Google Ads can be a great way for legal businessses to bring in new clients, but knowing how much to spend is not always straightforward. I speak to law firms who are unsure what a realistic budget looks like or whether Google Ads will even work for their type of practice. The truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, but there are very clear ways to work out what your starting budget should be and provide some predictions for your return on investment.

As a Google Ads Agency for law firms, we come across this often. Organisations want to grow, but they are worried about burning through budget with nothing to show for it. Others are spending already but have no visibility over what they are getting back. Google Ads can be incredibly profitable when it is structured well and aligned with ROI, and my aim in this guide is to break down how budgeting actually works so you can set expectations confidently before you spend a single pound.

Understanding how Google Ads costs work for law firms

Before we talk about budgets, it is important to understand how Google Ads actually charges you. When you advertise, you are not paying to appear; you are paying when someone clicks. The cost of that click is driven by competition, quality and how many advertisers are bidding on the same term.

Google Ads works like an auction. If ten solicitors want to appear for the term divorce solicitor London and they are willing to pay more for that click, the price rises. If fewer firms bid or their ads are less relevant, the cost can be much lower. It is not always the highest spender who wins, it is the advertiser with the most relevant and well-structured campaign. Relevance is rewarded with lower cost-per-click and better visibility, which is exactly what you want.

I often describe it like booking a hotel room. Prices rise when lots of people want to stay at the same time. In legal services, certain areas attract more bidders or higher costs because the value of the client is higher.

The important thing to remember is that click cost is only part of the picture. You can pay for traffic all day long, but it is the people who convert who matter. When you understand that your budget is really about generating enquiries rather than clicks, planning your spend becomes much clearer.

Google Ads Costs with examples

In order to demonstrate how to set your budgets, we have given some examples using current Google data below. Note that these are examples only and you should carefully chose your keywords based on your goals and practice areas. It’s also worth noting that the auction can change rapidly - and you should always use your own data where possible.

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Personal Injury Google Ads Costs

Personal Injury is usually one of the most expensive PPC categories for law firms. Claims are high value, competition is heavy and large PI marketplaces regularly bid aggressively on the same keywords. This pushes prices up because Google’s auction rewards advertisers who are willing to pay more to appear prominently. When more firms chase the same client, the cost per click rises

Below is an example snapshot of the keyword data you might see for Personal Injury terms (data is live as of November 2025).

It shows average monthly search volume, recent trends over 3 months and 12 months, plus the estimated cost to appear at the top of Google search results.

The three-month change helps us spot short-term shifts in interest, while the year-on-year change shows whether demand is growing or slowing over a longer period. If both are up, it is usually a sign of stable enquiry potential rather than a seasonal spike.

You will also notice two bid ranges. The top of page bid (low) is a rough estimate of the minimum you might pay to appear near the top of page one. The top of page bid (high) reflects what it could cost to secure a more dominant, high-visibility placement. The higher range often results in more clicks and more leads, but at a premium. Many firms start closer to the lower end and scale bids only when conversion rates justify it.

Most keywords in this market sit between £15 and £50 per click, making Personal Injury one of the highest-spend areas of legal PPC. It can work extremely well, but it needs a realistic budget and a strong conversion rate to deliver profit.

A quick calculation

Example PI budget calculation

Let us work this through in real terms.

If your goal was 15 enquiries per month, and your landing page converted at 5%, you would need around 300 clicks. With an average click at £25, that gives you a monthly ad spend of:

£25 x 300 = £7,500 per month

Now, let us look at the impact of improving the conversion rate.

As you can see, the conversion rate, hugely impacts how much you need to spend to aquire leads.

Now let’s take it one step further and consdier revenue.

Let’s say for example that you tend to convert around 25% of leads, and the avergage PI case is worth £10,000 to your firm.

Against a possible £7,500 monthly spend at 5% conversion, this represents a strong return. At 2% conversion the cost may outweigh the return once true costs are factored in, while at 7.5% conversion the margin becomes even more favourable.

Please adjust these numbers for your own firm. Case value, close rate and internal response times will all affect the true ROI, as will the cost per click.

Example - Conveyancing

Using the same method, let’s look at conveyancing terms.

Using the same model we applied earlier:

If your target was 15 enquiries per month, and your landing page converted at 5%, you would need about 300 clicks. At roughly £8 per click, that equates to:

£8 x 300 = £2,400 per month

Example - Settlement Agreements

Not all searches will be clear cut. Take the example below of settlement agreements. Someone looking for a settlement agreement solicitor may be either a business looking for commercial services, or an indiviual who has been offered an agreement and needs advice. Both may use the same term “settlement agreement solicitor. Therefore, in cases like this, you need to measure your ROI accurately.

Budgeting by campaign

Once you have a sense of likely CPC and conversion rate for each practice area, the next step is deciding how to split your budget. Rather than one general campaign that covers everything, it is usually better to separate services into their own campaigns and give each a clear, planned share of spend.

The reason is simple - different service areas will have different cost per click, website conversion rates and lead to customer reates. They will also provide you with different returns on investment depending on the average fee for each matter.

Splitting campaigns in this way gives you three clear views

Cost per enquiry for each service
Which areas justify more budget based on revenue and profit
Where to reduce spend without harming your best-performing work

The goal is not to guess a perfect split on day one but to start with a logical allocation based on CPC and case value, then let the data guide you.

Increasing your conversion rate

We have already touched on how conversion rate can completely change the cost of lead acquisition. A click is only useful if the person who arrives is likely to become an enquiry. Improving conversion rate is often the fastest way to reduce spend without reducing lead volume.

There are several ways to increase conversion rate in Google Ads campaigns.

More targeted keywords
Instead of bidding on broad phrases, focus your budget on terms that show clear intent. For example, family lawyer near me or no win no fee solicitor are more valuable than general phrases like legal advice. The clearer the search intent, the more likely someone is to contact you.

More relevant ad copy
Your ads should speak directly to the query and the needs of the client. If someone searches for divorce lawyer, the ad should reference divorce work specifically rather than generic family law services. Relevance increases CTR, which strengthens Quality Score and improves conversion likelihood.

Landing page experience
When a visitor arrives, they should immediately see information that matches the keyword and the ad they clicked. A page about the right service, clear pricing or process where appropriate, strong calls to action and proof of expertise can all increase trust. The aim is for someone to stay and enquire, not click back to Google.

Speed of response
Legal enquiries often have urgency. A fast contact route can increase conversion rate significantly. Live chat, click to call and short forms make action easier. If enquiries are responded to quickly, more of them will convert into signed clients.

Strong proof and credibility
Client reviews, testimonials, accreditations and case studies reduce hesitation. Showing outcomes, success rates or specialist expertise builds confidence. A visitor is more likely to enquire if they feel you are experienced and trustworthy.

Increasing conversion rate helps you get more value from the traffic you are already paying for. Your initial conversion may simply be an enquiry, but when Google Ads is connected to your CRM, you can track the full journey from click to completed matter which shows true ROI rather than just lead volume.

Other options if CPC is too high

Google Ads is an effective way to generate enquiries, but there may be times when the cost of the click pushes beyond what is commercially viable. This does not mean growth is blocked. It simply means a different route may be more cost effective until you have improved conversion rates, increased average matter value or refined targeting.

Here are alternative approaches that work particularly well for law firms.

More specific targeting within Google Ads

Rather than broad location or service terms, you can focus on more precise keywords. For example, divorce solicitor for fathers or fixed fee conveyancing in Birmingham often cost less and attract a more committed user. Narrowing location radius, using exact match terms or improving negative keyword lists can reduce wasted spend.

SEO for law firms

Search Engine Optimisation builds sustainable visibility without paying per click. It takes time but once your pages rank, you can generate leads at a lower ongoing cost. Service pages, FAQs, helpful guidance content and structured internal linking all support visibility. For firms looking to reduce dependence on PPC, this is one of the most valuable long term strategies.
Learn more about how we help with SEO for law firms

LinkedIn for law firms

If you handle commercial matters, employment work, business disputes or B2B focused services, LinkedIn can be an effective alternative channel. It allows you to reach business owners, HR leaders or decision makers directly through targeted campaigns or organic content. This can support webinar attendance, consultation requests or nurture pathways that later develop into instructions.
Explore how we support firms with LinkedIn for law firms

Meta ads for consumer-led matters

Family, wills, probate and conveyancing can work well on Meta for awareness and lead capture. The cost per click is often lower than Google Ads and visual creative can help build trust before someone has an immediate need. Meta is rarely a direct replacement for Google search intent, but it can warm up cold audiences and support long term engagement.

Each of these channels can be used alongside PPC or as a lighter starting point. The goal is not to choose one approach forever, but to invest where returns are strongest at each stage of growth.

Google Ads can bring a reliable flow of enquiries into your firm, but success relies on realistic budgeting and a setup that is designed to convert. With the right structure, the right keywords and a landing experience that builds trust quickly, your cost per lead becomes far more efficient and far more predictable.

If you want support estimating spend, improving performance or scaling an existing account, we work with law firms every week to increase qualified enquiries and reduce wasted cost.

Google Ad Costs for UK Law Firms - How to Budget

In this article

Understanding how Google Ads costs work for law firms

Google Ads Costs with examples