Consumer Research · 2025

What do your potential clients actually want to see before they contact a law firm?

We asked 1,000 UK adults. The answers should change how you think about your website — and what you put on it.

Sample 1,000 UK Adults
Fieldwork Q4 2025
Pages 16 pages
Format Instant PDF download

Instant PDF download · works on any device

How Do People Choose a Law Firm — Research Report
72%
have already considered making a claim — but most never contacted a firm
91%
say a clear process explanation is important or extremely important
63%
would be put off if cost feels too high — before they even make contact
17%
would use ChatGPT or AI to find a law firm — more than all social channels combined
1.3%
named firm size as the single most important factor. Not a typo.

13 questions. 1,000 people. Everything your firm needs to know about how clients choose.

Most law firm websites are built around what the firm wants to say. This report tells you what your potential clients actually need to hear — the specific things that build enough trust and confidence to make them pick up the phone or fill in a form.

The data covers every stage of the decision: where people look for a firm, what they need to see when they get there, which words and phrases move them to act, and the things that make them close the tab and never come back. It is practical, specific, and built entirely around what real consumers told us — not what we assumed they would say.

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Where your clients look for you

Which channels actually drive consumer claim enquiries in 2025 — including one that most firms are not tracking yet.

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The phrases that convert

Tested directly with 1,000 people — which marketing messages work, which ones fall flat, and which actively put people off.

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What builds trust on your website

A clear priority list of the content elements that give clients the confidence to make contact — ranked by what actually matters.

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What kills the enquiry

The specific things on law firm websites that make potential clients close the tab — many of which appear on most sites right now.

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The decision drivers that matter

What people genuinely weigh up when choosing a firm — and why the factors most firms invest in rank at the bottom of the list.

The competitive advantage hiding in plain sight

Why smaller, specialist firms are better positioned than they think — and how to make that advantage visible on your website.

A few things the data tells you.

These are the questions we asked and a taste of what the data shows. The full analysis, charts and implications are in the report.

The single most important factor

Being a well-known national brand ranked 13th out of 14.

When forced to choose the single most important factor, consumers put financial safety and specialist credibility at the top by a wide margin. Brand recognition barely registers. The full data shows exactly what came first — and by how much.

What stops people claiming

33.7% said it looked like too much hassle. 33.2% were not sure if they qualified.

Neither of those is a rejection of the idea of claiming. Both are fixable with the right website content. The report identifies every barrier and what you can do about each one.

The most powerful phrase you can use

99% success rate beat every other phrase — including "no win no fee."

We tested 14 common marketing phrases. When forced to choose just one, consumers were unambiguous. The full ranking is in the report — and the result has direct implications for your homepage copy.

The trust signals that actually work

55% said a clear step-by-step process explanation would build trust. Being mentioned in the media came last.

The report gives you a clear priority list of the content elements that build enough trust for someone to make contact — in the order consumers actually value them.

The channel most firms are ignoring

16.7% would use ChatGPT to find a law firm — more than TikTok, YouTube, Reddit and social ads combined.

This is happening right now, not in a few years. The report explains what it means for your firm and what you can do about it.

What kills the enquiry instantly

48.9% said a pushy or salesy tone would put them off making contact.

Nearly half your potential clients are that sensitive to tone. The report identifies every trigger point — from specific language patterns to website issues — that causes people to walk away.

Any firm doing consumer claims work where website performance matters.

The data applies directly to any area of consumer claims work. If your firm handles any of these, the report tells you what your potential clients need to see before they contact you.

Personal injury

Road traffic, slips and trips, workplace accidents. High competition, high intent — the right website content is the difference between winning and losing the enquiry.

Financial mis-selling

Car finance, PPI, pensions. Clients who are uncertain whether they qualify and sceptical of the process. The report shows exactly how to address both.

Housing disrepair

A growing area with a particular need for clear eligibility guidance and process transparency. Both are top-ranked by consumers in this data.

Medical negligence

Emotionally complex and high stakes. Specialist credibility and a human, accessible tone are critical — and the data confirms exactly that.

Data breach claims

Awareness is growing but scepticism remains high. The specific messaging that overcomes that scepticism is covered in detail.

Any consumer claim type

The core findings on trust, cost transparency, process clarity and tone apply across all consumer claim categories. If it is a consumer-facing practice area, this data is relevant.

Turn the findings directly into website improvements.

  • Understand exactly which content elements build enough trust to convert a visitor into an enquiry — in order of importance
  • Know which phrases to use and which to avoid on your landing pages, based on what 1,000 real consumers told us
  • Identify the specific friction points that are causing potential clients to leave your site without making contact
  • Make the case internally for the website changes that will make a measurable difference to enquiry volume
  • Understand where your clients are looking for you — including channels that most firms are not yet optimising for
  • See clearly why specialist and smaller firms can outcompete larger national brands on the factors that actually matter

16 pages of data, analysis and clear implications.

  • Full results for all 13 survey questions with charts rebuilt from raw data
  • Analysis of each finding — not just the numbers but what they mean for your firm specifically
  • Key insight callouts on every page connecting the data to practical website decisions
  • Verbatim quotes from respondents describing exactly what they want from a law firm — and what makes them walk away
  • A final conclusions section pulling the whole picture together into six clear strategic takeaways
  • Methodology note — sample size, fieldwork period, panel methodology — so the data stands up to scrutiny

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16 pages 1,000 respondents 13 questions Instant PDF download Use across your whole team

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