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Google Ads for criminal defense lawyers

Short answer

Criminal law had the most expensive clicks of any practice area in LocaliQ's legal benchmarks, $12.30 per click, with leads at $101.49 (US campaigns, April 2022 to March 2023). A 9.9% conversion rate, nearly double personal injury's, keeps the cost per lead well below PI, as long as someone answers the phone when the arrest happens.

Updated Nov 6, 2026By Caleb Canales, Founder, RunAdsSources (5)

Criminal defense cost per click and per lead

$12.30Cost per click, criminal law, highest in legal
$101.49Cost per lead (personal injury: $159.17)
9.9%Clicks that became leads (all legal: 7%)
$9.87Cost per click, all attorneys, 2026
LocaliQ legal search benchmarks (256 US campaigns) and LocaliQ's 2026 report, which has no practice-area breakout.
CategoryData periodCost per clickClick-through rateConversion rateCost per lead
Criminal Law[1]Apr 2022 to Mar 2023$12.304.51%9.90%$101.49
Accidents & Personal Injury Law[1]Apr 2022 to Mar 2023$9.304.56%5.45%$159.17
All legal[1]Apr 2022 to Mar 2023$9.214.76%7.00%$111.05
Attorneys & Legal Services[2]Apr 2025 to Mar 2026$9.875.87%5.55%$131.63

Criminal law's click price was $3.00 above personal injury's, yet its cost per lead was $57.68 lower, because nearly twice the share of clicks turned into leads.[1]

Cost drivers for criminal defense firms

  • Urgency. People search right after an arrest or a court date notice, and they call fast.
  • Charge type. DUI, drug and domestic violence searches each have their own competition and their own fee levels.
  • Hours. Night and weekend searches convert well, but only for firms that answer.
  • Research traffic. Searches about penalties, records and court dates draw clicks from people who aren't hiring.

A budget for 25 leads a month

A two-attorney defense firm wants 25 leads a month, mostly DUI and drug charges.

Illustration, not a quote

25 criminal defense leads a month

By cost per lead: 25 x $101.49$2,537.25
By clicks: 25 / 9.9% = 253 clicks x $12.30$3,106.06
Daily budget at the higher figure: $3,106.06 / 30.4$102.17

Google can spend up to twice the daily budget on a single day, so a busy weekend can run over a daily figure without breaking the month.[5]

$
Prefilled: criminal law cost per lead
$
Prefilled: criminal law cost per click
%
Share of clicks that become a lead
$2,537Monthly budget from cost per lead25 x $101.49
$3,106Monthly budget from clicks253 clicks x $12.30
$102Daily budget to sethigher figure / 30.4 days

The two budgets differ because the benchmark cost per lead, cost per click and conversion rate are each calculated separately across thousands of campaigns, not taken from one account. Plan for the higher one, then use your own numbers after 30 days.

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Campaign structure for a criminal defense firm

Split by charge, so DUI budget doesn't get spent on research searches about a different charge.

Starting structure. Split or merge campaigns once each one has a month of its own data.
CampaignAd groupsNotes
DUI and DWIDUI lawyer, DWI attorney, first offense DUI, license suspension hearingUsually the biggest campaign. Its own page explaining the first steps after a DUI arrest.
Drug chargesDrug possession lawyer, drug charge attorney, possession with intentOnly the charges you take.
Violent and domestic chargesAssault lawyer, domestic violence attorney, protective order lawyerCalm, factual copy. Call assets during intake hours.
General defenseCriminal defense attorney, criminal lawyer near me, felony lawyerBroader terms. Lower bids than DUI.
Record clearingExpungement lawyer, record sealing attorneyCheaper, planned searches. Daytime schedule.

Keywords to start with

Charge plus "lawyer" or "attorney". Bare charge names ("dui penalties") are mostly research.

DUI

  • dui lawyer
  • dui attorney near me
  • dwi lawyer
  • first dui lawyer

Drugs

  • drug possession lawyer
  • drug charge attorney
  • marijuana possession lawyer

General

  • criminal defense attorney
  • criminal lawyer near me
  • felony defense lawyer

Records

  • expungement lawyer
  • record sealing attorney
  • clear criminal record lawyer

Negative keywords for criminal defense lawyers

Most of these block record lookups and job searches. Add plurals too, since negatives don't match close variants.[4]

  • inmate search
  • mugshots
  • arrest records
  • court records
  • public defender
  • bail bonds
  • jail visitation
  • jobs
  • salary
  • law school
  • paralegal
  • criminal justice degree
  • movie
  • tv show
  • free legal aid

Ad copy examples

Two sets of responsive search ad assets. Keep claims factual, and have your firm review them against state bar rules.

DUI

Headlines (up to 30 characters)

  • DUI Defense Attorney20
  • Arrested for DUI?17
  • Talk to a Lawyer Tonight24
  • Free Case Consultation22
  • Protect Your License20

Descriptions (up to 90 characters)

  • A DUI arrest can start deadlines for your license. Call now to talk through your options.89
  • Local DUI defense lawyer. Free consultation and a clear plan for your first court date.87

General defense

Headlines (up to 30 characters)

  • Criminal Defense Lawyer23
  • Charged With a Crime?21
  • Confidential Consultation25
  • Former Prosecutor on Staff26

Descriptions (up to 90 characters)

  • Talk to a defense attorney before you talk to anyone else. Calls are confidential.82
  • Drug, assault and felony defense. Free consultation by phone or in person.74

Set call assets to the hours your firm answers and turn on call reporting.[3] Use "former prosecutor" only if it's true of someone at your firm.

How RunAds runs Google Ads for defense firms

What the agent does for you

  • Builds a campaign for each charge you list on your site, limited to the courts and counties you cover.
  • Writes the ads and shows your firm the full launch before anything goes live.
  • Adjusts bids by time of day, device and location, and brings budget changes back to you as approval cards.
  • Flags spend on record-lookup and research searches, and blocks fraudulent clicks on expensive terms.

See how RunAds works for law firms on Google Ads for lawyers, or the pricing section.

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Common questions

How much do Google Ads cost for criminal defense attorneys?

LocaliQ's legal data shows criminal law at $12.30 per click, $101.49 per lead and a 9.9% conversion rate. All practice areas together averaged $9.21 per click and $111.05 per lead. The 2026 figure for all attorneys is $9.87 per click.

Are DUI lawyer keywords worth the cost?

They can be, because DUI searchers usually need a lawyer within days and convert well. Give DUI its own campaign and landing page, track calls as conversions, and judge it on cost per retained client.

How much should a criminal defense firm spend on Google Ads?

25 leads a month at $101.49 is $2,537. Sized by clicks, 25 leads at a 9.9% conversion rate takes about 253 clicks, or $3,106. These are 2022 to 2023 figures, so expect to need more today.

Should criminal defense ads run at night?

Only if someone can take the call. Arrests happen at all hours, and the family member searching at midnight often calls the first firm that answers. Call assets can be set to show only when your firm can take calls.

Can RunAds run Google Ads for a criminal defense practice?

Yes. RunAds is an AI agent that builds the campaigns from your site, writes the ads and watches the account daily. Your firm approves the launch and every budget change. Check the copy against your state bar's advertising rules before you approve it.

Sources

  1. Legal Search Advertising Benchmarks for 2024 (with Data & Tips), LocaliQ, by Stephanie Heitman. Last updated July 14, 2025; data from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.256 US search campaigns, at least 10 per practice area. The page says its averages are medians.
  2. NEW 2026 Search Advertising Benchmarks (+Tips), LocaliQ (with WordStream), by Stephanie Heitman. Last updated June 1, 2026.Google Ads and Microsoft Ads search campaigns across 23 industries. The page labels each figure an average.
  3. About call assets, Google Ads Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Numbers can be set to show only when the business can take calls, and call reporting counts calls as conversions.
  4. About negative keywords, Google Ads Help. Checked Nov 6, 2026.Negative keywords don't match close variants, so synonyms and singular or plural forms have to be added separately. Casing and misspellings are covered automatically.
  5. About average daily budgets, Google Ads Help. Checked Oct 30, 2026.A campaign can spend up to 2x its average daily budget on a given day, and up to 30.4x it in a month.

Every outside number on this page links to its source above, with the date we checked it. RunAds has not published its own account data here.

Related pages

Google Ads cost for lawyersEvery legal practice area, the 2026 figures and a worked budget.Google Ads for personal injury lawyersThe highest cost per lead in legal and how PI firms structure campaigns.Google Ads for family lawyersDivorce and custody campaigns and DIY-search negatives.Google Ads for lawyersHow RunAds builds campaigns for law firms.

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