Avvo vs Justia: which brings a law firm more clients, and how do Super Lawyers and FindLaw compare?
By Yath Regmi, Founder, Kodec
Verified on Updated Published
Short answer
Free profiles on Avvo and Justia are worth ten minutes. Paid plans are a bet. Avvo and FindLaw sell ads, Justia sells a cheap upgrade, and Super Lawyers selection is not for sale. Pay only if you can track every call to a signed client, and check how fast your firm calls people back before you pay anyone.
When this is the right call
Each one has a fit. Avvo ads suit a new firm with a thin Google presence and a consumer practice such as family, estate or DUI, if you track calls. Justia Pro, at $19.99 a month in Justia's May 2022 post, is cheap enough for any solo. Super Lawyers helps if you were already selected, mostly for trust and referrals from other lawyers. FindLaw fits a firm that wants a managed site and ads on one bill and can afford the high end. LegalMatch suits high-volume, lower-ticket matters, with cancellation terms in writing.
Cost per signed client
Example
| Step | 14% sign | 25% sign |
|---|---|---|
| Spend over a year ($300 a month) | $3,600 | $3,600 |
| Calls from the ad | 40 | 40 |
| Signed clients | 5.6 | 10 |
| Cost per signed client | $643 | $360 |
These inputs are invented. The 14% is Lexgro's figure for the average firm, and Lexgro sells marketing services. The 25% stands for a firm that calls back faster. The same ad gives two different costs. Compare either number with the fee from one case in your practice area.
Side by side
Avvo
| Free listing? | Yes. Free profiles show competitor ads on your page, per Growlaw.1 |
|---|---|
| Paid product and reported price | Growlaw's text says $50 to $100+ a month for Pro. Its table says about $50 to $200+. AdVantage is pay per click with no public price.1 |
| What it is | Consumer ratings and Q&A, plus ads. |
Justia
| Free listing? | Yes, Justia Connect Basic.3 |
|---|---|
| Paid product and reported price | Connect Pro is $19.99 a month, or $16.65 a month when paid in one annual payment, per Justia's own May 25, 2022 post. Check current pricing. Gold and Platinum are quoted privately, per rankings.io.3 |
| What it is | A legal library and search presence. |
Super Lawyers
| Free listing? | Selection is not for sale. Paid profile products: not checked.5 |
|---|---|
| Paid product and reported price | None found. |
| What it is | A peer honor for about the top 5% in each state, judged on 12 criteria.5 |
FindLaw
| Free listing? | Not stated on FindLaw's advertising page, per eSEOspace.6 |
|---|---|
| Paid product and reported price | Premium Profile "starts at $158 per month," per eSEOspace on Oct 29, 2026. FindLaw's own page lists no price.6 |
| What it is | An ad network and managed sites. |
LegalMatch
| Free listing? | Not stated. |
|---|---|
| Paid product and reported price | No public price. Contracts reported at 6 or 12 months by one law firm's blog.10 |
| What it is | A lead service for people who need a lawyer. |
| What it is | Avvo | Justia | Super Lawyers | FindLaw | LegalMatch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free listing? | Yes. Free profiles show competitor ads on your page, per Growlaw.1 | Yes, Justia Connect Basic.3 | Selection is not for sale. Paid profile products: not checked.5 | Not stated on FindLaw's advertising page, per eSEOspace.6 | Not stated. |
| Paid product and reported price | Growlaw's text says $50 to $100+ a month for Pro. Its table says about $50 to $200+. AdVantage is pay per click with no public price.1 | Connect Pro is $19.99 a month, or $16.65 a month when paid in one annual payment, per Justia's own May 25, 2022 post. Check current pricing. Gold and Platinum are quoted privately, per rankings.io.3 | None found. | Premium Profile "starts at $158 per month," per eSEOspace on Oct 29, 2026. FindLaw's own page lists no price.6 | No public price. Contracts reported at 6 or 12 months by one law firm's blog.10 |
| What it is | Consumer ratings and Q&A, plus ads. | A legal library and search presence. | A peer honor for about the top 5% in each state, judged on 12 criteria.5 | An ad network and managed sites. | A lead service for people who need a lawyer. |
Vendor by vendor
Avvo
Free profile. Paid ads reported at $50 to $200+ a month. Juris Digital quotes one family law attorney at $120 a month for 3 blocks of 100 searches, and a New York firm at about $3,000 a month for 5 to 10 leads a month (checked Nov 14, 2026).2
Good
- In our view, a profile helps when someone already has your name and checks you out.
Not so good
- Agencies disagree on whether the ads pay. Growlaw, which sells SEO, calls Avvo "a definitive yes."1
Justia
Basic is free. Pro is $19.99 a month, or $16.65 a month paid annually, per Justia's own May 25, 2022 post. Check current pricing. Gold and Platinum are quoted privately per rankings.io.3
Good
- The cheapest paid step of the four, going by reported prices.
Not so good
- Higher tiers have no public price.4
Super Lawyers
Selection is not for sale. Paid profile products: not checked.5
Good
- A credential that cannot be bought.
Not so good
- Only some attorneys are selected.
FindLaw
"Starts at $158 per month" for a Premium Profile, per eSEOspace on Oct 29, 2026. FindLaw's own page lists no price.6
Good
- One bill for a managed site and ads, per roundups.
Not so good
- No price on FindLaw's own page, so ask for a written quote.
Another option: your own site, call tracking and fast intake
Some firms also build a channel they own: a site that answers the questions clients ask, call tracking, and an intake process that calls people back fast. You see which calls became signed clients and what each cost. Directories can still feed it.
What we found
Verified terms
Who owns Avvo
LawNext reported on Jan 11, 2018 that Internet Brands agreed to acquire Avvo. Internet Brands already owned Nolo, Martindale-Hubbell, Ngage and Total Attorneys, per LawNext. Ask what you would actually get from each listing before you pay for more than one.7
Original math
Avvo vs Justia cost per signed client, same ad, different intake
Spend $3,600 over a year and get 40 calls. If 14% sign, that is 5.6 clients at about $643 each. If 25% sign, that is 10 clients at $360 each. Your call-back speed changes the answer as much as the directory does. Fill in your own calls and sign rate, then compare the result with the fee from one case.8
Verified terms
What Rule 7.2 says, in plain words
ABA Model Rule 7.2(b) reads: "A lawyer shall not compensate, give or promise anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer's services except that a lawyer may: (1) pay the reasonable costs of advertisements or communications permitted by this Rule; (2) pay the usual charges of a legal service plan or a not-for-profit or qualified lawyer referral service." Other listed exceptions cover buying a law practice and some referral agreements. In plain words, you may pay for ads and for qualified referral services, but you may not pay a person for recommending you. States adopt their own versions, so check your state bar before you sign with any lead service. This is not legal advice.12
Original math
Is Avvo advertising worth it? How many clients pay back the ad
Say one case pays your firm $5,000 (an invented figure, so use yours). A $3,600 year of ads is covered by 1 signed client. From 40 calls, that is a 2.5% sign rate. At the 14% average Lexgro reports, you would expect about 5.6 clients. The ad pays when you can count signed clients and the case fee is large.
Verified terms
How fast law firms call back
Hennessey Digital, which sells marketing to law firms, ran a 2024 study that contacted 1,377 US law firms in the first quarter of 2024. It found 27% did not respond to online leads, 28% responded in under 5 minutes, and the median response time was 13 minutes. Check your own call-back time before you buy leads.9
Verified terms
LegalMatch reviews: what one law firm says
A May 8, 2025 post from Ostendorf Law says LegalMatch contracts usually run 6 or 12 months and cost thousands of dollars, often with no refund if leads do not convert. It is one firm's opinion and cites no contract. SmartCustomer shows LegalMatch at 2.0 out of 5 from 80 reviews. Ask for the contract first.1011
Questions to ask
- 01
What is the price, the contract length and the refund policy?
A good answer: Written terms. LegalMatch publishes no price, and FindLaw's own page lists none.
Protects you from: A 6 or 12 month contract with no refund if leads do not convert.
- 02
How do I track which calls came from you?
A good answer: A call tracking number or a source report.
Protects you from: Paying for a listing you cannot connect to a signed client.
- 03
Does your service comply with my state's version of Rule 7.2?
A good answer: A clear answer you can check with your state bar.
Protects you from: Paying a person for recommending you, which the rule bars.
Red flags
- A seller who offers to get you selected for Super Lawyers. Its page says selection is not for sale.
- A contract of 6 or 12 months with no refund and no public price.
- Any deal that pays a person for recommending your firm. Rule 7.2(b) limits this, and your state may differ.
How we checked
We read the sources on Nov 14, 2026. Super Lawyers' selection rules come from its own page. Avvo and FindLaw prices come from agency and roundup pages, and Growlaw's text and table disagree, so we show both and name who sells what: Growlaw sells SEO, eSEOspace sells SEO, Lexgro sells marketing services. FindLaw's own page lists no price and does not say who owns it, so we do not name an owner. The Justia price and the ABA Rule 7.2(b) wording were read on the pages themselves in a browser on Nov 14, 2026. We dropped claims we could not tie to a page.
Questions
Results are mixed. Agencies disagree, and the ones that sell SEO tend to say yes. Track cost per signed client for 90 days, using a call tracking number if you can. If you cannot count signed clients by source, you cannot tell whether the ads pay.
They do different jobs. Avvo is consumer ratings and Q&A plus ads. Super Lawyers is a peer honor for about the top 5% in each state, and its page says selection is not for sale. Take the free Avvo profile, and count what any paid step brings in signed clients.
Its selection page says selection is by peer review against 12 criteria, for about the top 5% in each state, and that no purchase is needed. If anyone sells you a way to get selected, ask them to show you where that is allowed on the Super Lawyers page.
One law firm's blog says contracts usually run 6 or 12 months and cost thousands of dollars, often with no refund if leads do not convert. That is one firm's view, not LegalMatch's contract. SmartCustomer shows 2.0 out of 5 from 80 reviews. Ask for the contract first.
Under ABA Model Rule 7.2(b), a lawyer may not give anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer's services. Exceptions include the reasonable cost of advertising and the usual charges of a qualified lawyer referral service. Whether a lead service counts as recommending you can turn on its details, so ask your state bar. This is not legal advice.
Answer calls fast and count signed clients by source. Then any directory has a clear number to beat. Hennessey Digital, which sells marketing to law firms, found in its 2024 study a median response time of 13 minutes across 1,377 firms, so a fast call-back can set you apart.
Sources
- 1.Growlaw: Avvo lawyer marketing guide, updated Apr 24, 2026 (agency that sells SEO) accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 2.Juris Digital: Is Avvo paid advertising worth the money, updated Sep 25, 2026 (agency) accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 3.Justia: Welcome to Justia Connect Pro, May 25, 2022 (Justia's own blog) accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 4.rankings.io: Justia reviews (agency) accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 5.Super Lawyers: selection process accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 6.eSEOspace: Which legal directories are worth it, Oct 29, 2026 (agency that sells SEO) accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 7.LawNext: Avvo is acquired by Internet Brands, Jan 11, 2018 accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 8.Lexgro: law firm lead conversion benchmarks, Feb 24, 2026 (sells marketing services) accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 9.Hennessey Digital: 2024 law firm lead form response time study accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 10.Ostendorf Law: LegalMatch review, May 8, 2025 accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 11.SmartCustomer: LegalMatch reviews accessed Nov 14, 2026
- 12.ABA: Model Rule 7.2, advertising (rule text read Nov 14, 2026) accessed Nov 14, 2026
Where to go next
Want to see which of your own calls turned into paying customers? See how Leverage works.
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