What Should a Law Firm Website Include? 2026 Guide

In brief: A lawyer's website cannot be designed like an ordinary business website focused on “attracting customers.” The Turkish Bar Association's Advertising Prohibition Regulation bars lawyers from advertising and from using promotional referrals; a website should provide information. A good law firm website has clear practice-area explanations, lawyer profiles, legal information articles, a secure contact form, data-protection safeguards, and fast, accessible technology. Because content that crosses the line may lead to disciplinary proceedings, we recommend getting your bar association's view before launch.

Last updated: September 2026. This article is not legal advice. Contact your bar association or the Union of Turkish Bar Associations about professional rules.

Why is a lawyer's website different?

For most industries, a website exists to sell and attract customers. The rules are different for lawyers. The Turkish Bar Association Advertising Prohibition Regulation permits lawyers to maintain a website to conduct their professional work, inform clients, and publish professional articles and academic work. It prohibits advertising and any conduct that may count as advertising.

Changes made to the regulation on 9 August 2024 tightened the rules for the internet and social media (Anadolu Agency report). Lawyers may not pay—or arrange without payment—to have content about themselves promoted. Advertising and links intended to direct internet users to their websites are also prohibited. The prior warning-letter procedure was removed for violations; disciplinary proceedings are opened directly.

For a website team, this means a standard agency template—with discount banners, claims such as “98% success rate,” client testimonials, or aggressive calls to action—is not suitable. The website should build trust by providing accurate information, not persuade people to hire the lawyer.

What should the website include?

1. Clear identity and contact details

Include the lawyer's name, bar association and registration details, office address, phone number, and email address. The regulation lists a limited set of information that may appear online, such as name, academic title, registration number, date of admission to the profession, education, languages, office address, and contact details. Check the current regulation and confirm the applicable rules with your bar association before publishing.

2. Practice-area pages

Create a separate informational page for each area of practice (family, commercial, employment, criminal, or real-estate law, for example). Explain what the subject covers, how the process generally works, which documents may be needed, and what legal options may exist. These pages should inform the public, not advertise. Avoid claims such as “the best,” “guaranteed,” or “win rate.”

3. Legal information articles

The regulation allows lawyers to publish professional articles, which makes a blog or guide a natural fit. Topics might include deadlines for terminating a lease or how inheritance is divided. Articles should inform the public and be based on current legislation. Add publication and update dates: keeping legal information current matters to readers, search engines, and AI systems.

4. A secure contact form

Ask prospective clients only for information you need and link the form to a privacy notice. A note beside the form explaining that sending a message does not establish a lawyer-client relationship, and asking people not to send confidential details or documents, is a common and sensible practice. This is our recommendation, not a statement of a legal requirement.

5. Concise lawyer profiles

Profiles can cover education, practice areas, publications, and professional memberships within the information permitted by the regulation. Lists of personal victories, award displays, and comparative claims may be considered advertising.

Technical foundations that support trust and privacy

In this sector, technical quality directly affects trust:

• HTTPS and security: Encrypt form submissions. Protect the admin area with strong authentication, limited permissions, and an audit log.
• Personal data protection: Make the privacy notice, cookie controls, and retention periods clear. Do not request sensitive information such as identity, case, or health details in a general form.
• Speed and mobile support: People often look for information on a phone. Google's Core Web Vitals thresholds—LCP below 2.5 seconds, INP below 200 ms, and CLS below 0.1—are useful targets.
• Accessibility: Use readable text, sufficient contrast, keyboard navigation, and a meaningful heading structure.
• Server-rendered content: Include page content in the first HTML response. This helps search engines and AI crawlers; see our GEO guide.

Search visibility: what should you consider?

It is reasonable to want people to find a published website, but take care when interpreting the professional rules:

• You may not buy ads such as Google Ads. The regulation prohibits giving or receiving advertisements.
• There are limits on keywords used for search-engine registration. The regulation restricts the keywords lawyers can use when registering in lawyer-specific search engines, such as their name, firm name, and city.
• Organic visibility: Sound technical foundations, clear page titles, fast loading, and useful informational content help websites get found naturally. Bar associations may differ in how they interpret the point at which search optimization becomes advertising. Ask your bar association whenever you are unsure.
• Google Business Profile: Keeping basic details accurate and current (address, phone, and hours) is generally reasonable. Promotional content, campaigns, highlighting client reviews, and some posts may create risk. See our local SEO guide, and ask your bar association about the rules for lawyers.

Common mistakes

1. Using an agency template to make claims such as “success rate” or “hundreds of cases.”
2. Publishing client reviews, references, or case outcomes, which may raise confidentiality and advertising concerns.
3. Asking for unnecessary personal data in a form.
4. Leaving articles undated or failing to update information based on outdated legislation.
5. Linking social accounts to the website in a promotional or referral-oriented way.
6. Publishing without first asking the bar association for guidance.

Pre-launch checklist

• Is the content limited to information allowed under the regulation?
• Have claims such as “the best,” “guaranteed,” or “success rate,” along with discounts and campaigns, been removed?
• Do articles show publication and update dates?
• Are the privacy notice, cookie controls, and form notice ready?
• Have speed, mobile, security, and accessibility checks been completed?
• Have you asked your bar association or the Union of Turkish Bar Associations for guidance?

What Aktaş Digital can provide

Our law firm website solution includes practice-area pages, lawyer profiles, legal content management, privacy-conscious form handling, and a high-performance foundation. We cannot decide whether the wording and content comply with professional rules; that decision belongs to the law firm and its bar association. We deliver the site within the scope you approve, using an admin panel that makes updates straightforward. Describe your needs in our project inquiry form.

Frequently asked questions

Can lawyers have a website?

Yes. The Advertising Prohibition Regulation allows lawyers to maintain a website to conduct professional activities online, inform clients, and publish professional writing. The key limit is that the content must not be advertising.

Can I publish client testimonials and case results?

We do not recommend it. Confidentiality and the risk of it being treated as advertising can create serious problems. Ask your bar association for a definitive view.

Is a blog useful for a law firm website?

Yes. Legal information articles can serve the public and help the website appear in search results and AI-generated answers. They should be neutral, sourced, current, and free of promotional language.

Can I promote legal services with Google Ads?

The regulation prohibits giving or receiving advertisements, so paid ads carry risk. Do not use them without specific advice from your bar association.

How many pages and what content are enough?

Start with a home page, an about page and lawyer profiles, practice-area pages, informational articles, and a contact page. Quality and accuracy matter more than the page count.

What happens if the regulation changes?

The rules can change over time, as they did on 9 August 2024. Review the published content at least once a year against the current professional rules.

Conclusion

A law firm website stands out through accurate information, a trustworthy professional identity, and a solid technical foundation, rather than aggressive marketing. We can help define and build a fast, secure website that fits your needs; have your bar association review the content and wording before launch.