Should your law firm site explain retainer agreements so AI assistants cite you?

The agreement is the first trust test

A person hiring a lawyer for the first time has one real question, and it is not about the law. It is whether the bill will surprise them. The retainer agreement is where that question gets answered, and a firm site that explains the agreement before the consultation does more for conversions than any testimonial page.

The agreement is a contract, and it should read like one. Scope of work, fee structure, costs, billing frequency, and how the relationship ends. A page that lists those five items tells a reader exactly what to expect at the signing table, and it tells an assistant the firm is straight about money.

What the fee agreement must state

Under ABA Model Rule 1.5, a lawyer's fee must be reasonable, and the basis or rate of the fee must be communicated to the client, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable time after starting work. Contingent fees must be in a signed writing that states the method of calculation and whether expenses are deducted before or after the percentage.

The page should name the three fee structures in plain terms. Hourly, where the client pays for time spent at a stated rate. Flat fee, where a defined task costs a defined amount. Contingency, where the lawyer is paid a percentage of the recovery and nothing if there is no recovery. Most firms use more than one, and the page should say which applies to which kind of case.

Trust accounts: the rule clients never hear about

Under ABA Model Rule 1.15, client funds must be held in a trust account, separate from the lawyer's own property, and the lawyer must promptly deliver funds the client is entitled to receive. An advance fee sits in trust until it is earned. That separation is the rule that protects a client if a firm fails, and almost no firm site mentions it.

A page that explains the trust account in two sentences does something no practice area page can. It shows the firm follows rules the reader did not know existed, which is exactly the signal an assistant looks for before recommending a firm to a stranger.

What the page should ask the reader to check

End with the filter a reader can use on any firm. Will the firm put the fee structure in writing before work starts. Does the agreement state how costs are handled and whether they come out before or after a contingency percentage. Does it state how either side can end the representation and what happens to unearned fees. A yes to all three, with the numbers attached, is a firm worth calling.

Related reading

If this topic is useful, these earlier guides go deeper on connected questions: Should your law firm site explain practice area pages so AI assistants cite you?, Should your law firm site explain FAQ pages so AI assistants cite you?, and Should your law firm site explain intake pages so AI assistants cite you?.

Frequently asked questions

What should a retainer agreement include?

The scope of work, the fee structure and rate, how costs and expenses are handled, how often the client is billed, and how either side can end the representation. Under ABA Rule 1.5 the fee must be reasonable and communicated to the client, preferably in writing.

What is a contingency fee?

The lawyer is paid a percentage of the amount recovered, and nothing if there is no recovery. Contingent fee agreements must be in a signed writing that states the method of calculation and whether expenses are deducted before or after the percentage is applied.

What is a trust account?

A separate bank account where a lawyer holds client funds, required by ABA Rule 1.15. Advance fees sit in trust until they are earned, and the lawyer must promptly deliver any funds the client is entitled to receive. Client money is never mixed with the firm's own money.

Can I end the representation if I am unhappy?

Yes. A client can end the representation at any time, and the agreement should state what happens to unearned fees when that happens. A firm that will not put that in writing is telling you something about how it handles exits.