In shortA good law firm marketing agency understands how clients choose solicitors, leaves the firm owning its website, content and accounts, reports in terms of enquiries rather than activity, and never promises rankings. The firm stays responsible to the SRA for marketing done on its behalf, so it should choose an agency it can supervise.
For some firms, an in-house marketer or a specialist freelancer is the better fit.
Agency, in-house or specialist?
The right choice depends on what the firm needs. A small firm that needs a better website and steady search visibility rarely needs a full-time marketer. A larger firm with several practice areas, events and directories to manage often benefits from someone in-house who knows the partners, with specialists brought in for work like website builds and technical SEO.
Agencies make most sense when the firm needs a range of skills it can't justify employing, or a defined project done well. They make least sense when the firm wants someone to sit in partner meetings and shape the business; that is usually an internal role.
| Option | Usually suits | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Full-service agency | Usually suits: Firms needing website, SEO, paid search and content together | Watch for: Junior teams after the pitch; work spread thinly across clients |
| Specialist agency or consultant | Usually suits: A defined need, such as a new website or search visibility | Watch for: Gaps outside their speciality |
| In-house marketer | Usually suits: Firms with enough ongoing work and partners who will engage | Watch for: One person expected to cover every skill |
| Freelancer | Usually suits: Specific tasks with clear briefs | Watch for: Availability, continuity and who holds the access |
The firm stays responsible for its marketing
This is the point most general agencies miss. The SRA Code of Conduct requires a firm's publicity to be accurate and not misleading, including about charges. The SRA's December 2024 warning notice on marketing to the public says that duty covers material used by third parties the firm works with, and that firms should check how new clients came to them.
In practice, an agency's ads, landing pages, reviews and claims about results are the firm's responsibility. An agency that knows the SRA rules, including the Transparency Rules on prices, complaints and the SRA badge, saves the firm work and risk. One that doesn't will need close supervision, however good its general marketing.
What the firm should own
Whoever does the work, the firm should own its domain name and control the DNS, own the website and its content, and hold administrator access to analytics, Search Console, Google Business Profile and any advertising accounts. If the relationship ends, the firm should be able to carry on without the agency's goodwill.
Ask before signing: who registers the domain, who owns the code and the words, what happens to hosting and access at the end, and what notice period applies. These questions are much easier at the start than at the end.
How to judge a proposal
A strong proposal starts from the firm's goals: which areas of work it wants more of, what a good client is worth, and how enquiries are handled today. It explains what will be done and why, how success will be measured, and what is outside the agency's control.
- Do they ask which work you want more of, not just how much traffic you want?
- Will they report on enquiries and instructions, not just rankings and visits?
- Who will actually do the work, and will you speak to them?
- Can they show relevant work, and are any examples clearly labelled if they are concepts?
- Do they explain how they handle SRA requirements in content and ads?
- Are fees, minimum terms and what happens at the end set out in writing?
Warning signs
Some promises should end the conversation. Google's own guidance on hiring an SEO says no one can guarantee a first-place ranking. Be cautious with agencies that guarantee rankings or enquiry numbers, keep ownership of the website or domain, report only on activity, or suggest marketing that would breach SRA rules, such as unsolicited approaches or testimonials that create unrealistic expectations.
Where Prime Pilot fits
We are a specialist rather than a full-service agency: we build law firm websites and specialist enquiry sites, and run search and AI-search programmes on websites the firm owns. Firm websites start from £2,500, and the Website + Growth programme is £2,500 for the build plus £1,000 a month, agreed in writing.
We don't do events, PR or legal directory submissions. If a firm needs those, we will say so in the discovery call, and the work we do should sit comfortably alongside whoever does.
Sources
Checked 30 October 2026. This guide summarises the rules; it is not legal advice.