How to measure law-firm marketing cost per signed case.

Start with a consistent definition.

Cost per signed case connects a defined marketing cost base to a defined set of retained cases. It can help a firm evaluate acquisition performance, but the number is only useful when the numerator and denominator describe the same scope.

The basic calculation is: included acquisition costs divided by attributed signed cases. Decide what counts as a signed case in your reporting, how duplicates and reopened records are handled, and which costs the metric includes. Document those choices so the definition does not change between reports.

Separate advertising-only and fully loaded views.

An advertising-only view uses media spend. A broader view may include agency fees, creative, landing pages, tracking, and other agreed acquisition expenses. Both can be useful, but label them clearly and avoid comparing them as if they measure the same thing.

For an illustrative example, $24,000 in media spend associated with 12 signed cases produces a media-only cost of $2,000 per signed case. If the same scope includes another $6,000 in acquisition expenses, the broader cost is $2,500. These are example inputs, not Gadient client results or an industry benchmark.

Explore the consequences of different definitions in what cost per signed case leaves out.

Account for the time between inquiry and signature.

Dividing this month's spend by this month's signed cases creates a simple activity-period view. It may combine spend on new inquiries with cases that originated in prior months. Label that limitation rather than assuming the calculation measures the exact return on the current month's campaigns.

A cohort view follows a group of inquiries from the period they entered and observes how many later sign. That can provide a more aligned picture, but recent cohorts may still be developing. Use enough context to show what remains unresolved rather than declaring a new campaign successful or unsuccessful too early.

Reconcile the underlying records.

Missing attribution is a reporting issue that deserves attention. It is not proof that the marketing produced no value. Similarly, a platform-reported conversion is not automatically a retained case. Reconcile the definitions before changing the budget.

• Agree on source naming across advertising, call tracking, and the lead-management system.
• Review duplicate inquiries and duplicated signed-case records.
• Separate unattributed cases rather than forcing them into a campaign.
• Distinguish suitable cases from inquiries outside the firm's scope.
• Document manual corrections and changes to attribution rules.

The marketing attribution approach addresses how sources and outcomes are reconciled.

Use the metric with case quality and capacity.

Acquisition cost is a decision input. Case mix, qualification, geography, intake performance, and the firm's ability to handle more work also matter. A low-cost channel can be unattractive if its cases do not fit. A promising channel may need better intake support before expansion.

Review the number alongside the stages that produce it: inquiries, live contacts, qualified prospects, and signed cases. That makes the next action more specific than simply buying cheaper leads.

Adjust contact and conversion assumptions in the interactive growth model.