Good bankruptcy law firm website design makes a scared, embarrassed person feel safe enough to call. That means a phone number they can tap in the first second, navigation built around their problem (garnishment, foreclosure, lawsuits, repossession), straight talk about fees, and the debt relief agency disclosure federal law requires. Visual polish matters far less than whether the site answers "Can you stop this, and can I afford you?" before the visitor gives up.
- Organize the site by the client's problem, not by chapter numbers alone.
- Put the phone number, a short form, and a privacy reassurance in the first screen on mobile.
- Say something concrete about fees. Silence reads as "too expensive."
- Display the 11 U.S.C. § 528 statement site-wide, not buried on one page.
- Skip the stressed-person-clutching-bills stock photos.
What should a bankruptcy website show first?
The first screen of a bankruptcy site should tell visitors who you help, what you can stop, and how to reach a person right now. Everything else can wait for the scroll.
On a phone, that usually means a headline like "Stop Garnishments, Lawsuits, and Foreclosure. Talk to a Bankruptcy Attorney Today," a tap-to-call button, a two- or three-field form, and one line of reassurance: free consultation, confidential, payment options if you offer them. Your bar admission, years in business, and association logos can come right after. They build trust, but they aren't why someone came.
The pages every bankruptcy law firm website needs
A consumer bankruptcy site needs fewer pages than most firms build, but each one has to do a specific job.
| Page | Its job | Must include |
|---|---|---|
| Home | Route visitors to their problem fast | Problem-based links, phone, short form, § 528 statement |
| Chapter 7 | Explain liquidation in plain English | Means test basics, what you keep (exemptions), timeline, fees |
| Chapter 13 | Explain repayment plans and saving assets | Stopping foreclosure, catching up arrears, plan length, how fees are paid |
| Problem pages | Meet people where their search started | Wage garnishment, bank levy, repossession, creditor lawsuits, harassment calls |
| Fees | Remove the biggest silent objection | Ranges or starting prices, what's included, payment options |
| Bankruptcy vs. alternatives | Win people comparing debt settlement | Honest comparison, when bankruptcy isn't the answer |
| About / attorney | Show a real, calm human | Photo, background, why you practice consumer bankruptcy |
The "problem pages" are where most bankruptcy sites are thin. A visitor whose paycheck was just garnished wants a page about garnishment, not a general Chapter 7 overview with the word "garnishment" in one bullet.
Designing for shame, fear, and privacy
Bankruptcy clients arrive embarrassed. The design and copy should lower the temperature.
Imagery
Skip stock photos of people holding their head over a pile of bills. Visitors are living that already and don't need to see it. Real photos of the attorney and the office, or calm and neutral images, work better. Gavels and courthouse columns signal "litigation," which is exactly what frightened debtors are trying to escape.
Language
Write at a plain reading level and use the words clients use: "the calls," "my paycheck," "my car." Explain the automatic stay in one sentence rather than a paragraph of citations. "Fresh start" is fine once; on every page it starts to sound like a slogan.
Privacy cues
Say clearly that consultations are confidential. Keep the first form short and don't ask for Social Security numbers, account numbers, or a full debt list before anyone has spoken. Detailed questionnaires belong after the consult, on a secure intake system. Rule 1.18 duties to prospective clients attach early, so collect only what you need. Our page on prescreening bankruptcy leads covers what to ask and when.
If a meaningful share of your market speaks Spanish, a real Spanish version of the core pages (not a machine-translation widget) is worth the cost. See Spanish-language bankruptcy marketing.
Should a bankruptcy website show its fees?
In most cases, yes, at least as a starting price or range. Fee is one of the first questions on almost every bankruptcy call, and a site that dodges it loses visitors to the one that answers.
Chapter 7 is usually the easier one to discuss because many firms quote flat fees paid before filing. Chapter 13 is different: attorney fees are often largely paid through the plan, and many districts set a presumptively reasonable fee for Chapter 13 cases. Explaining that "you may be able to file with a smaller amount up front" is often the most persuasive sentence on the page for someone who can't raise a full Chapter 7 fee. If you offer a bifurcated Chapter 7 arrangement, describe it carefully; our guide to marketing bifurcated-fee Chapter 7 explains the ethical lines.
Under 11 U.S.C. § 528, debt relief agencies must clearly and conspicuously disclose in their advertising that they are a debt relief agency helping people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code, or substantially similar language. Many firms place the statement in the site-wide footer and near major calls to action. Testimonials, "free consultation" claims, and fee statements may also be regulated by your state's version of Rule 7.1 and related rules. Details are in our guide to debt relief agency advertising rules. Not legal advice.
Mobile, speed, and the late-night visitor
A large share of bankruptcy traffic arrives on phones, often late in the evening after the kids are asleep and the mail has been opened. Design for that person first.
Tap-to-call should sit in a sticky bar at the bottom of the screen. Forms need big fields and as few of them as possible. Pages should load quickly on a mediocre connection, which mostly means smaller images and fewer scripts. If nobody answers after hours, say so honestly and tell the visitor when they'll hear back, or offer online booking for the next morning.
A solo bankruptcy practice rarely needs an expensive custom build. A well-structured design with your real photos and real copy usually beats an elaborate one with generic content. Browse our sample bankruptcy attorney website designs to see layouts built around these principles.
Does your bankruptcy site answer "how much" and "can you stop this"?
We'll review your site on a phone the way a debtor would and tell you what's driving visitors away.
Common bankruptcy law firm website design mistakes
- One page for everything. A single "Bankruptcy" page can't rank for or convert garnishment, foreclosure, and Chapter 13 searches at once.
- No fee information. Visitors assume the worst.
- Long forms. Ten required fields before a first conversation scares off exactly the people you want.
- Missing or hidden § 528 disclosure. Easy to fix, uncomfortable to explain later.
- Promising outcomes. "Eliminate all your debt" isn't accurate for student loans, support, and many taxes.
For paid traffic, pair the site with focused bankruptcy landing pages. For the broader principles that apply to any practice area, read our law firm website design guide, or see how we build sites on our attorney website design page.
Frequently Asked Questions
At minimum: separate pages for Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, pages for the problems that bring people in (wage garnishment, foreclosure, repossession, creditor lawsuits), a fees page, an attorney page with a real photo, a short contact form, a visible phone number, and the debt relief agency disclosure required by 11 U.S.C. § 528. A page comparing bankruptcy with debt settlement is also worth having.
Usually yes, at least as a starting price or range with what it includes. Price is one of the first questions most bankruptcy callers ask, and visitors who see nothing tend to assume you're too expensive. Explaining how Chapter 13 fees are often paid through the plan can also help people who can't afford a Chapter 7 fee up front.
Section 528 requires the statement to be clear and conspicuous in advertising. Many bankruptcy firms put it in the site-wide footer and near main calls to action so it appears on every page, rather than on a single disclaimer page. Confirm your placement and wording against the statute and your state bar's guidance; this is not legal advice.
It ranges widely, from inexpensive templates to custom builds costing many times more. For most solo and small consumer bankruptcy practices, a solid structure with real photos, plain-English copy, and fast mobile performance matters more than custom design. Look at sample bankruptcy website designs to judge what level fits your practice.