For a law firm, the website is not only marketing. Under the SRA Transparency Rules, parts of it are a regulatory requirement. Firms that publish that they offer certain services must show price and service information for them, and every regulated firm has to publish complaints information and display the SRA's digital badge.
Many firms treat this as a box to tick, often with a PDF tucked behind a footer link. That misses an opportunity. Clear price information is one of the things prospective clients most want, and a firm that presents it well usually converts better than one that hides it.
This guide covers what the rules require and how to make the pages work commercially. It is not legal advice; check the detail against the SRA's transparency guidance and your own compliance officer.
Which services need price information
According to the SRA, if you publish that you offer any of the following, you must display price and service information for them:
- residential conveyancing
- uncontested probate
- summary motoring offences
- immigration, excluding asylum
- employment tribunal claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal
- debt recovery, up to the value limit set by the SRA
- licensing applications for business premises
Some areas apply to work for individuals and some to work for businesses. The SRA's guidance sets out exactly which, and where the limits sit.
What the price information must include
The SRA expects the information to give a prospective client a realistic idea of cost. In practice that means:
- the total cost of the service or, where that is not possible, an average cost or a range
- the basis of your charges, such as hourly rates or fixed fees
- likely disbursements and what they cover
- whether VAT is included
- for conditional fee or damages-based agreements, how and when payment works
Alongside price, firms must describe the service: what is included and what is not, the key stages and an indication of timescales, and the experience and qualifications of the people who will do the work and supervise it.
What every firm must publish
Whatever services you offer, the rules require every regulated firm to publish its complaints procedure, including how and when a client can complain to the Legal Ombudsman and the SRA. Firms must also display the SRA's digital badge, which links to confirmation that the firm is regulated.
Where it has to sit
The information must be easy to find and easy to understand. Burying it in a downloadable document or a link in small print does not meet the spirit of the rules, and it does not help clients.
Good practice is to put price and service information on each relevant service page, near the top or in a clearly labelled section, with the complaints information and digital badge visible on every page, usually in the footer.
Turning compliance into conversion
Price transparency often worries firms. The fear is that publishing fees invites price shopping. In practice, most prospective clients are looking for reassurance, not the cheapest quote. Clear pricing does three useful things.
It filters enquiries
Clients who cannot afford the service, or who expected something different, self-select out before taking up a fee-earner's time. The enquiries that remain are better qualified.
It builds trust
A firm that explains its fees plainly looks confident and honest. One that hides them invites the question of why.
It answers the question people search
Many prospective clients search for the cost of a service before they search for a firm. A clear, well-structured price page can rank for those searches and bring clients to you at the moment they are comparing.
Practical tips for the pages
- Lead with a range and what drives it. "Most residential purchases fall within this range; the main factors are the property value, whether it is leasehold, and whether there is a mortgage."
- Use worked examples. One or two typical scenarios with a full cost breakdown help clients see where they fit.
- Name the people. Show who does the work and who supervises it, with their experience.
- Put the next step on the same page. A booking link or short enquiry form beside the price information catches clients while they are ready.
- Keep it current. Out-of-date prices are a compliance risk. Assign someone to review the pages whenever fees change.
Common questions
Do the rules apply if we do not publish prices for other services?
The price requirements apply to the listed services that you publish you offer. The complaints information and the SRA digital badge apply to every regulated firm. Many firms choose to publish pricing for other services too, because clients find it helpful and it reduces poor-fit enquiries.
Can we publish a range instead of a fixed fee?
Yes. Where a total cost is not possible, the SRA accepts an average cost or a range, together with an explanation of the factors that affect it. A range with a clear explanation and a worked example is usually more useful to clients than a single headline figure.
Does a PDF price list count?
A document can contain the information, but the SRA expects it to be easy to find and prominent. A PDF hidden behind a small footer link is unlikely to meet that expectation and does little for clients. Putting the information directly on the relevant service page is the safer and more effective approach.
Where automation helps
Price pages raise questions, often outside office hours. An automated enquiry system can acknowledge every enquiry instantly, ask the questions that let a fee-earner give a tailored quote, and book a call, without giving legal advice. For more on this, see AI for lawyers and how an AI receptionist handles out-of-hours intake.
If your current site treats transparency as an afterthought, it is often the clearest sign the whole site needs a rethink. We build websites for regulated firms with these requirements designed in from the start; book a call to talk it through.