Legal Copywriting: The Complete Guide to Writing Copy That Turns Cold Traffic into Signed Cases
Imagine you’ve just been in a car accident. You’re shaken, stressed, maybe even in physical pain.
You type “personal injury lawyer near me” into Google. Ten firms pop up. Their websites all promise “aggressive representation” and “decades of experience.”
But one site feels different. It speaks directly to your fears, questions and hesitations around filing a lawsuit. It makes you feel seen and understood.
Which firm are you going to call?
If you’re like most people, you’ll choose the firm that gets you.
That’s the power of legal copywriting.
In this blog post, you’ll find out how to create that kind of copy. And:
What legal copywriting is — and what it’s not (a lot of people get this wrong)
Why law firms need good copy
Why most legal copywriting fails to generate high-quality leads
The core principles of legal copywriting
Persuasion techniques you can use in your copy to get the reader to take immediate action
How to write copy that qualifies leads before they even pick up the phone
Examples of legal copywriting in action
Ready? Cool, let’s dive in…
What is legal copywriting?
First things first, let’s get one thing straight:
Copy is *not* the same as content. Content writing (like blog posts, lead magnets, eBooks etc) is meant to nurture and educate the audience (generally top of the funnel).
And copywriting (like landing pages, email sequences and ad copy) is designed to persuade and get the reader to take action (generally bottom of the funnel).
Copywriting is 90% research and 10% writing. It’s based on voice-of-client research and behavioral psychology. Understanding your audience and what motivates them to act.
When you write copy, you need to forget all the grammar rules you learned in school. Cut the legal jargon and write like you (or your clients) speak.
There’s a lot more that goes into it (we’ll dive deeper into things in a bit) but that’s the jist of it.
Why law firms need good copy
If your firm relies purely on referrals, then copywriting might not be super important to your firm. — because people are already sold on you when they reach out.
For everyone else, you *need* good copy . Here’s why:
I don’t need to tell you this but when people hire a lawyer, they’re feeling a mix of emotions. They might be scared about losing custody of their only child. Furious that an insurance company is denying their claim. Traumatized by the car accident that nearly took their life. Or scared that they’re being sexually harassed by their landlord.
So when they land on your website, they aren’t looking for how many years of experience you have.
And they don’t care about the fact that you went to Harvard Law and graduated Summa Cum Laude.
They want to know that you understand what they’re going through and you can help them get the outcome they want.
Good copy can help you connect with your audience before they even pick up the phone. And convince them to hire *your* firm over all the others.
Still not convinced of the power of copy?
One of my clients brought in leads who were so eager to hire him that they felt “betrayed” when he didn’t take on their case. All because the messaging resonated with him. We ran a thank-you page survey and one of the questions was “Why did you choose our firm in particular?”
Take a look at some of the responses to that question:
“Feeling understood after researching your firm online”
“After searching on Google the message on your homepage made me feel like I made the right choice”
“Thought you seemed like you would fight for me”
“Researched others and you explained exactly how I felt”
“Everything you stated in this ad is exactly what I’m dealing with 10000%”
“You know what I’ve been through, you might as well be describing the hell I went through and am still in…”
So yes… copy really can mean the difference between “meh” leads and the “Where do I sign??” kind.
Why most legal copy fails
If you browse the average law firm Google Ads campaign, you’ll see the same tired copy:
“We are a full-service firm with 50 years of combined experience.
“Our attorneys are compassionate and aggressive.”
“We are committed to securing justice”
“We strive to obtain maximum case results”
“Contact us today for a consultation.”
“Personal injury lawyer in Texas”
(Yawn.)
Here’s why that type of copy doesn’t work:
Too much legalese and fancy words
Copy is most effective when it’s a 7th or 8th grade reading level (no matter how intelligent your clients are).
So instead of saying “we strive to obtain maximum case results,” you could say…
“We’ll do everything in our power to get you the highest possible settlement. You have our word.”
See the difference?
2. It’s not specific enough
Adjectives like “compassionate” and “caring” mean nothing to your audience. And it’s not believable. Especially because every other lawyer says the same thing. Instead, give examples of *how* you’re compassionate and caring.
Do you hand over your personal cell phone number to clients and answer texts on weekends? Do you sit with them for hours, listening and patiently answering all of their questions?
Giving specific examples of how you’ve helped other clients will make your claims much more credible. And allow your reader to visualize what it might be like to work with you.
3. It’s too “we” focused
Many law firm websites read like long resumés. With a laundry list of credentials, results and case studies. It’s too focused on the firm and their accomplishments. And not focused enough on the reader.
4. Too much filler copy
Famous copywriter Joseph Sugarman once said that your copy should be like a slippery slide. Each line of copy should get your reader to read the next line.
So cut out the copy that isn’t doing that. Think: Long-winded introductions, fluffy “we care about our clients” statements or generic promises like “we have a track record of success.”
5. No qualification filters
Good copy funnels the right leads in… and filters the wrong ones out. So that you only attract high-quality leads to your firm.
For example…
Let’s say you want to only take on cases involving near-fatal or fatal car accidents. In that case, you need to qualify people in the ad copy. Something like:
“Near fatal car accident? We can help” or “Lose a loved one in a crash? We can help”
Sure, that might reduce your CTR. But the traffic you bring in will be higher quality –- and more likely to fill out that form.
6. It’s optimized for SEO, not conversions
Most law firm websites are optimized for SEO, which is great… but they aren’t optimized for conversions.
For example, the headline “car accident attorney in Ohio” –- great for SEO. Not so great for getting your reader to take action.
Here’s what I recommend: First write for your reader. Then write for Google. If you want to include keywords in your copy, you can absolutely do that. But do it in a way that doesn’t sacrifice conversions.
Going back to that “car accident” example…
You could have “Car accident attorney in Ohio” as eyebrow copy above the headline…
And then make the headline something attention-grabbing. Something that will tap into the reader’s emotions and get them to want to keep reading.
7. No emotional resonance
The majority of (buying) decisions are emotional. One study by Gallup found that 70% of decisions are emotional. Other studies put that number closer to 90-95%.
So if your copy doesn’t tap into your readers’ emotions, they’re going to be less likely to take action. And choose your firm over all the others.
Core principles of legal copywriting
So what makes legal copywriting good? It follows the following principles:
Conversational
One of the first rules of copywriting is to write like you speak. The copy should flow just like a natural conversation would.
Try the barstool test when you’re writing copy. Read the copy aloud and then ask yourself “does this sound like something I would say to a good friend over drinks?” If it doesn’t, change it until it does.
2. You-focused
Good copy is centered around the reader: their pain points. Their desires. Their hesitations. Their motivations.
Take this sentence for example:
“We are a full-service firm with 50 years of combined experience”
Why is this important to the reader? Why should they care? If anything, “full service” might be a turn-off as most people want a firm that’s specialized in their type of case.
Instead, you could say something like “we’ve fought hundreds of cases like yours… so we know how to get you the highest possible settlement”
See how I did it for one of my clients:
3. Empathetic
On that note, good copy is empathetic. It takes into account everything that your reader is thinking and feeling when they land on the page.
For example, see how I started off the landing page for my other client Tom (he helps women who have been sexually harassed by their landlords):
When prospects are reading that copy, they feel understood. They think “wow this lawyer actually GETS what I’m going through.”
4. Emotionally-driven
Good copy taps into the readers’ emotions. It gets them to feel something.
So first listen to your audience (that comes from the voice-of-client research). Then mirror their feelings and thoughts back to them.
Map the emotions to their stage in the decision-making journey. For example…
Pain-aware prospects: Might feel fear, anxiety, anger, frustration
Solution-aware prospects: Might feel hope, curiosity, relief
Most-aware prospects: Might feel trust, urgency, excitement
As you’re writing the copy, ask yourself:
How is the reader feeling when they land on the page?
And how do I want them to feel after they hire me and file a lawsuit?
For example, now they might be helpless, stuck and ignored. After, they’ll feel empowered, heard and in control.
Your job is to get them to feel all those emotions, pain points and desired outcomes as they’re reading the landing page.
5. Specific
In the book Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath talk about how specificity is one of the keys to getting your message to stick (and making your claims more credible).
Our brains are wired to remember concrete details rather than abstract ideas. That’s why you might forget a marketer’s claim “get more clients” but you’ll remember the one that says “i’ll get you 30 signed cases per month.”
Specificity also makes your copy more relatable. For example, which copy hits harder:
“lying awake at 2AM wondering how you’ll cover next month’s rent”
OR
“feeling stressed.”
The first example makes you feel that pain. The reader can identify with it. Which creates urgency around taking action.
6. Explains the “so what”
One way to instantly make your copy more powerful?
With every line of copy, ask yourself “so what?” over and over again until you get to the heart of what really matters to your reader.
For example…
“We’ve won billions for our clients”
So what?
“So we know how to get the highest possible settlement for you”
So what?
So you can get enough money to (finally) build your own business… buy your dream house… or get enough money to support your family for decades to come.
Now you’re speaking to something that your readers actually care about.
7. Clear > Clever
First and foremost, your copy should be easy to understand. If your reader has to pause and think about what you mean, you’ve already lost them.
When writing your hero section, try the 5-second rule. Within 5 seconds of landing on your page, someone should understand who you are, what you do and how you can help them. Those 5 seconds will determine whether or not someone stays on the page… or clicks off to a competitor.
How to write copy that attracts qualified leads
So now that you know the core principles of legal copywriting, how do you write copy that attracts qualified leads to your firm?
Follow these steps…
Conduct voice-of-client research
As mentioned above, copywriting is 90% research and 10% writing. In other words, this is THE most important step so don’t skip this.
The voice-of-client research is where you (just like it sounds) research your ideal client to figure out who they are and what they really care about. The VOC research will help you uncover your prospects’:
Deep-seated pain points (for example… beyond just “pain from a car accident,” how is that pain affecting their day-to-day life?)
Hesitations (what’s holding them back from speaking with a lawyer and filing a lawsuit?)
Dream states (what do they really want at the end of the day? What would a dream world look like for them?)
Motivations (what motivates them to take action, when they do?)
Here are a few ways to get those insights:
Check out subReddits where your audience hangs out
Interview a few of your clients
Listen to intake call recordings
Add a thank-you page survey to your landing page (with a few questions like “what motivated you to reach out to a lawyer?” or “what would be an ideal outcome if you hired us?”)
Send a survey to your email list (if you have one)
Review any conversations you’ve had with prospects or clients
The research IS time-consuming (it normally takes at least 15-20 hours to do it right). But it pays off in the end because it will allow you to craft hyper specific copy that resonates with your one reader.
Speaking of which…
2. Speak to ONE reader
If you want your copy to be effective, you have to speak to just one reader. If you’re running a Google Ads campaign, set up separate ad groups and landing pages for each of your practice areas (and readers).
3. Know the stage of awareness
There are 5 stages of awareness:
Unaware (they aren’t aware of a problem)
pain aware (they’re aware of a problem or pain point but don’t know what solutions exist)
solution aware (they’re aware of solutions that exist, like your services)
product aware (they’re aware of the type of service you offer
most aware
Most people landing on your website are either pain aware or solution aware, so your landing page to speak to that stage of awareness.
Although sometimes, I start off the page addressing pain aware prospects (even though they’re solution aware) just to show the readers that my client understands what they’re going through.
4. Treat the landing page like a conversation with a good friend
As you’re writing your landing page, think about the questions that your reader has when they land on the page. And answer those questions, in that order.
For example, let’s say that you’re a family lawyer who helps distressed parents regain custody of their children. If people are searching for “family custody lawyer” in Google, we can assume that they are solution aware. When they land on your website, they might be thinking:
Who are you and how can you help me?
How are you different from other lawyers?
Can you help me regain custody of my child?
Have you helped people in my situation before?
When can I expect a resolution?
What’s the process like if I move forward today?
Is there any fee for the initial consultation?
That’s just a starting point. The questions (and answers) will come from the VOC research.
5. Write compelling headlines and crossheads
Think of your copy as precious real estate. Every line of copy should be there for a reason and should move the reader closer to taking the next step (this is especially true for your Google Ads copy).
So cut out copy like “Contact us today” or “Learn more” and replace it with copy that gets the reader to WANT to keep reading and moves them forward in some way.
On your landing page, your copy should be skimmable (so that even the most distracted of readers know how you can help them and want to take the next step). That means your headlines and crossheads (the big words in bold throughout the page) need to be compelling and persuasive.
So cut the placeholder copy.
For example, instead of having a section titled “Testimonials” with a moving carousel of testimonials, your crosshead could be a quote from one of your customers or outlining the transformation they experienced (and then you could sprinkle the rest of the testimonials throughout the page to support the copy).
6. Weave in persuasion techniques
Good copywriting is based on behavioral psychology and a deep understanding of your audience and what moves them to act. Your copy should weave in persuasion techniques to convince your reader to take action. Things like…
Storytelling (sharing your story and the “why” behind what you do)
Social proof (sharing testimonials and case studies from other clients)
Urgency (giving your reader a reason to take action now)
Future pacing (painting a picture of what a better future looks like for them)
Specificity (getting really specific in the copy helps build credibility and makes people feel like you’re reading their mind)
Those are just a few. There are SO many more — I could write a blog post about this topic alone. But start with those.
7. Handle objections
What objections does your audience have around speaking with a lawyer or filing a lawsuit? Address these in your copy (and don’t leave them for the FAQ).
For example, if you’re a mass tort lawyer and your prospect’s spouse died from mesothelioma due to asbestos exposure, then their objections might be:
How do I know this isn’t a scam?
How much time will this take on my end?
This won’t bring back my spouse… should I even bother with filing a lawsuit?
8. Qualify your reader
Obviously not every person who lands on your website will be a good fit for your services.
If you’re running Google Ads, I highly recommend qualifying prospects in the ad copy as that will reduce wasted ad spend. For example, let’s say you’re a personal injury lawyer and you only want to accept people who had near-death car accidents. Then in the copy, don’t go with generic copy like “car accident attorney.” Go with something more specific, like:
Near-death car accident? We can help.
On the landing page, you’ll also want to qualify readers to ensure only high-quality leads come in. To do this, you should:
Write specific copy that attracts your One Reader
Write qualifying copy (ie: copy that states you can only help people who were in near-death car accidents)
Filter people out with a form (ideally a conditional-logic Typeform)
And then (if you’re running Google Ads), tell Google to count a finished form as a conversion. That way, only leads who finish the form will count as conversions (giving you more accurate data to go off of).
Examples of legal copywriting in action
I’ll be honest… I struggled to find any good legal copywriting examples. So I’ll share my own.
Here’s a landing page I wrote for one client that converted cold traffic at 12.45% over 45 weeks (compared to the industry average of 3.90%.
That case study walks you through why this landing page works.
Summing up: legal copywriting in a nutshell
At the end of the day, legal copywriting isn’t about sounding smart or stuffing your site with the right keywords.
It’s about understanding your audience. And writing in a way that:
Speaks directly to the person you want to help
Builds trust and creates a connection with your audience before you even get on the phone with them
Qualifies leads before they hit you inbox
Drives more signed cases (not just clicks)
Need a lil’ help doing that? Shoot me a message. I’d love to help.
