Lawtons — A Redesign for One of the UK’s Leading Criminal Defence Solicitors

A conversion-focused website redesign for a Chambers & Partners Tier 1 ranked criminal law firm — built to reassure clients under pressure and drive enquiries across 11 regional offices.

Category

Criminal Defence Website

Timeline

8 weeks

project intro

Lawtons is one of the UK’s largest and most respected criminal defence firms — ranked Tier 1 by Chambers & Partners, recognised by Legal 500, and rated Excellent on Trustpilot across 11 offices nationwide.

PROBLEM

Lawtons needed a site that could serve clients under pressure — people facing criminal charges who needed immediate clarity, not a corporate brochure. The existing site felt cold and hard to navigate.

CHALLENGES

  • Balancing authority with approachability
  • Organising 11 practice areas clearly
  • Building trust fast through visual hierarchy
  • Driving enquiry without feeling transactional
  • Consistent experience across desktop and mobile

OUR SOLUTION

We built a conversion-focused redesign rooted in clarity and calm. Strong typographic hierarchy, high-contrast layouts, and clear CTAs guide users from landing to enquiry — while the brand voice stays measured and authoritative throughout.

Every section earns its place by moving the visitor closer to making contact.

Design Process

Research

We mapped how criminal defence clients search for help — by offence type, urgency, and geography. Lawtons’ seven specialist practice areas, 11 regional offices, and 24/7 availability shaped a content architecture built around how people actually arrive in crisis.

Design

High-fidelity layouts were developed with a dark, considered palette that communicates authority without intimidation. Specialist area pages, solicitor profiles, and enquiry pathways were prototyped to support fast, confident decision-making.

Testing

We tested core flows — from landing on a specialist area page to completing an enquiry — across mobile and desktop. Given Lawtons’ 24/7 phone line, click-to-call placement was validated at every key touchpoint to ensure no lead was lost.

Feedback

Final refinements tightened CTA hierarchy, sharpened mobile navigation, and ensured every solicitor profile and practice area page felt consistent, authoritative, and easy to act on.

Style guide & components

Consistency: Typography, colour, spacing and UI patterns unified across all pages

Design System: Figma libraries and reusable components ensured visual alignment

Updates: Centralised components allowed quick changes without breaking layouts

Collaboration: Designs structured for smooth developer handoff and accurate implementation

Visual presentation

Consistency: Typography, colour, spacing and UI patterns unified across all pages

Design System: Figma libraries and reusable components ensured visual alignment

Updates: Centralised components allowed quick changes without breaking layouts

Collaboration: Designs structured for smooth developer handoff and accurate implementation

user experience

A confident, restrained visual identity built for a firm with Chambers & Partners Tier 1 recognition. Precise typography, structured layouts, and a palette rooted in authority and trust — consistent across every page and every office location.

what the client said about the project

Client review quotes icon

“The website perfectly captures our brand’s identity. It feels classic yet modern, and our clients can now find services and book appointments with ease.”

Stuart Watkins
Managing Partner, Lawtons Solicitors

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