The short answer
The law firm websites that work well on a phone do three things before you scroll. They say which cases the firm takes and where, show a number you can tap, and make the next step obvious. Below are 12 US firm sites that get most of this right. We measured each one on October 17, 2026.
Naelar designs and builds law firm websites, so we have a view. We didn't build any of the sites below; they're shown as examples only. What we build, and how, is on our website design page.
We checked 24 law firm home pages. Of those, 17 passed at least four of our six layout and contact checks. The 12 below come from those 17, with two or more from each practice area.
What do good law firm websites have in common?
A clear first screen, a number you can tap and one obvious next step. A short form, speed and a language link come after those.
By first screen we mean what shows on a phone before you scroll. We counted how many of the 24 home pages passed each check.
| Check | Sites that passed (of 24) |
|---|---|
| Case types or practice area named on the first screen | 22 |
| A phone number you can tap to dial on the first screen | 20 |
| A next step on the first screen (form, booking link or call button) | 20 |
| Firm name with an office address on the home page | 18 |
| A link to a Spanish or other-language page | 11 |
| A contact form on the home page with 5 fields or fewer | 9 |
| Main part of the page shown within 2.5 seconds (LCP) | 3 |
| Page barely jumps while loading (layout shift score under 0.1, CLS) | 24 |
Most sites got the first screen right, and speed was the weak spot. On 8 of the 24 home pages, we found no contact form.
Two of the speed checks use terms from Google:
- Largest Contentful Paint, or LCP, is how long the main part of the page takes to appear. Google asks sites to aim for 2.5 seconds or less.[1]
- Cumulative Layout Shift, or CLS, is how much the page jumps while it loads. Google's target is under 0.1.[2]
Lighthouse slows its test connection on purpose to match a slow mobile network,[3] so many real visits load faster than this.
How we picked and checked the sites
We picked firms that showed up in Google's phone results for Los Angeles searches on injury, immigration, divorce, DUI and estate planning. We pulled those results through DataForSEO, a search data service, that day. We added three sites we had looked at before, then checked each home page once in Chrome at phone size.
The speed numbers are one Lighthouse mobile run per site with default settings, run from the UK. Three sites whose first run looked unreliable got three runs, and we used the middle result. One of those three scored under 2.5 seconds only because its main content never drew in our check, so we didn't count it. A 25th site didn't load and isn't counted.
That's one visit per site on one day. Sites change, and a good layout won't fix slow replies to inquiries.
First phone screen: what should be on it?
Who you help, where, a number to tap and one clear next step. Language and hours come next, if they're true for your firm.
How the look of the page around that first screen should feel is in our law firm branding guide.
- Name your case types and city in the headline, such as "Los Angeles DUI defense lawyers". A slogan can come after.
- Make the phone number a link, so tapping it dials. A number that's only part of a picture, with no link, can't be pressed.
- Give one button for one next step, such as a free case review form or a booking link.
- Show the hours you answer only if someone answers then. If calls at those hours go to voicemail, leave the hours off.
- Add a language link in the top corner only if someone at the firm can take the call in that language.
Where the inquiry goes after someone presses send is covered on our website design page.
Law firm website examples by practice area
Each example shows the first screen at phone size, and only what the site does well. In the screenshots we closed cookie notices and hid chat and floating call buttons. The figures under each one come from the same check as the table above.
The 12 sites are four personal injury, two immigration, two family law, two criminal defense and two estate planning firms.
Personal injury firm websites
Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC (Los Angeles)
The phone number comes first, with a red button under it that says "Tap Here To Call Us".[4] There's an Español section, and the home page says "Bilingual English/Spanish services are available."[5]
Our check of victimslawyer.com: Tap to call: yes · Form fields: 4 · Spanish link: yes
Deldar Legal (Campbell)
An Español button sits next to the menu, and a "Book a free consultation" button is on the first screen.[6] The footer reads "Attorney Advertising. Deldar LLP is responsible for this advertisement." Its office address follows in the same footer.[7]
Our check of deldarlegal.com: Tap to call: yes · Spanish link: yes
Wise Law (Los Angeles)
A red call button sits in the header. The first screen starts a short form marked "Step 1 of 3". It asks "What kind of accident was it?" and offers a tile for each answer.[10][11] Tapping a tile is easier on a phone than typing.
Our check of wiseinjuryfirm.com: Tap to call: yes · Spanish link: yes
Immigration firm websites
Law Offices of David B. Gardner, Inc. (Beverly Hills)
The phone number sits in large type right under the firm name. Below it, one sentence says the firm "provides comprehensive representation in all aspects of United States Immigration and Nationality law".[14] The menu links to a Spanish page.
Our check of americanimmigrationlaw.com: Tap to call: yes · Spanish link: yes
If you're planning pages in Spanish, our guide to SEO for immigration lawyers covers how to get them found in Google.
Family law firm websites
Berenji Divorce & Family Law Group (Los Angeles)
A dark bar across the top shows the phone number. The headline names the work, "Strategic Counsel for High-Stakes Divorce & Family Law Matters", and a single button reads "Contact Our Experienced Attorneys".[17][18]
Our check of berenjifamilylaw.com: Tap to call: yes
Criminal defense firm websites
The Law Offices of Hart J. Levin (Los Angeles)
The phone number sits alone in the top bar. The headline is the case type and the city, "Los Angeles DUI Defense Lawyers", with a case review button below it.[21]
Our check of hartlevin.com: Tap to call: yes · Form fields: 5
Estate planning firm websites
Weiner Law (San Diego)
A strip under the logo reads "Free Attorney Call" next to the number.[22] The first line below it names the practice, "California Probate, Trust & Litigation Lawyers", and the free call comes back as a button.[23]
Our check of weinerlawfirm.com: Tap to call: yes · Form fields: 5
The Werner Law Firm (California)
The top bar holds an Español link, the words "Se Habla Español" and the phone numbers. Two choices sort readers by need: a "Start Estate Planning" button and a "Get Probate Help" link.
Our check of wernerlawca.com: Tap to call: yes · Spanish link: yes · LCP: 2.2 s
Look at these for layout and contact paths only. We aren't saying any of them meets your State Bar's rules; that judgment belongs to each firm.
Naelar's own site: what we built, and how it does on these checks
naelar.com is the one site on this page we built ourselves. We designed and built it as a static site, with separate US and UK versions. Analytics wait for consent, and booking sits on the contact page. It's the only site we show as our own work.
- A link to the other country's version sits in the top bar, because naelar.com has separate US and UK sites.
- The headline says what we do in plain words. It names law firms but no case type or city, because we sell to firms, not to their clients.
- The line under it lists what is included.
- One next step, "Book an intro call", also sits in the top bar. There is no number to tap, so naelar.com would not pass our tap-to-call check. A firm that takes calls from clients should have one.
That last point is why we'd tell a firm to copy the checks above, not our home page. Our website design page covers how we build a firm's own site on its own domain, and the law firm website design cost guide covers what a site costs.
California website rules for law firms
Your home page describes your services to the public, so California's advertising rules apply to it. Four points from Rules 7.1 and 7.2 shape what goes on a home page.
Rule 7.1 covers the whole site
California Rule 7.1 bars false or misleading communications about a lawyer's services. Its first comment says the rule governs "all communications of any type whatsoever" about the lawyer or the lawyer's services.[24] Your home page, results page and reviews page all count.
Case results need context
A list of settlements can mislead a reader whose case is different. The comments to Rule 7.1 say a disclaimer or qualifying language "often avoids creating unjustified expectations".[25]
Responsible lawyer and address
Rule 7.2(c) says any communication under it must name at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content, with an address.[26] In our check, 18 of the 24 home pages showed a firm name with an office address.
Language links and who speaks them
A page in Spanish suggests your lawyers can work in Spanish. The comments to Rule 7.1 say that's misleading unless a lawyer can, or the page names the job title of the person who speaks it.[27]
Other states have their own versions of these rules. Ask your ethics counsel to read the home page and results pages before launch.
Law firm website templates: good enough?
A template can work for a new or small firm if it passes the first-screen checks and sends inquiries to the right place. A template is a ready-made design you fill with your own words.
Before you pick a template, check it on a phone for these:
- Case types, city, a number to tap and one button, all on the first screen.
- A short form that reaches your intake team or your CRM (the system that holds every inquiry and its stage), not only a shared inbox.
- Room for one page per case type you take.
- A footer that can hold the responsible lawyer or firm and your office address.
Templates tend to fall short in two places. Some fixed layouts push the phone number below a large photo on a phone. Some send every form to one email address that nobody owns. A named owner and intake software that routes each form fix the second.
If you run pay-per-click ads, the form must also keep the click details the ads report on. Our guide to Google Ads and PPC for law firms explains how.
If a template passes every check above and your budget is tight, you may not need a designer yet. That includes us.
How many California lawyers have a website?
About a third of active private-practice attorneys in California list a website on their State Bar profile. The share differs a lot by practice area.
| Practice area on the profile | Active private-practice attorneys | Website on State Bar profile |
|---|---|---|
| All attorneys | 150,671 | 35.3% |
| Personal injury | 13,880 | 57.3% |
| Trusts and estates | 11,065 | 57.2% |
| Family law | 8,427 | 55.2% |
| Labor and employment | 15,049 | 51.4% |
| Immigration | 4,702 | 47.6% |
| Criminal law | 7,619 | 41.6% |
| Workers' compensation | 5,725 | 39.3% |
A few limits apply. Attorneys pick their own practice areas, and roughly half leave that field empty. The website column only counts sites shown on a profile, so the real share is higher. The counts leave out records with no status shown, so they're a floor, and they count attorneys, not firms.
Even so, the gap is plain. In injury, trusts and estates, and family law, more than half list a site. In criminal law and workers' compensation, fewer than half do. For headcounts place by place, see California attorneys by county.
For what this means in search, see SEO for family lawyers and SEO for criminal defense lawyers.
Frequently asked questions
What are the "best website designs for attorneys"?
The ones that work for the people you want as clients, on the phone they're holding. Design galleries judge how a site looks on a large screen. Your callers judge whether they can reach you in a few seconds.
How much does a law firm website cost in 2026?
The price turns on the number of pages, the languages and what the forms connect to. Magier, a web design agency, puts a template site at $1,000 to $5,000 and a custom mid-range site at $10,000 to $30,000.[28][29] That's one vendor's estimate. We don't publish our own price, and our website design page explains what drives the cost of a build. For what sellers quote and what to get in writing, see what law firm websites cost.
Should we copy a site we like?
Copy the structure, not the words or the images. Note where it puts the phone number, the case types and the button, then write your own case-type pages in your own voice.
Check your own site on a phone in 10 minutes
- Open your home page on your own phone, on cellular data rather than office Wi-Fi.
- Without scrolling, look for your case types, your city, a number you can tap and one clear next step.
- Press the number. Check that it dials the line someone actually answers.
- Send yourself a test inquiry through the form, and time how long it takes for someone at the firm to reply.
If that reply took longer than you'd like, our guide to speed to lead for personal injury firms covers what to change. Once the site works on a phone, the free AI visibility checker shows whether ChatGPT and Perplexity name your firm. Getting found in local search and AI answers is the work of our local SEO and AI search service.
Sources
- Google Search Central, "Understanding Core Web Vitals and Google search results", on Largest Contentful Paint. Last updated December 10, 2025. developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-web-vitals. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Google Search Central, same page, on Cumulative Layout Shift. Last updated December 10, 2025. developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/core-web-vitals. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Google Chrome, Lighthouse documentation, "Network throttling". No date shown. github.com/GoogleChrome/lighthouse/blob/main/docs/throttling.md. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC, home page, "Tap Here To Call Us". victimslawyer.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Steven M. Sweat, Personal Injury Lawyers, APC, home page, "Bilingual English/Spanish services are available.". victimslawyer.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Deldar Legal, home page, "BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION". deldarlegal.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Deldar Legal, home page, "Attorney Advertising. Deldar LLP is responsible for this advertisement.". deldarlegal.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Panish | Shea | Ravipudi, home page, "Free Consultation Available 24/7". panish.law. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Panish | Shea | Ravipudi, home page, "We are a multilingual law firm". panish.law. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Wise Law, home page, "Step 1 of 3". wiseinjuryfirm.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Wise Law, home page, "What kind of accident was it?". wiseinjuryfirm.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Immigration Law Office of Los Angeles, home page, "Free Case Review Nationwide". immigrationhelpla.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Immigration Law Office of Los Angeles, home page, "Fill out the contact form". immigrationhelpla.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Law Offices of David B. Gardner, Inc., home page, "provides comprehensive representation in all aspects of United States Immigration and Nationality law". americanimmigrationlaw.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Family Law Los Angeles, home page, "same-day case evaluations and flexible payment options". familylaw-la.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Family Law Los Angeles, home page, "How can we help?". familylaw-la.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Berenji Divorce & Family Law Group, home page, "Strategic Counsel for High-Stakes Divorce & Family Law Matters". berenjifamilylaw.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Berenji Divorce & Family Law Group, home page, "Contact Our Experienced Attorneys". berenjifamilylaw.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Manshoory Law Group, home page, "Call or text Today for a Free Case Analysis". manshoorylaw.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Manshoory Law Group, home page, "Oprima Aqui". manshoorylaw.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- The Law Offices of Hart J. Levin, home page, "Los Angeles DUI Defense Lawyers". hartlevin.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Weiner Law, home page, "Free Attorney Call". weinerlawfirm.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Weiner Law, home page, "California Probate, Trust & Litigation Lawyers". weinerlawfirm.com. Checked October 17, 2026.
- The State Bar of California, Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.1, comment [1]. No date shown. calbar.ca.gov, Chapter 7: information about legal services. Checked October 17, 2026.
- The State Bar of California, Rule 7.1, comment [4], on case results. No date shown. calbar.ca.gov, Chapter 7: information about legal services. Checked October 17, 2026.
- The State Bar of California, Rule 7.2(c). No date shown. calbar.ca.gov, Chapter 7: information about legal services. Checked October 17, 2026.
- The State Bar of California, Rule 7.1, comment [5], on languages. No date shown. calbar.ca.gov, Chapter 7: information about legal services. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Magier, "Best Law Firm Website Designs to Follow in 2026", cost table, template site row. Vendor source (a web design agency). Published May 20, 2026. magier.com/blog. Checked October 17, 2026.
- Magier, same page, custom mid-range row. Vendor source. Published May 20, 2026. magier.com/blog. Checked October 17, 2026.