Practice area
Marketing for Criminal Defence Law Firms
We build search, ads and intake for criminal defence firms around the hours after an arrest, when the accused or a family member is choosing a lawyer from a phone.
Book a strategy callWhy criminal defence marketing runs on a different clock
Most criminal matters start with an arrest, a summons or a call from the police, and the person searching wants a lawyer that day. Often it is a parent or partner doing the searching, late at night, for a specific charge in a specific court. Your pages, ads and phones have to be ready for that search.
-
People search by charge
They type DUI, possession, assault or bail hearing, often with a city or court name. One general criminal law page cannot answer all of those searches.
-
Families make the first call
A parent or spouse often phones while the accused is still in custody. Pages have to speak to them, and intake has to take their details without discussing the case with someone who is not the client.
-
Clients avoid public reviews
Few people want a criminal charge linked to their name on Google. Review requests should accept initials, and replies must never confirm that someone was a client.
-
Case results carry rules
Dismissals and acquittals are the proof clients look for, and bar rules limit how firms publish them. Each result needs the client's consent and the disclaimer your jurisdiction requires.
Where criminal defence marketing loses money
Each of these problems comes from how people look for a defence lawyer, and each has a fix we build in from the start.
- Problem
Overnight calls reach voicemail
How we fix itWe schedule ads around the hours your phones are staffed, or set up an answering service with your intake questions before any campaign runs overnight.
- Problem
Clicks from bail and inmate searches
How we fix itWe maintain negative keyword lists that filter out bail bond, inmate lookup and mugshot searches from people who are not hiring a lawyer.
- Problem
One page for every offence
How we fix itWe write a page per charge you want to take, such as impaired driving, drug possession or assault, naming the courts where you appear.
- Problem
Reviews that identify clients
How we fix itWe set up review requests and reply templates that never confirm who was your client or what they were charged with.
- Problem
Leads nobody can trace
How we fix itWe connect call tracking to your intake records, so each retained matter shows the charge and the channel it came from.
Why defence firms work with us
We market only law firms, in the US, Canada, the UAE and India, and we write to the advertising rules of each.
-
We check copy against ABA Model Rules 7.1 to 7.3, your state bar or your law society before it goes live.
-
Charge pages use your jurisdiction's terms, whether that is DWI, OWI or impaired driving.
-
Our review process keeps client identities private.
-
We report cost per retained matter, broken down by charge.
Tell us which charges you want more of, and we will show you the first three pages we would build.
How we run marketing for a defence firm
Four stages, starting with the charges you want more of and the courts you appear in.
-
Map charges, courts and rules We list the offences you take, the courts and police divisions you cover, and the advertising rules of your bar or law society.
-
Write the charge pages Each charge gets a page that explains what happens after an arrest in your jurisdiction, written for the accused and for the relative calling on their behalf.
-
Run search and ads We handle SEO, your Google Business Profile and, where your rules allow, paid search set to the hours your intake team can answer.
-
Report on retained matters Monthly reports show enquiries and signed matters by charge type, so budget moves toward the work you want more of.
Frequently asked questions
Can we contact people who have just been arrested?
Search, ads and your website are fine, because the person comes to you. ABA Model Rule 7.3, and the state versions based on it, prohibits live solicitation such as phone calls or in-person approaches to someone you know needs a lawyer. Some states allow letters to arrestees with labelling or filing requirements, and those vary, so we check your state's rule before suggesting any direct outreach.
Should our ads run overnight?
Only if someone will answer. Arrests happen at night and at weekends, but a click that reaches voicemail at 2 a.m. costs the same as one that becomes a consultation. We schedule campaigns around your staffed hours, or around an answering service trained on your intake questions.
How do we get reviews when clients do not want their name next to a charge?
Ask at the end of the matter, tell the client that initials or a first name are fine, and never ask them to describe the case. When you reply, do not confirm the person was a client or mention the matter. ABA Formal Opinion 496 (2021) says a negative online review does not permit a lawyer to reveal confidential information in response, so a short neutral reply, or none, is the safe choice.
Can we publish dismissals and acquittals?
In most US states, yes, with care. Model Rule 7.1 treats results presented in a way that creates unjustified expectations as misleading, and many states require a disclaimer that past results do not guarantee future outcomes. You also need the client's consent where a result could identify them. Canadian law societies and the UAE have their own rules, and outcome promises are off limits everywhere we work.
Can we call ourselves criminal law specialists?
It depends where you practise. Ontario's Rule 4.3-1 reserves 'specialist' for lawyers certified by the Law Society, and ABA Model Rule 7.2(c) bars US lawyers from implying certification they do not hold. Without certification we use wording such as 'practice limited to criminal defence'.
Is paid search worth it for a small defence practice?
It can be, if you start narrow. DUI and drug offence keywords are among the most expensive in legal advertising in large US cities, so a small firm usually gets more from one or two charges and a tight radius around its courts than from bidding on 'criminal lawyer' across a metro. Google's Local Services Ads, where available for criminal defence, charge per lead rather than per click.
What can you do for a criminal practice in India?
Less than in our other markets. Bar Council of India Rule 36 prohibits advocates from advertising or soliciting work, and allows a website carrying only the particulars the rule permits, such as name, contact details, enrolment and areas of practice. Our India work is a fast, accurate site that people can find when they search your name, with no ads and no promotional claims.