The verdict in three sentences
For a firm of 10 to 60 lawyers whose WordPress site piles up vulnerabilities, outdated plugins and slow pages, migrating to Next.js with a headless CMS costs 20,000 to 60,000 GBP in London (12,000 to 35,000 EUR excl. VAT in Paris) and takes 8 to 14 weeks. The gains are security, speed and editorial control; hosting rises from 15 to 60 EUR to 30 to 150 EUR a month. The one real risk, losing organic traffic, is controlled with an exhaustive 301 redirect plan targeting 95 % of traffic retained.
Why law firms are leaving WordPress
WordPress is not a bad tool, but over five years law firm sites collect 25 to 50 plugins, a premium theme never updated and forms routed through third-party services. For a profession bound by confidentiality, that is a real risk.
| Criterion | Typical shared WordPress | Next.js + headless CMS |
|---|---|---|
| Attack surface | Public admin, 25 to 50 plugins | No admin exposed on the public site |
| Security updates | Weekly, often neglected | Audited dependencies, controlled deployment |
| Average mobile LCP observed | 3.5 to 6 s | 1 to 2 s |
| Monthly hosting | 15 to 60 EUR | 30 to 150 EUR |
| Approval workflow | Limited without plugins | Draft, partner review, publish |
| Monthly maintenance | 80 to 250 EUR | 100 to 300 EUR |
Moving to an architecture where the public site is statically generated or server-rendered, with no exposed admin interface, removes most automated attacks aimed at wp-login and vulnerable plugins.
Detailed migration budget
| Item | Paris range (excl. VAT) | London range |
|---|---|---|
| Audit and URL inventory | 1,000 to 2,500 EUR | 1,800 to 4,000 GBP |
| Content modelling in the headless CMS | 1,500 to 4,000 EUR | 2,500 to 7,000 GBP |
| Design (carry-over or redesign) | 2,500 to 8,000 EUR | 4,000 to 14,000 GBP |
| Next.js development | 4,500 to 13,000 EUR | 7,500 to 22,000 GBP |
| Content migration (100 to 800 articles) | 1,000 to 4,000 EUR | 1,700 to 6,500 GBP |
| 301 redirect plan (200 to 1,500 URLs) | 800 to 2,500 EUR | 1,300 to 4,000 GBP |
| Testing, security, go-live | 700 to 1,500 EUR | 1,200 to 2,500 GBP |
The headless CMS itself costs 0 to 400 EUR a month depending on the number of editors.
Risks and how to neutralise them
| Risk | Likelihood without precautions | Mitigation | Mitigation cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic traffic loss | high, 20 to 50 % | Exhaustive 301s, keep slugs | included in redirect plan |
| Badly migrated content | medium | Import script + sampled review | 1 to 2 days |
| Editors lost in the new tool | medium | 2-hour training, editorial guide | 400 to 800 EUR |
| Forgotten features (forms, newsletter) | medium | Functional inventory at audit stage | included in audit |
| Timeline overrun | medium | Content freeze 10 days before cutover | none |
The targeted 5 % traffic dip is temporary in most cases: it recovers within 4 to 8 weeks if key URLs keep their content and inbound links.
Mini case study
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Catherine, managing partner of a 28-lawyer employment and corporate firm, migrates a 640-URL WordPress site to Next.js for 24,000 EUR in Paris (a London firm would pay about 38,000 GBP for the same scope). The site received 11,000 organic visits a month. After 6 weeks traffic is back to 10,600, or 96 %, then exceeds 12,500 by month four thanks to LCP dropping from 4.8 s to 1.3 s. Qualified appointment requests rise from 18 to 26 a month. With 1 matter opened in 4 and average fees of 6,000 EUR, the gain is about 12,000 EUR a month, covering the investment in roughly two months. The firm also avoided repeating a 2,800 EUR emergency clean-up billed the previous year after an intrusion.
FAQ
How much does a WordPress to Next.js migration cost for a law firm?
Between 20,000 and 60,000 GBP in London, 12,000 to 35,000 EUR in Paris, depending on URL count, languages and design scope. The redirect plan accounts for 800 to 4,000 of that budget.
Will we lose our search rankings?
With an exhaustive 301 plan and preserved content, the goal is to keep 95 % of traffic. Lasting drops almost always come from forgotten URLs or shortened content.
Can lawyers publish on their own?
Yes. The headless CMS lets them draft, get partner review and publish. A 2-hour training session is enough in most firms.
Why does hosting cost more?
Next.js hosting with CDN costs 30 to 150 EUR a month against 15 to 60 EUR for shared hosting, but includes scaling and better uptime. The difference is offset by lighter security maintenance.
Are there professional conduct rules for the site?
Yes. In England the SRA Code of Conduct and transparency rules require clear pricing information for certain services, and in France the national bar rules restrict misleading claims. Pages must be approved by a partner.
Let's scope your project. Send us your current site URL: we will inventory your URLs, price a migration from 12,000 EUR and plan a cutover in 8 to 14 weeks. 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.
