The verdict in three sentences
For a 6-lawyer business law firm, a freelancer at EUR 3,500 works if the need is an 8 to 10 page brochure site and a partner manages the content personally. As soon as the site has to produce qualified consultations (practice area pages, articles, a secure intake form), the agency at EUR 11,000 excl. VAT pays off over 3 years because it reduces continuity and compliance risk. The real criterion is not the starting price but the total cost over 36 months divided by the number of signed matters.
What each option really costs in 2026
Typical 2026 rates for a 10 to 20 page law firm website, order of magnitude (EUR, roughly GBP x 0.85):
| Item | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Day rate | EUR 350 to 550 | EUR 600 to 850 |
| Days billed for 15 pages | 7 to 9 days | 13 to 16 days |
| Quoted starting price | EUR 3,500 | EUR 11,000 excl. VAT |
| SEO copy per practice area (6 pages) | usually left to the firm | EUR 1,800 to 2,400 included or optional |
| Monthly maintenance | EUR 60 to 90/month | EUR 100 to 150/month |
| Delivery time | 4 to 8 weeks (depends on schedule) | 6 to 9 weeks (contractual plan) |
| Backup if someone is unavailable | none | team of 3 to 6 people |
The starting gap is EUR 7,500. It narrows once you add what the freelancer does not cover: copywriting, photography, accessibility audit, secure hosting.
Total cost over 3 years: the deciding table
Assumptions: maintenance EUR 75/month for the freelancer, EUR 125/month for the agency, copy outsourced to a legal writer (EUR 1,200) on the freelancer side, and a 30 % probability of having to take the site over mid-way if the freelancer becomes unavailable (takeover cost estimated at EUR 4,000).
| Item over 36 months | Freelancer | Agency |
|---|---|---|
| Build | EUR 3,500 | EUR 11,000 |
| Practice area copy | EUR 1,200 | included |
| Maintenance (36 months) | EUR 2,700 | EUR 4,500 |
| Professional team photos | EUR 900 | EUR 900 |
| Weighted takeover risk (30 % x EUR 4,000) | EUR 1,200 | EUR 0 |
| Minor changes (2 per year) | EUR 1,500 | included in maintenance |
| Estimated total | EUR 11,000 | EUR 16,400 |
The final gap is about EUR 5,400 over 3 years, or EUR 150 per month. A single corporate matter worth EUR 3,000 in fees per quarter generated by the site covers the difference.
Professional rules: the criterion generalist freelancers overlook
In London, the SRA Code of Conduct and the SRA Transparency Rules govern law firm marketing: no misleading claims about results, mandatory price and service information for certain practice areas, the SRA digital badge, regulatory status and complaints procedure. The intake form must comply with UK GDPR and legal privilege: encrypted hosting, limited retention, a clear privacy notice.
| Requirement | Generalist freelancer | Agency used to regulated professions |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory notices and SRA badge | to check line by line | validated template |
| GDPR record for the form | rarely provided | provided |
| Encrypted UK or EU hosting | variable | standard |
| Client testimonials | risk of error | framed or excluded |
| Basic WCAG accessibility | rarely audited | audit included |
Mini case study
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Lucas Ferrand, partner at a 6-lawyer business law firm in London, currently gets 3 qualified enquiries a month from a 2018 site. Target: 8 enquiries. With a 25 % conversion rate and an average matter at EUR 2,800 excl. VAT, going from 3 to 8 enquiries means 1.25 extra matters a month, or EUR 3,500 in additional monthly fees. The agency option costs EUR 5,400 more than the freelancer over 3 years: it pays back in under 2 months if it actually delivers the practice area pages and SEO follow-up that create that surplus. If the firm has neither the time to write nor anyone to manage the site, the freelancer alone will probably not reach the target.
FAQ
Can a freelancer deliver a law firm site as good as an agency's?
Yes, for an 8 to 10 page brochure site with a precise brief. The gaps appear in continuity (no backup) and in side items, which represent 30 to 40 % of the total 3-year cost.
How long does a law firm website take in 2026?
Allow 4 to 8 weeks with a freelancer depending on their schedule, 6 to 9 weeks with an agency. Partner sign-off on copy often takes 2 weeks on its own.
Is EUR 150 a month for maintenance justified?
It is if it includes security updates, daily backups, 1 to 2 hours of changes and a monthly report. A EUR 60 plan usually covers only hosting and updates.
Can a law firm publish client testimonials?
Caution is required: regulators prohibit misleading claims and confidentiality limits their use heavily. Most firms prefer anonymised typical cases and thought leadership content.
How do I compare a EUR 3,500 quote with a EUR 11,000 one?
Ask for the number of days billed, the list of deliverables (pages, copy, SEO, GDPR) and the maintenance cost over 36 months. Bring everything back to a monthly cost: here EUR 305 versus EUR 455.
Let's scope your project. For a 10 to 20 page compliant law firm website, we define the scope, an indicative budget between EUR 6,000 and 12,000 excl. VAT and a 6 to 8 week timeline. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
