“How can our website differentiate us from other law firms in our practice area?” Open five firm sites in one practice area, and most say the same things: aggressive, experienced, free consultation, we fight for you.
Law firm website differentiation doesn’t come from louder adjectives. It comes from facts a reader can check: where the firm practices, what it handles, who stands behind each page and how fees work.
Those facts also sit well within the ABA’s advertising rule, where bolder claims run into trouble.
A law firm website stands apart by stating what only that firm can say and a reader can verify: its courts and case types, who reviews its pages, how its fees work, and local procedure.
Superlatives and comparisons are the weakest route, and the comments to ABA Model Rule 7.1 flag unsubstantiated comparisons.
Why “Aggressive and Experienced” Can’t Set a Law Firm Apart
“Aggressive” and “experienced” can’t set a law firm website apart because most competitors use them and a reader can’t check them. A bolder tagline only makes the sameness louder.
Google describes the same problem in its guidance on creating helpful, reliable, people-first content. Its self-assessment questions include “Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?” and “Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?” A page that repeats every competitor’s page answers the second question on its own. Raters working from Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines are asked to consider “the extent to which the content offers unique, original content that is not available on other websites.” Neither is a ranking factor.
A site can have all the pages a firm site needs and still sound like competitors; differentiation lives in what those pages say.
What Rule 7.1 Says About Comparisons on a Law Firm Website
ABA Model Rule 7.1 governs law firm website claims, including comparisons. Per the ABA’s Rule 7.1 text, “A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services.”
Comment [3], in the ABA’s adopted Comments to Rule 7.1, says a truthful report of a lawyer’s achievements for clients “may be misleading if presented so as to lead a reasonable person to form an unjustified expectation.” It adds that “an unsubstantiated comparison of the lawyer’s or law firm’s services or fees with those of other lawyers or law firms, may be misleading if presented with such specificity as would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the comparison or claim can be substantiated.”
The problem is specificity that can’t be backed up. The fix is specificity that can.
Comment [3] also says a disclaimer “may preclude a finding” that a statement misleads, not that it always will. Under Rule 7.2(c), a claim to be certified in a field of law needs an approved or ABA-accredited certifying body, named. The same caution reaches claims about leading a local market.
Check your state’s version of Rule 7.1. This is general information, not legal advice.
Four Ways to Make a Law Firm Website Say Something Only Your Firm Can Say
A law firm website says something only that firm can say when each claim points to a checkable fact. Every example below is hypothetical and names no real firm.
Step 1: Name the Courts and Case Types You Handle
List where you file and what you take. Firms with common case types can narrow by client or case stage.
- Hypothetical, generic: “We are aggressive trial lawyers.”
- Hypothetical, specific: “We handle trucking cases only, in the Law Division of the Circuit Court of Cook County.”
Step 2: Show Who Writes and Reviews Each Page
Give each practice page a byline and a named attorney who reviews it, with their bar admission.
- Hypothetical, generic: “Our team of experienced lawyers.”
- Hypothetical, specific: “Reviewed by Jane Doe, admitted in Illinois since 2009.”
Step 3: State Fee Terms Plainly
State the fee structure, who pays case costs and what the free consultation covers.
- Hypothetical, generic: “Affordable rates.”
- Hypothetical, specific: “Uncontested divorce: flat fee, quoted in writing at the first meeting.”
Step 4: Add Local Procedure a Template Would Miss
Add one local detail per page, such as which courthouse hears the case, marked as general information.
- Hypothetical, generic: “We know the local courts.”
- Hypothetical, specific: “Your first hearing is a short status call, usually by video.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a law firm website call the firm “aggressive” or “experienced”?
A law firm website that calls the firm “aggressive” or “experienced” is using words a reader can’t check. Most competitors use them, so they add nothing. Back them with facts.
Can a law firm compare itself to other firms on its website?
A law firm comparing itself to other firms should be careful: ABA Model Rule 7.1 Comment [3] says an unsubstantiated comparison of services or fees “may be misleading.” Verifiable facts work better.
Should a law firm publish its fees on its website?
A law firm that publishes its fee terms gives readers a fact they can compare: contingency or flat fee, who pays case costs, and what the consultation covers. Check your state’s rule.
How does a firm stand apart if it handles the same cases as every competitor?
A firm handling the same cases as every competitor can narrow what it describes: its forum, its clients or the case stage it handles.
Law Firm Website Differentiation Starts With What Only Your Firm Can Prove
Law firm website differentiation rests on one test: could a reader check this claim? Adjectives fail it. Courts, case types, named reviewers, plain fees and local procedure pass it.
Pages rebuilt around facts only one firm can state are what law firm content writing at Lexicon produces. Call 877-486-8123 or contact us online to start with your main practice page.
David Arato, JD is the founder of Lexicon Legal Content, an attorney-owned legal content marketing agency serving law firms since 2012. Lexicon writes practice area pages and blogs for law firms and for the marketing agencies that serve them. David is a frequent contributor to Attorney at Law Magazine and Attorney at Work and a recurring guest on legal marketing podcasts.
