The verdict in three sentences
For a 20-lawyer business law firm in Dublin, a trilingual English, French and German website costs between EUR 15,000 and 35,000 excl. VAT in 2026, plus professional translation (EUR 0.12 to 0.18 per word) and EUR 150 to 300 a month for maintenance. What wins over foreign in-house legal teams is the quality of partner profiles and publications in each language, not the homepage. Professional conduct rules on legal advertising apply to the site (in Ireland, the LSRA regulations on legal services advertising; in France, the CNB rules): no misleading claims, no comparison with other firms, mandatory information clearly visible.
What each building block costs in 2026
Managing partners often compare quotes that do not cover the same scope. Here is a typical breakdown.
| Building block | 2026 range (excl. VAT) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Scoping, sitemap, custom design | EUR 5,000 to 10,000 | Restrained identity, careful typography, mobile versions |
| Development and multilingual CMS | EUR 6,000 to 14,000 | Language management, dedicated /fr/ and /de/ URLs, hreflang tags |
| Integration per extra language | about EUR 1,500 per language | Menus, forms, notices, testing |
| Partner and associate profiles | EUR 1,500 to 4,000 | 20 profiles, filters by expertise and language |
| Publications and news module | EUR 1,500 to 3,500 | Articles, legal alerts, PDFs, LinkedIn sharing |
| Professional legal translation | EUR 0.12 to 0.18 per word | 40,000 words per language, i.e. EUR 4,800 to 7,200 |
| Maintenance and security | EUR 150 to 300 a month | Updates, backups, monitoring |
Translation is often underestimated. A 30-page site with 25 publications is about 40,000 words, close to EUR 6,000 per language with a specialist legal translator. Machine translation reviewed by a bilingual lawyer cuts that cost by 40 to 50%, but uses partner time.
Comparing options: generalist agency, specialist agency, turnkey solution
| Option | Budget excl. translation | Timeline | Native multilingual | Conduct rules compliance | Fit for 20 lawyers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnkey solution for law firms | EUR 3,000 to 8,000 | 4 to 6 weeks | Limited | Pre-approved templates | No, too rigid |
| Freelancer | EUR 6,000 to 12,000 | 8 to 12 weeks | Variable | To be checked | Partly |
| Generalist web agency | EUR 15,000 to 25,000 | 3 to 4 months | Yes | To be scoped | Yes |
| Agency specialised in regulated professions | EUR 22,000 to 35,000 | 3 to 4 months | Yes | Built into scoping | Yes |
| Light refresh of existing site | EUR 5,000 to 10,000 | 6 to 8 weeks | Languages added | Notice review | If the base is recent |
Conduct checks before launch: regulatory body and registration details, a compliant domain name, no misleading outcome claims, fee information, and complaint handling details for private clients.
Mini case study
Laurent, managing partner of a 20-lawyer M&A and employment law firm in Dublin, gets 35% of his matters from German and French clients. He hires an agency for EUR 24,000 excl. VAT, with 2 extra languages at EUR 1,500 each and 80,000 words translated at EUR 0.15, i.e. EUR 12,000. Total budget reaches EUR 39,000, plus EUR 200 a month for maintenance.
If the German site brings in just 2 extra matters a year at an average fee of EUR 25,000, the EUR 50,000 gain covers the investment in year one, as a 2026 order of magnitude.
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FAQ
How much does a multilingual business law firm website cost?
Between EUR 15,000 and 35,000 excl. VAT before translation for a 20-lawyer firm. Translation adds EUR 4,800 to 7,200 per language for 40,000 words.
How long does it take?
Expect 3 to 4 months, including 4 to 6 weeks of translation and legal review. Starting translation as soon as source texts are approved saves 3 weeks.
Can we use machine translation?
Yes, with systematic review by a bilingual lawyer. It cuts costs by 40 to 50%, but one mistranslated term in a legal alert hurts the firm's credibility.
Which professional rules apply to the site?
The site counts as legal advertising: truthful information, mandatory notices, no disparagement or comparison. A 2 to 3 hour compliance review before launch is recommended.
How much does maintenance cost?
EUR 150 to 300 a month for updates, backups and small changes. Publications stay managed in-house through the CMS.
Let's scope your project. Tell us how many lawyers you have, target languages and publication volume: we price a multilingual site between EUR 15,000 and 35,000 excl. VAT, translation estimated separately, delivered in 3 to 4 months. 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.
