What should a law firm website explain before a prospective client contacts it?

Describe practice areas without overpromising

Name services the firm actually provides and explain who they serve at a high level. Identify the jurisdictions where attorneys are authorized to practice only after verification, and give visitors a way to ask whether a matter fits.

Avoid language that guarantees a result, implies a special credential that is not current, or describes an attorney as ‘specialist’ without checking the applicable rules.

Set expectations for contact

Explain who receives an inquiry, whether a conflict check or consultation is the next step, and which information a visitor should avoid sending through a general form. Make clear that the online message is not an urgent legal-response channel unless the firm staffs it as one.

State that submitting a form does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship when that matches the firm’s approved intake language. Do not imply that a matter is accepted before the firm confirms it.

1. Have each attorney confirm practice area, jurisdiction, and credentials.
2. Explain who reviews an inquiry and what the form does not establish.
3. Obtain local ethics review of advertising and testimonial language.

Review local advertising requirements

Attorney advertising rules differ by jurisdiction and can change. Have counsel review the firm’s titles, testimonials, practice claims, required labels, recordkeeping, and solicitation practices against current rules where the site is promoted.

New York’s current Rules of Professional Conduct are one jurisdiction-specific reference, not a nationwide template. A 2025 proposal to change advertising rules is not itself an enacted rule; check current official sources before publishing.