Aggregated from 500+ U.S. law firms on the GavelGrow platform across 12 months of campaign data (2025–2026). All figures are medians unless otherwise noted. Outliers (top and bottom 5% of spenders) excluded.
Practice areas covered: Personal Injury · Criminal Defense · Family Law · Immigration · Estate Planning & Probate · Social Security Disability · Employment Law · Bankruptcy
CPL = total ad spend ÷ total inbound leads (calls + forms) for that campaign period.
| Practice Area | Low (25th pct) | Median | High (75th pct) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Injury | $85 | $135 | $210 |
| Criminal Defense | $50 | $78 | $115 |
| Family Law | $42 | $65 | $95 |
| Immigration | $30 | $52 | $80 |
| Estate Planning / Probate | $35 | $58 | $88 |
| Social Security Disability | $28 | $45 | $72 |
| Employment Law | $55 | $82 | $130 |
| Bankruptcy | $38 | $60 | $92 |
CPL varies by geography — major metro markets (LA, NYC, Houston, Chicago) typically run 30–60% above the median.
Cost per signed case = total ad spend ÷ total executed retainer agreements. This is the number that actually matters for firm economics.
| Practice Area | Low (25th pct) | Median | High (75th pct) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal Injury | $420 | $680 | $1,200 |
| Criminal Defense | $180 | $290 | $480 |
| Family Law | $150 | $240 | $390 |
| Immigration | $95 | $165 | $280 |
| Estate Planning / Probate | $120 | $195 | $320 |
| Social Security Disability | $85 | $145 | $240 |
| Employment Law | $200 | $340 | $580 |
| Bankruptcy | $130 | $215 | $360 |
| Funnel Stage | Low (25th pct) | Median | High (75th pct) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page → lead (form/call) | 5% | 9% | 16% |
| Lead → consultation scheduled | 28% | 44% | 62% |
| Consultation → signed case | 38% | 55% | 71% |
| Lead → signed case (end-to-end) | 11% | 24% | 40% |
Firms in the 75th percentile for end-to-end conversion share two traits: response time under 5 minutes during business hours, and an automated after-hours SMS acknowledgment.
| Response Time | Lead → Consultation Rate | Relative Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 minutes | 62% | Baseline (best) |
| 5–30 minutes | 41% | 34% worse |
| 30 minutes – 2 hours | 22% | 65% worse |
| 2–24 hours | 12% | 81% worse |
| No response same day | 5% | 92% worse |
| Firm Size | Total Marketing Budget (median) | Paid Ads Share | SEO/Content Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo / 2-attorney | $3,800/mo | 72% | 18% |
| 3–5 attorneys | $9,500/mo | 68% | 22% |
| 6–15 attorneys | $22,000/mo | 65% | 25% |
| 16–30 attorneys | $48,000/mo | 62% | 28% |
| 30+ attorneys | $95,000+/mo | 58% | 30% |
Data sourced from law firms using the GavelGrow platform for at least 6 continuous months between January 2025 and June 2026. Firms opted into aggregate benchmarking at account setup. Personally identifiable information (firm name, client names, case details) is excluded. Data represents U.S.-based law firms only. Sample size: n=500+ across 8 practice areas and 38 states. Figures are medians unless noted; 25th and 75th percentiles shown for range. Outlier exclusion: top and bottom 5% of spenders removed per practice area cell.
Questions about the methodology or your firm's specific benchmarks: contact us or book a strategy call and we'll walk through your numbers against these benchmarks live.
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