A law firm's website needs to explain what you do in plain words, help the right people get in touch, and make the first steps of working with you smoother. With EverWeb you can build practice area pages, team profiles, a consultation request form and, in EverWeb 4.6 and later, intake forms that take documents and signatures.
Before you add any of these, check your professional body's rules. Bar associations and law societies often have rules on advertising, client confidentiality, electronic signatures and taking money from clients. We can't tell you what they say, so this article only describes what EverWeb can do.
Who uses this
- A two-partner family law firm takes consultation requests with the type of matter and a preferred time.
- An employment lawyer lets new clients upload their contract and letters before the first meeting.
- A small practice sends clients a link to read and sign its engagement letter online.
- A firm that serves Spanish-speaking clients publishes its key pages in English and Spanish.
Features marked (add-on) need the Contact Forms Enhanced add-on. Signatures and payments also need EverWeb 4.6 or later. See What is the Contact Forms Enhanced Add-on?
Pages to make
| Page | What goes on it | Use in EverWeb |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Who you help, your main practice areas, a clear "Book a consultation" button | Text, a button styled with Button Styles |
| Practice areas | One page per area, in plain language | A directory with a page for each |
| Our team | Photos, qualifications, languages spoken | Text and photos |
| Fees | How you charge, if your rules allow you to publish it | Text |
| FAQs | Common questions | Accordion widget |
| Insights | Articles and updates | The blog |
| Book a consultation | Request form | Contact Form Advanced |
| New client forms | Intake, documents, engagement letter | Contact Form Advanced (add-on) |
| Contact | Address, map, hours | A shape with its Fill set to Map |
EverWeb features that help
Consultation requests
A Contact Form Advanced form can ask for the type of matter (Drop Down Menu or Card Select), a short description and contact details. With the add-on, Calendar and Select Time let people suggest a day and time; the form doesn't check your diary, so confirm by email. If your rules allow it, the form can also take a fixed consultation fee by card or PayPal. See Take bookings and deposits with your contact form.
Intake forms with documents (add-on)
Split a long intake form into pages with Step Break, so clients see a progress bar and Back and Next buttons. Add one File Upload field for each document you need, and set Accept to the file types you expect, such as Images And PDF. Files are stored in your Client Area, where you download them. Ask only for what you need, never ask for passwords, bank details or government ID numbers in a form field, and delete submissions you no longer need. See Client intake forms with file uploads: collect documents from your clients.
Engagement letters and consent (add-on)
Show the terms, or link to them, then add a Consent tick box, the client's typed full name, a Date and a Signature field. Set Mail Sending to SMTP Details for any form with a Signature field: then the signature arrives as a picture (PNG) attached to the email. Rules for electronic signatures differ by country and by type of document, so check with your professional body that a signature on a web form is enough for your use. For documents with strict rules, such as wills or deeds, use the process your profession requires. See Get agreements, contracts and consent forms signed online.
Plain-language answers
The Accordion widget turns a list of questions into headings that open when clicked, which keeps an FAQ page short. Write practice area pages for the client, not for other lawyers: what the problem is, how you help and what happens next.
Articles and updates
EverWeb's blog lists your newest articles first and keeps an archive. Regular, useful articles also give search engines more to find. See How do I add a blog to my EverWeb website?.
A private area
Simple Password (EverWeb + Hosting) or Membership Sites can keep pages behind a login, such as guides for existing clients. For confidential case documents, use the secure client portal your practice software provides if your rules require one. See Can I password protect my website? Simple Password and Membership Sites.
Two languages and accessibility
You can build your key pages in a second language in the same project. Alt text, real headings and good contrast help clients who use screen readers or find small text hard to read. See Build a website in two languages and Make your website accessible: alt text, headings, link text and contrast.
Security and visitor numbers
Your site should have HTTPS (the padlock) so forms are sent securely. Site Shield adds HTTPS and extra protection on any host. If you add Google Analytics, you may need a cookie notice: check the rules that apply to you. See My site says 'Not Secure': how to get HTTPS (SSL) on your website and See how many people visit your website: Website Stats and Google Analytics.
Related articles
- Client intake forms with file uploads: collect documents from your clients
- Get agreements, contracts and consent forms signed online
- Take bookings and deposits with your contact form
- Build a custom form: quote requests, registrations and file uploads
- Build a website for your accounting or bookkeeping practice with EverWeb