The verdict in three sentences
In Boston, an international arbitration and corporate law firm typically pays $30,000 to $80,000 for a website from a local agency, and more from a legal marketing specialist. Kolonell's fixed grid (Starter $2,900, Growth $4,900, Premium $8,900) covers the same editorial core, with a project manager reachable in Boston's time zone, native English or French copywriting and delivery in 3 to 4 weeks. The decision turns mostly on the hidden costs (photography, translation, ethics review, integrations) and on the three-year total cost.
What does the site cost, by provider?
The local ranges below are a 2026 ballpark based on typical Boston agency quotes and public agency rate pages. Kolonell figures are its fixed grid.
| Option | Build price (USD) | Usual timeline | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston freelancer | 8,000 to 20,000 | 6 to 12 weeks | Theme-based design, content supplied by the firm |
| Small local agency | 25,000 to 45,000 | 10 to 16 weeks | Custom design, partial copywriting |
| Established Boston agency | 45,000 to 80,000 | 12 to 20 weeks | Strategy, copywriting, in-person workshops |
| Legal marketing specialist | 80,000 to 200,000 | 4 to 8 months | Brand program, content, campaigns |
| Kolonell Starter | 2,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | Essential editorial site, native copywriting |
| Kolonell Growth | 4,900 | 3 to 4 weeks | Full site: practices, lawyers, insights |
| Kolonell Premium | 8,900 | 4 to 6 weeks | Multilingual tier, languages set in the quote |
Every tier includes a project manager in your time zone and 3 months of support. Secure client areas, portals and integrations are priced on quote. Full details are on the international websites page.
What an arbitration firm's site has to prove
A general counsel, a board or a state does not pick a firm from a homepage. They check partner reputation, the seats and institutions where lawyers have acted as counsel or sat as arbitrators, working languages and sector experience. Each page should make those points verifiable.
| Page | What it must show | Common trap |
|---|---|---|
| International commercial arbitration | Institutions (ICC, LCIA, SIAC, HKIAC), seats, roles (counsel, arbitrator) | A list of institutions with no role or context |
| Investment arbitration | ICSID or ad hoc experience, state or investor side | Hinting at confidential matters |
| Corporate and M&A | Deal types, sectors | Generic wording with no sector |
| Lawyer bios | Bar admissions, languages, publications, speaking | Bios with no dates or admissions |
| Insights | Dated, bylined articles | Latest article two years old |
| Disclaimers and contact | Attorney advertising notice, no attorney-client relationship by contact alone | A form inviting a detailed description of a dispute |
Lawyer advertising in the US is governed by the ABA Model Rules and the Massachusetts rules of professional conduct: no invented matters, no unverifiable rankings or awards, no promise of outcome. On the technical side, an accessibility target of WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA reduces exposure to ADA website suits, which are frequent in the US, and newsletters must follow CAN-SPAM. This is not legal advice.
The costs nobody puts in the quote
| Item | 2026 Boston ballpark (USD) | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| Partner photography | 1,500 to 4,000 | Third party, whatever the provider |
| Legal translation (Spanish, Portuguese, French) | 0.15 to 0.30 per word | Third-party translator |
| Internal ethics review | 10 to 25 partner hours | The firm |
| Independent accessibility audit | 2,000 to 6,000 | Third party, optional |
| CRM or conflict-check integration | On quote | Depends on scope |
| Maintenance after 3 months | 150 to 400 a month (market assumption) | Kolonell: on quote |
Total cost over three years
The table applies the same market assumption for maintenance ($250 a month) to every option so the comparison is readable; at Kolonell, maintenance after the 3 included months is priced on quote.
| Item over 36 months | Local agency (assumed 55,000) | Kolonell Growth | Kolonell Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build | 55,000 | 4,900 | 8,900 |
| Photography (third party) | 2,500 | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| Maintenance (market assumption) | 36 × 250 = 9,000 | 33 × 250 = 8,250 | 33 × 250 = 8,250 |
| Indicative total | 66,500 | 15,650 | 19,650 |
When a local agency is the better choice
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
To be fair: if your firm has several offices and a global brand system, if you want weekly in-person workshops in Boston, or if procurement requires a local vendor, a Boston agency makes sense. The same goes for projects that hinge on heavy integrations with internal tools. Kolonell built the site of TR Signing Group, a signing services company in New Jersey: a professional services project of the same kind, run remotely.
Questions to ask any provider: who writes the lawyer bios, who checks compliance with ethics rules, how many languages are priced and at what cost, what happens after the support period, and who owns the code and content.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: Calder & Wynn LLP, nine lawyers in the Financial District, commercial and investment arbitration for Latin American clients. The firm picks Premium at $8,900 and sets English, Spanish and Portuguese in the quote. Photography: $2,500. Translation of 18,000 words at $0.20: $3,600. Total: 8,900 + 2,500 + 3,600 = $15,000. A local agency quote received in parallel came to $65,000 before photos and translation, or $71,100 all in: a gap of $56,100, reallocated to publications and conference speaking.
FAQ
Can a $4,900 site work for an arbitration firm?
Yes, if the firm supplies the substance: practices, admissions, institutions, publications. The Growth tier covers a full editorial site delivered in 3 to 4 weeks; secure client areas are priced on quote.
How do we handle working languages?
Premium is the multilingual tier, and the languages are set in the quote. Third-party legal translation usually costs $0.15 to $0.30 per word, to be budgeted separately.
Can we list our matters on the site?
Only public matters or those the client has authorized, within lawyer advertising rules. Two or three well-described examples per practice beat a list of 40 matters.
How long does the project take?
Plan on 3 to 4 weeks for Starter and Growth, 4 to 6 weeks for Premium, from receipt of content. Allow 10 to 25 hours of partner review.
What does the site cost after launch?
Three months of support are included; maintenance after that is priced on quote. In the Boston market, $150 to $400 a month is common depending on service level.
Let's scope your project. A Growth or Premium site for a Boston arbitration firm can be scoped in one call: practices, lawyer bios, languages, delivery in 3 to 6 weeks. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
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.
