Website redesign for a law firm in Wellington: budget, timeline and risks (2026)

The verdict in three sentences

On Lambton Quay, in Thorndon or Te Aro, public law, employment and commercial firms often hold an asset others lack: a publications archive (select committee submissions, notes on reforms, commentary on decisions). A redesign costs roughly NZD 20,000 to 45,000 with a local agency in 2026 (about USD 11,800 to 26,550), and Kolonell's Growth tier at $4,900 covers a full redesign in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready. The main risk is breaking that archive, which draws a large share of qualified visits.

Refresh or redesign: which scope, for what budget?

A 2026 ballpark based on typical quotes and public rate pages from Wellington agencies, converted approximately (NZD 1 ≈ USD 0.59). Kolonell prices are fixed in USD.

Every Kolonell tier includes a project manager reachable in your time zone, native English or French copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks and 3 months of support. For te reo Māori pages, review by an independent translator is a third-party cost. Details are on the international websites offer.

How do you migrate a publications archive without losing visits?

This is the workstream that sets a successful Wellington redesign apart. Each content type needs different handling:

Publication dates must stay visible: a 2019 note on a law amended since then misleads readers if it looks recent. Add a box saying 'this note reflects the law as at the date shown'.

What are the risks, and what is the timeline?

The typical Kolonell schedule: week 1, Search Console export, crawl and full URL inventory; weeks 1 and 2, sitemap and mock-ups; weeks 2 and 3, copywriting, archive migration and 301 map; weeks 3 and 4, review by the supervising partner, testing and go-live; then 3 months of included monitoring. With a local agency, 10 to 16 weeks is common, often longer with a large archive.

Risks to frame in the quote:

• Traffic loss: without a complete 301 map, dozens of publications fall into 404 errors; monitor Search Console for 8 weeks after launch.
• Integrations: newsletter feeds, booking tools or an extranet must be tested separately; reconnecting them is quoted separately.
• Downtime: DNS switch outside office hours, rollback ready.
• Forms: a notice that submitting does not create a lawyer-client relationship, conflict-check fields (name of the other party, public body involved), minimal data.
• Content compliance: review pages before go-live against the New Zealand Law Society's professional conduct rules, described here in general terms; no 'best firm', no case results, no unverified rankings or testimonials. The Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading claims, and the Privacy Act 2020 applies to every organisation regardless of size. This is not legal advice.

Wellington agency or remote studio: how do you decide?

Questions to ask either way: who produces the 301 map and from which data, how many revision rounds, where form data is stored, and does the domain stay in your name? If you mostly work for ministries that require a local supplier, or want an agency that knows your contacts in Thorndon, the local agency is the logical choice.

Mini case study

Illustrative example: Aroha, partner in a 4-lawyer public law firm in Thorndon. The archive holds 260 publications, 60 of which received visits over the last 12 months. The chosen plan: the 60 are migrated one by one, 150 are consolidated into 12 topic pages, and 50 past event notices are redirected to the news hub (60 + 150 + 50 = 260). A local quote reaches NZD 38,000, about USD 22,420; she chooses Growth at $4,900, a gap of about USD 17,520, and keeps a margin for an accessibility audit by a third party.

FAQ

How much does a law firm website redesign cost in Wellington?

As a 2026 ballpark, NZD 20,000 to 45,000 with a local agency for 20 to 40 pages, about USD 11,800 to 26,550. Kolonell offers $2,900, $4,900 or $8,900 at a fixed price.

Should we keep old select committee submissions?

Yes if they receive visits or support your reputation: keep the PDF and add an HTML summary. Out of 100 documents, around thirty often carry most of the archive traffic.

How long should we allow?

3 to 4 weeks with Kolonell once content is ready. An archive of more than 200 publications mostly needs decision time on the firm's side in week 1.

Can we publish in te reo Māori?

Yes, with the Premium tier at $8,900 (the multilingual tier, languages set in the quote). Review by an independent translator is a third-party cost to plan for.

What happens after the 3 months of support?

Maintenance and hosting are on quote, and you keep ownership of the domain and logins.

Let's scope your project. A redesign that preserves your publications archive, from $4,900, delivered in 3 to 4 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.