says what you do, where, what it costs and how to reach you, before anyone scrolls.
  • One page per practice area or service. Contract review, closings, wills, trusts, a DUI, a custody matter. Each answers one kind of client.
  • Pages for each kind of client, where it helps: buyers and sellers, for example, read a closing attorney's site differently.
  • Fees. What you charge, what it covers, what is billed separately. If you do not publish a figure, how fees are agreed.
  • Attorney bios. Admission, languages, what each attorney focuses on, and a real photograph.
  • Guides. Three to six plain articles that answer what clients search for in your practice.
  • Contact and directions. A short form with the right notices, phone, hours, and how to find you.
  • Legal pages. Privacy, accessibility statement and a disclaimer.

A full example: the closing attorney demo has nineteen pages built this way.

Why one page per service.

Search engines and AI answers match one question to one page. A single "Practice areas" page that lists ten services answers none of them well. A page each lets every service be found, and gives the client exactly what they came for.

What to leave out.

A "why choose us" page of adjectives, a wall of badges, stock photos of gavels, and anything that calls you an "expert" or "specialist" without naming a certification, which Illinois Rule 7.4 does not allow.

Settled Sites is a web design studio, not a law firm. This guide is general information about websites, not legal advice. Check the current rules and your own circumstances.