PPC for law firms: the one pricing model to refuse
There is 1 pricing model a law firm should refuse outright, and it is the one most commonly offered: payment per lead. Referral fees are restricted in prescribed legal business, and the restriction binds the firm paying as much as the party being paid.
Last updated: 4 August 2026
What does "prescribed legal business" actually mean here?
It is the category of work where paying for referrals is prohibited rather than merely discouraged, and personal injury sits inside it.
Two features of the rule matter more than the definition:
It binds both sides. A supplier's willingness to sell inquiries at a price each does not protect the firm buying them. The arrangement itself is the problem, and the firm is party to it.
It does not care what the invoice says. An arrangement described as a marketing fee, a subscription or a technology license, but calculated per inquiry delivered, is still an arrangement priced per inquiry. The label is not the mechanism.
In the United States there is a second layer: lawyer advertising runs through ABA Model Rule 7.2(b), adopted differently in every state. A structure that is unremarkable in one jurisdiction can be a problem across a state line, which matters for any firm advertising in more than one.
Why does almost every supplier offer it anyway?
Because it is the easiest thing to sell, and most suppliers in this market are not specialists in this profession.
Per-lead pricing sounds like risk transfer. The firm pays only for inquiries received, so the supplier appears to carry the risk of the campaign not working. It is an attractive pitch and it is why the model is everywhere.
Most suppliers pitching law firms do not know the rule exists. That is not usually dishonesty; it is that the same pitch works for plumbers, dentists and roofers, where nothing prohibits it.
Which makes the question diagnostic. Ask early: do you ever charge per lead or per case, and are you aware of the restriction on referral fees in prescribed legal business? You will learn more from thirty seconds of that answer than from an hour of the rest of the pitch.
What should a firm pay for instead?
The work, by scope and time, at a figure agreed before it starts.
| Model | What you are buying | Suitable for a law firm |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed fee by scope | Defined work, defined price | Yes |
| Flat monthly management | Ongoing campaign management | Yes, with the scope written down |
| Percentage of ad spend | Management, priced on budget | Workable, but the incentive points at more spend |
| Per lead / per case | Inquiries, priced each | No |
Our own fees: Practice Sprint $1,450, build tier $2,900. Both fixed, both published, no minimum term. Of the 40 legal-marketing suppliers we read in full on 3 August 2026, twelve published a price at all and one offered work with no minimum term.
Does that make paid search a bad channel for law firms?
No. The channel is fine. The pricing model is the problem, and they are separable.
Paid search is the fastest way to produce inquiries and the only channel that works in the first month. A firm that needs matters this quarter should be running campaigns, and it should be paying a fixed or flat fee to have them managed rather than paying per inquiry produced.
We do not manage ad spend, so this is not a pitch. Law firm PPC marketing covers how to choose somebody who does, including which fee model to accept.
What we do is the organic side, where the same restriction question never arises because nothing is priced per inquiry by construction.
What does the paid market actually cost?
Enough that the fee model matters more than the fee.
| City | Injury searches/mo | Cost per click |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | 6,600 | $151.31 |
| Atlanta | 12,100 | $149.13 |
| Houston | 22,200 | $114.87 |
| Chicago | 8,100 | $72.77 |
Measured 3 August 2026. At those prices, a management fee is a small share of the total and the campaign structure is where the money is won or lost. A supplier charging per inquiry has no reason to reduce the click cost; a supplier charging a fixed fee has no reason to inflate it.
What should be in the agreement?
Five things. The first two are the ones that get disputed later.
- The pricing basis, in words — fixed, flat monthly, or percentage. Not "as discussed".
- An explicit statement that no part of the fee is calculated per inquiry or per matter.
- Whose account it is. The advertising account should be in the firm's name with the firm's billing.
- Who writes the ad copy, and that a fee earner approves it before it runs.
- What happens to the account and its history if the arrangement ends.
Point four is not administrative. Advertising rules vary by state and the firm carries responsibility for what appears, not the agency.
What this is worth where you are
In Philadelphia, 6,600 people a month search for personal injury, and Google charges around $151.31 for one of those clicks. We hold the same figures for 52 cities.
The free report gives you yours, plus which pages are missing from your site, and what 40 suppliers charge.
No call required. Our own prices are on that page.
Where should I read next?
If you are choosing a paid supplier: law firm PPC agency and law firm PPC management cover selection and what management actually involves.
On the wider plan rather than one channel: marketing a law firm strategies and law firm branding.
On a channel with its own rules in this profession: lawyer social media marketing.
Frequently asked questions
Is per-lead pricing allowed for law firms?
Not in prescribed legal business, which includes personal injury. Referral fees there are restricted and the restriction binds the firm paying as well as the party being paid. US lawyer advertising also runs through ABA Model Rule 7.2(b), adopted differently by state.
Does it matter what the invoice calls it?
No. An arrangement described as a marketing fee, subscription or technology license but calculated per inquiry delivered is still priced per inquiry. The label is not the mechanism, and the calculation is what counts.
Why do so many suppliers offer per-lead pricing?
Because it sounds like risk transfer and it works as a pitch in every other industry. Most suppliers approaching law firms are not specialists in this profession and have not encountered the restriction, which is why asking about it early is so revealing.
What pricing model should a law firm accept?
A fixed fee by scope, or a flat monthly management fee with the scope written down. A percentage of ad spend is workable but points the supplier's incentive toward larger budgets. Per lead or per case should be refused.
Is paid search itself a bad idea for law firms?
No, the channel is fine and it is the fastest way to produce inquiries. The pricing model is the problem and the two are separable. Pay a fixed or flat fee for management rather than paying per inquiry produced.
Do you run Google Ads campaigns?
No. We do the organic side on fixed fees. A firm needing matters this quarter should be running paid campaigns with a specialist, and our PPC comparison page covers how to choose one.
What should the agreement say?
The pricing basis in words, an explicit statement that no part of the fee is per inquiry or per matter, that the advertising account is in the firm's name, who writes the copy and that a fee earner approves it, and what happens to the account if the arrangement ends.