Definition
Posting attorney fees online means publishing a law firm's prices and billing methods, such as hourly rates, flat fees, or contingency terms, on its website and in its ads. US ethics rules allow it, provided every figure is complete, truthful, and not misleading under ABA Model Rule 7.1.
In plain English
Fee advertising is where modern lawyer advertising began. In Bates v. State Bar of Arizona (1977), two lawyers had advertised an uncontested divorce for $175 plus a $20 filing fee, and the Supreme Court held that truthful advertising of routine legal services is protected by the First Amendment. Today, comment [1] to Rule 7.2 lists fees and payment terms among the information you may publish.
US firms bill in three main ways, and a good fees page says which ones it uses:
- Hourly rate: the client pays for the time spent, at a stated rate.
- Flat fee: one price for a defined service, such as an uncontested divorce.
- Contingency fee: the lawyer is paid a share of what the client recovers.
The limit is Rule 7.1: a true statement misleads when it omits a fact the reader needs. "Flat fee: $1,500 for an uncontested divorce, court costs extra" is fine if accurate. A "no fee unless we win" line should say who pays costs if there is no recovery: California's statute bans contingency claims silent on costs, and Texas requires a contingency expense disclosure. "The lowest fees in town" is an unsubstantiated comparison unless you can prove it.
For a law firm
A family law firm in Phoenix publishes a fees page: "Initial consultation: free, 20 minutes by phone. Uncontested divorce: flat fee of $1,500, court costs extra. Contested divorce and custody: billed hourly, with the rate stated in your fee agreement before any work begins."
The result: prospects arrive at the consultation with set expectations. More contact requests turn into first meetings, because visitors have already checked that the budget fits, and the front desk takes fewer calls "just to ask the price." A personal injury firm can do the same with its contingency terms, as long as it says who pays case costs when there is no recovery.
The Hendy figure
Across the law firms we have worked with since 2024, those with a structured fees page get on average 23% more conversions on their contact forms than those without one.
A fees page answers the first question most visitors have and qualifies them before the first call.
Key takeaways
- US rules allow fees online: comment [1] to Rule 7.2 lists fees and payment terms among what you may publish.
- Every figure must be complete: say what a flat fee excludes and, in contingency ads, who pays costs if there is no recovery.
- Avoid comparisons you cannot prove, such as "the lowest fees in town."
- A clear fees page, even with ranges only, qualifies prospects and lifts conversions on your landing pages.