Budgeting for legal PPC without real benchmark data is guessing. Here’s what law firms actually pay, drawn from industry studies, platform data, and 15 years of campaign management experience.
Cost Per Click: The Keyword Spectrum
Legal keywords don’t have uniform pricing. The range is dramatic:
By keyword type:
- “Lawyer” (broad): $10-$20
- “Personal injury lawyer”: $50-$100
- “Car accident lawyer [city]”: $75-$200+
- “Truck accident attorney”: $100-$200+
- “Mesothelioma lawyer”: $150-$300+
By market:
- Tier 1 metros (NYC, LA, Chicago, Miami): Top of ranges
- Tier 2 cities: 20-40% lower than Tier 1
- Smaller markets: Can be 50%+ lower, but competition is increasing everywhere
The same keyword can cost 3-4x more in Los Angeles than in Louisville. Geography is the biggest variable.
Cost Per Lead: The Case Type Breakdown
A 2025 analysis of 49 PI firms spending $21.4M annually provides the most comprehensive CPL data available:
| Case Type | Average CPL |
|---|---|
| Slip and fall | $312 |
| Workplace injury | $354 |
| Auto accidents | $391 |
| Product liability | $476 |
| Medical malpractice | $512 |
These are blended averages across all markets and channels. Your actual CPL depends heavily on geography, competition, and campaign quality.
Regional Variation
The same study broke down CPL by region:
| Region | Average CPL |
|---|---|
| Midwest | $314 |
| Southeast | $382 |
| West | $401 |
| Northeast | $468 |
Northeast markets cost 49% more than Midwest markets for equivalent lead types. If you’re budgeting based on national averages, you’ll underfund in expensive markets and overspend in cheaper ones.
The Full Cost Picture
CPC and CPL only tell part of the story. Here’s the complete cost structure:
Campaign Level
| Metric | Low | Mid | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPC | $50 | $100 | $200+ |
| Conversion rate | 5% | 8% | 12%+ |
| Cost per lead | $400 | $800 | $1,500+ |
Case Level
| Metric | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lead to case rate | 15-30% | Varies by case type and intake quality |
| Cost per signed case | $1,500-$5,000+ | Urban markets higher |
Hidden Costs
- Agency/management fees: 20% of spend ($3K-$20K+ monthly for serious spenders)
- Landing page development: $5,000-$15,000+
- Call tracking: $200-$500/month
- Wasted clicks: Even optimized campaigns have waste
Why Prices Keep Rising
Legal PPC costs increase year over year, and the trend is structural:
More firms enter PPC every year. As TV and directory effectiveness declines, budget shifts to digital. More bidders, higher prices.
iOS privacy changes flooded Google. In April 2021, Apple’s App Tracking Transparency broke Facebook and Instagram targeting. Meta lost $10 billion in ad revenue. Much of that spend migrated to Google Search. The last reliable performance channel.
High case values justify irrational bidding. When one case can generate $100,000+ in fees, firms will pay $5,000 to sign it. There’s no natural price ceiling.
Google has no incentive to lower prices. The auction system maximizes Google’s revenue, not advertiser efficiency.
What This Math Means
Let’s run realistic scenarios:
Scenario A: Baseline
- Monthly budget: $15,000
- Average CPC: $80
- Clicks: 188
- Conversion rate: 8%
- Leads: 15
- Cost per lead: $1,000
- Lead to case: 20%
- Signed cases: 3
- Cost per case: $5,000
Scenario B: Optimized
- Monthly budget: $15,000
- Average CPC: $70 (better quality score)
- Clicks: 214
- Conversion rate: 12% (better landing page)
- Leads: 26
- Cost per lead: $577
- Lead to case: 25% (faster intake)
- Signed cases: 6-7
- Cost per case: $2,300
The difference between A and B isn’t budget. It’s optimization. CPC, conversion rate, and intake speed all compound.
The Question Behind the Numbers
These costs are what you pay to compete for people already searching for a lawyer. You’re bidding against every other firm for the same keywords, trying to win clicks from people who will likely click multiple ads.
At $100+ per click, the math demands you ask: Is there a way to reach these people before they’re worth $100?
The firms with the best PPC economics often aren’t paying less per click. They’ve built brands that generate searches for their firm name specifically, and those branded clicks cost $1-$5, not $100.
PPC captures demand. The question is whether you’re only capturing, or also creating. Learn how in our branded search protection guide.