Short answer: a law firm case results page should present outcomes with enough context that a reader cannot mistake them for a promise: what the case involved, what the figure represents (gross or net, verdict or settlement), and a clear statement that prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Rules vary by state, so format every result to your jurisdiction’s advertising requirements.
Case results are some of the most persuasive content a firm can publish and some of the easiest to get wrong. A page of large dollar figures looks impressive to the firm. To a bar regulator it can look like a set of implied promises, and to a thoughtful prospective client it can look like marketing with the context stripped out. The good news is that the ethical version and the persuasive version are mostly the same page.
Why results pages carry ethical risk
ABA Model Rule 7.1 prohibits false or misleading communications about a lawyer’s services. The comments to the rule go further than outright falsehoods. They explain that a truthful statement can still be misleading if it is likely to create an unjustified expectation, and they use reports of a lawyer’s achievements on behalf of clients as the example: presented so as to lead a reasonable person to expect the same result for their own matter, without reference to the specific facts and law of the case, results can be misleading. The comments also note that appropriate disclaimers or qualifying language may help prevent that.
That is the core of the problem. A number on its own (“$2.4 million”) tells the reader nothing about why the case was worth that, and invites them to assume their case might be worth something similar. Context and qualifying language are what turn the number from an implied promise into evidence of experience.
States adopt their own versions of these rules, and some are considerably stricter about results than the Model Rules: required disclaimer wording, placement or font requirements, limits on which results can be shown, or rules about fees and costs. We do not summarize any state’s requirements here because they change and the details matter. Check your jurisdiction through our attorney advertising rules by state hub and your state bar’s current guidance. This is not legal advice; check your state bar’s rules before publishing results.
Result formats compared
Here is how the common ways of presenting results stack up, and what to do instead where the risk is high.
| Result format | Risk | Better approach |
|---|---|---|
| Wall of dollar figures with no detail | High: invites unjustified expectations and looks cherry-picked | Fewer results, each with a short case summary and what the figure represents |
| “Millions recovered” running total | High: impossible for a reader to evaluate | Drop the total; show individual matters with context |
| Single result with a paragraph of context | Lower, if the figure and facts are accurate | Add gross or net, verdict or settlement, and a disclaimer |
| Result in a headline or hero banner | Higher: the number is seen without the context or disclaimer | Keep the figure next to its explanation and disclaimer |
| Representative matters with no amounts | Lower: describes experience without promising outcomes | Use for confidential practices and routine matters |
| Only the firm’s biggest wins | Moderate to high: can mislead by omission | Include typical matters and explain the range of work |
| Client names or identifying details | Confidentiality risk without informed consent | Get written consent or anonymize fully |
How to present each result
Say what the case was
Every result should come with a short summary of the matter: the type of case, the key facts that drove the outcome, and what the client actually needed. “Rear-end collision on I-75; client needed spinal surgery and could not return to work as an electrician; liability disputed by the insurer until dashcam footage was obtained.” That tells a reader why the result was what it was, and it tells them something about how the firm works.
Liability facts matter most. A large recovery in a case with clear liability and catastrophic injuries is a different thing from a large recovery in a case the insurer was fighting hard. Both are worth showing, but the reader should be able to tell which is which.
Say what the number represents
Is the figure the gross recovery or the amount the client received after fees and costs? Was it a jury verdict, and if so, was it reduced, appealed, or collected in full? Was it a settlement, and did it include policy limits from several insurers? Did the award include amounts for future medical care? Readers assume a number means the client walked away with it. If that is not what it means, say so plainly. Some states have specific requirements about how gross and net figures are presented, which is another reason to check your jurisdiction.
Add the disclaimer where it will be read
A statement along the lines of “prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome; every case depends on its own facts and law” belongs on the results page itself, near the results, not only in a site-wide footer. If results appear elsewhere (on a practice area page, an attorney bio, a homepage slider), the disclaimer should travel with them. Your state may prescribe exact wording or placement; if it does, use that wording.
Avoid the cherry-picked dollar wall
The classic results page is a grid of big numbers in bold type, each with a two-word label: “Truck Accident, $3.1M.” It is designed to impress at a glance, and it has three problems. It creates exactly the kind of unjustified expectation the Rule 7.1 comments describe. It says nothing about the firm’s everyday work, which is what most readers’ cases will look like. And it is easy to see through, because every firm in the market has a similar grid.
A better page shows fewer results with more substance. Six well-explained matters beat forty bare figures. Include some ordinary cases alongside the headline ones, so a reader with a modest claim sees that the firm handles cases like theirs too. A short introduction that explains the range of work the firm does, and that outcomes vary widely, sets the right frame before anyone reads a number.
Running totals (“over $100 million recovered for our clients”) deserve particular caution. A reader has no way to evaluate them: over how many years, how many cases, gross or net? They are hard to substantiate and add little that individual results do not.
When results are confidential: representative matters
In many practices, the best outcomes cannot or should not be published with figures. Criminal defense wins are often dismissals, reduced charges, or diversion programs, and the client usually wants the matter forgotten, not advertised. Family law outcomes involve children and private finances. Estate and business matters are frequently confidential by agreement.
Keep confidentiality at the front of your mind here. Model Rule 1.6 protects information relating to the representation, and ABA Formal Opinion 480 makes the point that information appearing in a public record is not automatically outside that duty. Before publishing anything that could identify a client, get informed written consent, and when in doubt, anonymize further.
Representative matters solve most of this. Instead of a result, describe the type of situation the firm handles and what it did: “Represented a college student charged with possession after a traffic stop; challenged the legality of the search; charges dismissed before trial.” No name, no date, no county if the county would identify the person. That tells a prospective client what they most want to know, which is whether the firm has handled situations like theirs, without promising anything or exposing anyone.
For criminal defense in particular, representative matters are part of a wider set of trust signals, which we cover in our guide to criminal defense website trust signals. They also work well on individual bios, as our attorney bio page content guide explains.
Structuring the page
Open with a short introduction: what kinds of cases the firm handles, a sentence that results vary with the facts of each case, and the disclaimer. Then group results by practice area, so a reader with a workplace injury does not have to scroll past medical malpractice verdicts to find something relevant. Within each group, use a consistent format for every entry: case type, short summary, outcome, and what the figure represents.
Link each group to its matching practice area page, and consider featuring one or two well-explained results on the practice area page itself, with the disclaimer alongside. Our guide to law firm practice area pages covers where that fits. If you also display client testimonials, keep them separate from results and apply the same care; our guide to law firm testimonials on your website covers that.
Finally, keep the page current and accurate. If a verdict was later reduced or overturned, update the entry or remove it. A results page that is outdated is not just stale; it may no longer be true.
Frequently asked questions
Can a law firm post case results on its website?
Generally yes, as long as they are truthful and not misleading under ABA Model Rule 7.1 and your state’s version of it. Many states add disclaimer or formatting requirements for results, so check your jurisdiction’s rules before publishing.
What disclaimer should appear on a case results page?
Language to the effect that prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome and that each case depends on its own facts and law. Place it near the results, not only in the footer. If your state prescribes specific wording or placement, use that.
Should I show gross or net amounts?
Whichever you show, label it clearly. Readers assume a figure is what the client received, so if it is a gross verdict or settlement before fees and costs, say so. Some states have specific rules on this point.
How do criminal defense or family law firms show results?
With representative matters: anonymized descriptions of the situation, what the firm did, and the outcome, such as a dismissal or reduced charge, without identifying the client. Get informed consent before publishing anything that could identify someone.
Is a total amount recovered a good idea?
Usually not. Readers cannot evaluate a running total, it is hard to substantiate, and it adds little that individual results with context do not. Well-explained individual matters are more persuasive and lower risk.
The short version
Show fewer results with more context. For every result, say what the case was, what drove the outcome, and what the number represents. Put the disclaimer next to the results. Use representative matters where outcomes are confidential, get consent before identifying anyone, and check your state’s rules before you publish, because they vary and some are strict.
If you want a review of how your results page and practice pages present your work, request a free law firm SEO audit.
