Estate Planning Marketing: Marketing for Estate Planning Attorneys, Probate Lawyers and Elder Law Firms

Updated October 2026 · Written and maintained by the Progression Agency strategy team

Estate planning marketing is how an estate planning law firm stays in front of people during the months, sometimes years, between “we should really do our wills” and a signed engagement. Marketing for estate planning attorneys works differently from urgent practice areas: clients start after a life event, compare flat fees, ask a financial advisor or accountant for a name, and often attend a seminar or read a guide before they call. This page covers search, advertising, seminars, referral partners, elder law and probate, the bar rules behind every ad, and what the work costs. We run estate planning law firm marketing for solo and multi-office practices, starting with a free proposal and a written scope.

What is estate planning marketing?

Estate planning marketing is the set of ways a law firm becomes known, trusted and chosen by people who want wills, trusts, powers of attorney and a plan for their family. Marketing for estate planning is often called estate plan marketing inside firms, and marketing estate planning services well means treating the purchase as a decision made over time, not an emergency. Our law firm marketing page covers the whole practice; this page covers what is particular to planning work.

Why estate planning clients take months to decide

Nobody has a deadline for a will. The subject is uncomfortable, the benefit is invisible until it is needed, and a life event is usually what finally prompts the search. Clients compare a few firms, ask people they trust and sometimes wait through several reminders before they book. A firm that is findable and credible on the day of the nudge wins the meeting.

Flat fees and the first planning meeting

Firms that quote flat fees for standard packages can compete on clarity, because a prospective client can see what a plan costs before calling. The fee page has to say what the package includes, what is extra and what happens at the first meeting, since bar rules bar misleading statements about fees. The first planning meeting is the point where the marketing hands off to the attorney.

The practices this page covers

The work fits firms that draft wills and trusts, administer trusts, handle probate, or focus on elder law and special needs planning. Each practice has different searchers, different referral sources and different rules about what can be said, so the table below shows which page each one needs first.

How people look for an estate planning attorney

People rarely start with a firm name. They start with a situation, a question or a person they trust, and the firms that show up at each of those moments get the call.

Life events that start the search

Six moments turn a vague intention into a search:

• A marriage.
• A new child.
• A home purchase.
• A business sale.
• A diagnosis.
• The death of a parent.

A page for each, written for the reader in that situation, gives the firm something relevant to show up with.

The questions they ask first

The first questions are about cost, whether a will or a trust is the right tool, whether to use an attorney or an online form or an advisor, and how often a plan needs an update. Answer them plainly on the site, in the attorney’s voice, and avoid giving a definitive answer that depends on a client’s facts.

Referrals from advisors, accountants and past clients

A name from a financial advisor, an accountant or a friend often outweighs a search result, which is why referral relationships get their own section below. Past clients matter too, because they remember who made a hard subject easy.

SEO for estate planning attorneys

SEO for estate planning attorneys is local, patient work: service pages that match how people describe their situation, a page for every office and county, and proof of experience that Google and readers can check. Estate planning SEO takes months to compound, and the firms that rank are usually the ones that kept publishing. SEO for estate planning lawyers follows the same method as our law firm SEO work, with practice-specific pages on top.

Service pages: wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, special needs trusts, probate

Give each service its own page: what it is, who it is for, how the process works at this firm, what the first meeting covers and how to book. Write for a reader who knows nothing, avoid promising outcomes and have an attorney review every page for accuracy in the firm’s state.

City and county pages for each office

Each staffed office deserves a page with its address, its staff, its hours and the towns and counties it serves, with local details that only someone there would know. A page that repeats the same paragraph with a different town name adds nothing and is unlikely to rank.

Articles when the law changes

A dated article is a good way to show that the firm follows the law. As an example of the kind of fact such an article can start from, the IRS’s estate and gift tax page says Public Law 119-21, signed July 4, 2025, increased the basic exclusion amount to $15,000,000 for calendar year 2026. An article built on a fact like that should link the government page, state the date, and tell readers to ask their own attorney how it applies to them. It is a content idea for the firm, not tax advice.

Google Business Profile for each staffed office

Google’s guidelines say a business with different locations, separate service areas and separate staff at each can have one profile per location, that an office has to be staffed during business hours, and that virtual offices are not eligible. Individual practitioners such as lawyers who are public-facing and can be contacted at the verified location may have their own profile, support staff should not, and a practitioner shouldn’t have several profiles to cover specialties. Read Google’s guidelines for representing your business before creating or merging anything.

Estate planning advertising: search, Local Services Ads and social

Estate planning advertising has to respect two limits: searches are planned rather than urgent, so volume is modest, and every ad is a lawyer advertisement under state rules. Our law firm PPC team builds the campaigns, and our Facebook ads team handles the seminar and guide promotion.

Google Ads for planned, not urgent, searches

Because nobody needs a will by tonight, the best keywords describe planning intent, such as trusts, powers of attorney and a named county or city. Send ads to the page that matches the search, keep the daily budget modest and judge the campaign by planning meetings, not by clicks.

Should an estate planning firm run search ads at all?

Often yes, in a small way. Search ads fill the gap while organic pages build, and they teach the firm which words clients use. They are a poor fit when the page behind them is thin or the intake is slow, so fix those first.

Local Services Ads: the estate lawyer category

Google’s list of job types for Local Services Ads in the United States includes “Estate lawyer services.” Availability depends on location and on Google’s screening, so read Google’s Local Services Ads page for your area and check your state bar’s advertising rules on how the program’s content is presented.

Facebook and Instagram ads for seminars and guides

Social ads work best for events and for a guide people can download, such as a checklist of documents to gather. Target by geography, say who the firm is in the first line and put the firm’s name and office city on every ad.

Retargeting people who read the fee page

A visitor who read the fee page is closer to a decision than most. A short reminder about the guide or the next seminar fits, written about the firm’s services and never about a person’s circumstances. Check the ad platform’s policies and the bar rules before building audiences from site visits.

Estate planning seminars, workshops and webinars

Seminars are one of the oldest ways to find estate planning clients, and estate planning seminar marketing has moved online as well as into libraries and community rooms. Our webinar marketing team handles registration pages and reminders. Whatever the format, the seminar materials need the same review as an advertisement, because the rules treat them that way.

Do estate planning seminars still bring in clients?

For many practices they do, because a seminar lets a nervous prospect hear the attorney, ask questions and decide without pressure. Results vary by town, topic and audience, and no one can promise a turnout or a number of clients.

Invitations by mail and email under the solicitation rules

ABA Model Rule 7.3(b), as shown in the ABA’s rule page, bars live person-to-person solicitation for pecuniary gain unless the contact is with a lawyer, someone with a family, close personal or prior business or professional relationship, or someone who routinely uses such services for business. Written and electronic invitations are handled by each state’s own rules. Florida, for example, requires each separate enclosure and the face of an envelope in a targeted written communication to be clearly marked “advertisement,” under Florida Rule 4-7.18(b). New York revised its Article 7 effective June 1, according to the New York State Bar Association. Have ethics counsel approve the wording for each state.

Library, community center and employer talks

A talk at a library, a senior center or an employer’s lunch puts the attorney in front of people who trust the host. Offer a useful topic rather than a sales pitch, bring a handout that carries the firm’s name and office city, and let attendees ask for a meeting rather than pressing for one.

Webinars and recorded sessions

A webinar reaches people who will not drive to an event, and a recording keeps working after the date. Collect an email address with clear consent, send the recording, and add a short guide so the session feeds the follow-up list.

Following up after the event

Follow up in writing with people who signed up, thank them and offer a planning meeting. If anyone will speak to attendees in person at the event, have ethics counsel confirm how the state’s solicitation rule applies first.

Referral partners: financial advisors, accountants and other lawyers

Financial advisors, accountants and other lawyers meet clients when plans are needed. Our guides to financial advisor marketing and marketing for accountants show how those professions market, and our page on lead generation for attorneys covers the wider channel mix.

What the rules allow when another professional refers a client

ABA Model Rule 7.2(b), shown on the ABA’s rule page, bars giving anything of value to a person for recommending a lawyer’s services, with listed exceptions. Those include the reasonable cost of advertising, the usual charges of a legal service plan or a qualified lawyer referral service, and reciprocal referral agreements with another lawyer or a nonlawyer professional, as long as the agreement is not exclusive and the client is told it exists. States differ, so ethics counsel should approve any referral arrangement before it starts.

Co-hosted events and joint guides

A joint seminar with an advisor, or a guide that both a CPA and the firm put their names on, builds trust on both sides without anything changing hands. Keep the roles clear and let each professional say only what they are qualified to say.

Keeping partners informed after a referral

Thank the referrer, but do not share details of the matter without the client’s informed consent. Model Rule 1.6, in the ABA’s text, bars revealing information relating to the representation unless the client consents, the disclosure is impliedly authorized or an exception applies.

Elder law marketing: Medicaid planning, guardianship and special needs

Elder law marketing speaks mostly to adult children, who often search long before a parent will. The hiring of an elder law marketing agency should turn on whether it can write for an anxious family without overpromising, and whether it knows the state rules on credentials.

Families searching for a parent

The searcher is typically a son or daughter dealing with a diagnosis, a fall or a move to care. Pages should be calm, specific and written for that reader, with a phone number first and a clear explanation of what the first call involves.

Long-term care and Medicaid planning pages

Explain what the firm does for a family facing long-term care costs and how the process starts, but do not state eligibility rules, look-back periods or dollar limits on a marketing page unless the attorney has confirmed them for the current year and the firm’s state. Link to the state’s own program pages instead.

Guardianship and special needs trusts

These pages serve parents and relatives planning for someone who cannot manage alone. Describe the process, who is involved and how the firm works with a family over time, and let an attorney review every sentence.

Certified Elder Law Attorney and other credentials

The National Elder Law Foundation says on its website that it is the only national organization accredited by the American Bar Association to certify attorneys in elder and special needs law, and its designation is Certified Elder Law Attorney. Florida certifies lawyers in Elder Law and in Wills Trusts & Estates, according to the Florida Bar’s certification page. ABA Model Rule 7.2(c) allows a lawyer to state or imply certification as a specialist only when an approved or ABA-accredited organization has certified the lawyer and the communication names that organization, so name the certifier exactly.

Probate and trust administration marketing

Probate and trust administration clients arrive after a loss. They search for help and for answers, and they need a firm that responds kindly and promptly.

Searches after a death in the family

The first searches ask what happens next, who is in charge and whether court is required. Pages should answer the first steps in plain language for the firm’s state, avoid promising how long anything takes and offer a way to speak to someone the same day.

Probate process pages by county

Probate courts are organized differently from state to state and county to county. Describe the process for the counties where the firm actually files, with links to the court’s own forms and contact pages, and have an attorney update each page when a rule changes.

Trust administration for successor trustees

A successor trustee is often a family member doing this for the first time. A page that lists the first questions a trustee asks, and invites them to book a meeting, serves a reader that other firms ignore.

Estate planning website design

Estate planning website design should make three things easy: understanding what the firm does, seeing what it costs and booking the first meeting. Our law firm website design page covers the shared parts of a legal site, and the points below are specific to planning.

What does a good estate planning site show first?

The firm’s name, the city of the office, a phone number, what the firm helps with and a button to book. A first-time visitor should know within seconds whether this is the right firm, in the right place, for their situation.

Fee pages with flat-fee packages explained

If the firm quotes flat fees, the page should say what each package includes, what is not included and what the first meeting covers. Use plain words, show only prices the firm will honor and avoid claims about outcomes or savings that cannot be proved.

Intake questionnaires with clear warnings

A form that invites a prospective client to describe their situation can create duties to someone the firm has not agreed to represent. Comment 2 to Model Rule 1.18, in the ABA’s comment page, says a consultation is likely to have occurred if a lawyer’s advertising invites information without clear and reasonably understandable warnings and cautionary statements that limit the lawyer’s obligations. Put a plain warning above the form and ask ethics counsel to approve the wording.

Scheduling the planning meeting online

Let visitors pick a time from the attorney’s calendar, confirm by email and text, and send a short checklist of what to bring. Keep the form to a name, a phone number and a preferred time, and leave the details for the meeting.

Pages that older readers can use

Many estate planning clients are older adults, and many are searching on a phone. Use large readable type, strong contrast, plain labels and a phone number that can be tapped, and keep key pages free of pop-ups.

Email and newsletters for past clients and referral partners

Email keeps a firm in mind between meetings, which is the whole point in a practice with long gaps between needs. Our law firm email marketing page covers the channel in general.

Plan review reminders after life events

A short note a year after signing, or after a marriage, a move or a birth, invites past clients to check whether their documents still fit. Ask for a reply or a call, and keep each note to one idea.

Partner updates for advisors and accountants

A quarterly note to referral partners can share a dated article, a seminar invitation and a reminder of how to reach the attorney. Keep it brief and never include client details.

Reviews and testimonials for estate planning firms

Reviews carry weight with a cautious buyer, and they come with the tightest confidentiality limits of any channel. Our review management service builds a request flow that respects them.

Should a firm ask clients for reviews at all?

Many firms do, because satisfied clients are glad to help. Ask after the work is done, make it voluntary, never offer anything in return and check your state’s testimonial rule first.

Asking after the signing meeting

The moment documents are signed is when relief is highest. Send a short thank-you the same day with one link, and ask every client rather than choosing the ones who seem happiest.

Replying without revealing client information

A reply to a review can reveal that the reviewer is a client, which is itself information relating to the representation. Because Model Rule 1.6 protects information relating to the representation, a public reply that confirms or discusses the matter is risky. A short, general reply that thanks the reader and invites them to call is the careful default, and ethics counsel can approve the wording.

Testimonials under state rules

Florida’s Rule 4-7.13 lists testimonials that are deceptive or inherently misleading, including one that does not represent what clients of the lawyer generally experience, one written by the lawyer, one given in exchange for something of value and one without a disclaimer that the prospective client may not obtain the same or similar results. The FTC’s 16 CFR Part 465 also bans fake reviews, bought reviews and review suppression through threats. Check the rule of every state where the firm advertises.

Bar advertising rules in estate planning marketing

Every channel above is a lawyer communication under state rules, and the rules are the reason a legal marketer needs to know the profession. The table lists what to check before anything goes live, using the ABA Model Rules with Florida and New York as examples.

No misleading statements about fees or outcomes

ABA Model Rule 7.1, in the ABA’s rule page, says a lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services, and defines one as containing a material misrepresentation of fact or law or omitting a fact necessary to keep the statement from being materially misleading. Fee claims and outcome claims are where marketing most often drifts, so keep both factual.

Specialist and certified claims

Model Rule 7.2(c) limits claims of certification as a specialist to lawyers certified by an organization that has been approved by an appropriate state authority or accredited by the ABA, and requires the communication to name the organization. Florida’s Rule 4-7.14 adds that an advertisement saying a lawyer is board certified must include the area of certification and the name of the certifying organization, and Florida certifies lawyers in Wills Trusts & Estates and Elder Law.

Name and office on every communication

Model Rule 7.2(d) requires the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for the content. Florida’s Rule 4-7.12 goes further and requires the city, town or county of one or more bona fide office locations of the lawyer who will perform the services. A bona fide office there is a physical location where the lawyer expects to furnish legal services in a substantial way on a regular and continuing basis.

State rules: Florida and New York as examples

Rules differ widely, which is why a multi-state firm needs a state-by-state review. Florida’s Chapter 4 in the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar is detailed and prescriptive. New York has moved toward a principle-based approach; the NYSBA article on the changes reports that rules took effect June 1 and that lawyers no longer have to put “attorney advertising” on everything, and its rules PDF dated August 10, 2026 has the current text. The firm’s ethics counsel confirms every state it advertises in.

Estate planning marketing ideas that suit a planned practice

Estate planning marketing ideas should match a decision that takes months. These eight fit a small or mid-size firm, and none depends on a lucky week.

Ideas for the first year

A new or growing firm should start with the profile for each office, two service pages, a fee page, a guide on one common question and a first seminar or webinar. Add a partner lunch with one advisor and one CPA, then repeat what produced meetings.

Ideas for a firm with a past-client list

A firm with years of clients already holds its most useful marketing asset. Send a plan review reminder after common life events, invite past clients to a refresher session, and ask satisfied clients, within the rules, for a name of someone who might benefit.

Estate planning marketing in AI answers

People now ask assistants who drafts wills and trusts nearby and what the process involves. Our page on AEO for law firms explains how those answers work for the profession. No one can promise a firm will be mentioned.

Plain explainers an assistant can quote

Write short, dated explainers that state what a will, a trust and a power of attorney do, who the attorney is and which state’s law applies. A page that is clear about its limits is easier to quote correctly than one that tries to say everything.

Profiles, directories and reviews that corroborate the firm

Keep the firm’s name, address, phone number and practice areas the same on the website, the Business Profile and the bar directory. Consistent facts across sources help any system, human or machine, trust them.

Choosing an estate planning marketing agency

Estate planning attorney marketing carries rules that general agencies get wrong, and estate planning lawyer marketing for multiple states multiplies them. Put these five questions to any agency, including us.

Questions to ask

Put these to the agency before you sign:

• Which states has the agency worked in?
• Who reviews ads and seminar invitations against the rules?
• Who holds the logins?
• How are signed engagements reported, and can I see a sample report?

Red flags

Each of these leaves the firm with less than it paid for:

• Shared leads that go to several firms.
• Seminar lists bought without consent.
• Ad accounts held in the agency’s name.
• Promises of a number of consultations.

What does estate planning marketing cost?

Scope drives the price of estate planning marketing: offices, practice areas, paid search and the number of seminars. Whatever a firm spends on ads goes to the platform, apart from any fee.

Our prices

Our SEO services start at $1,500 a month, with small local retainers running $1,500 to $2,500. Social packages and fixed-scope websites are published prices, and seminar campaigns, ad management and video are quoted after a written scope.

What the market charges

These are the published ranges from other providers, shown across the full spread of their sources. They are neither a Progression quote nor a law firm rate:

Where a solo planner’s first budget goes

If the first budget is small, spend it in this order:

1. The Business Profile, a fee page and a booking path that works on a phone.
2. Two service pages that match the firm’s best work, written and reviewed by the attorney.
3. Tracking, so every call and form is tied to its source.
4. A modest search campaign for the firm’s city and county.
5. A first seminar or webinar, and a plan review reminder to past clients.

The first 90 days

A new engagement lays the foundations, adds paid search and an event, and then builds relationships and a second practice area. The sequence keeps the first budget from landing on traffic the firm is not ready to convert.

Days 1 to 30: profiles, fee page, two service pages, tracking

Audit each office’s Business Profile, publish the fee page and the first two service pages, install tracking and agree who holds every login. Put the intake warning above every form.

Days 31 to 60: search ads, first seminar or webinar, review requests

Launch a modest search campaign, schedule the first seminar or webinar with ethics-reviewed invitations, and start a review request after the signing meeting.

Days 61 to 90: partner outreach, elder law or probate pages, reporting by signed engagement

Meet the first advisor and accountant partners, publish pages for elder law or probate if the firm offers them, and set reporting around planning meetings and signed engagements, not clicks.

More pages on the services around legal marketing:

• Law firm marketing
• Law firm SEO
• Law firm PPC
• Law firm website design
• Law firm email marketing
• AEO for law firms
• Senior living marketing

Frequently asked questions