Employment Law Marketing: Employees, Employers and Fees
Employment law serves two very different buyers. Employees usually arrive after a dismissal, with a severance offer and a deadline. Employers arrive when they need a contract, a policy or help with a termination. Each needs its own pages, ads and fee story.
Who searches for an employment lawyer?
Employees search after a dismissal, a severance offer, a layoff, harassment or a change to their job. Employers search when they hire, write contracts and policies, manage a difficult termination or face a complaint. Most firms lean toward one side, and their marketing should say which.
Employees tend to search on a phone, the evening they get the letter. Employers tend to search at work, compare firms more slowly and often ask their accountant or another lawyer for a name.
| Audience | Typical searches | What wins them |
|---|---|---|
| Dismissed employee | "severance lawyer", "wrongful dismissal lawyer near me", "is my severance fair" | Fast review, a clear fee, the deadline explained |
| Employee in a difficult workplace | "workplace harassment lawyer", "constructive dismissal" | Plain explanation of options, a confidential consult |
| Small employer | "employment contract lawyer", "how to fire an employee legally" | Predictable fees, quick turnaround |
| Growing company | "HR lawyer for startups", "workplace policy lawyer" | A retainer or package, a named lawyer |
Federal workplaces, which are common in Ottawa, follow different rules from provincially regulated ones, so pages should say which the firm handles.
How urgent are employment law enquiries?
Employee enquiries are often urgent: severance offers frequently come with a signing deadline. Employer enquiries range from planned contract work to an urgent termination or complaint. Answer employee enquiries the same day, and ask for the deadline in the first question.
| Situation | Urgency | Response |
|---|---|---|
| Severance offer with a signing deadline | High | Same-day call back; review booked before the deadline |
| Just dismissed, no offer yet | Medium | Consultation within a few days |
| Employer planning a termination | Medium | Lawyer call within one business day |
| Employer contract or policy update | Low | Scoped quote within a week |
The intake and speed to lead page covers response routines and call scripts.
Which fee models suit employment law?
Employee work often uses contingency fees, flat-fee reviews of a severance package, or hourly billing. Employer work is usually hourly, flat fee per document, or a monthly retainer for ongoing advice.
| Audience | Fee model | How to present it |
|---|---|---|
| Employee | Flat-fee severance review | Fee, what the review covers, plus HST, turnaround time |
| Employee | Contingency fee | Maximum percentage posted on the website, how disbursements are handled |
| Employee | Hourly | Rates, retainer, when hourly makes sense |
| Employer | Flat fee per document | Employment contract, policy, termination letter |
| Employer | Monthly retainer | What is included, response times, what is extra |
Ontario's general fee advertising rules apply to all of these: be reasonably precise, say whether disbursements and taxes are extra, and honour the advertised fee. See marketing rules by province.
What must Ontario employment lawyers disclose about contingency fees?
According to practicePRO's guidance on Ontario's contingency fee regime, since July 1, 2021 Ontario lawyers who use contingency fees must post their maximum contingency fees online, or tell clients at first contact if they have no website, and a standard-form agreement is required in most cases.
For marketing, that means the employee-side pages and any ad that mentions contingency fees should point to a page where the maximum fee is posted. ShoutEx view: place the fee table on the same page the ads lead to, so nobody has to search for it.
| Item | What to show |
|---|---|
| Maximum contingency fee | The maximum percentage, stated plainly |
| What it applies to | Settlement or judgment amounts, as defined in the agreement |
| Disbursements | Whether they are extra and how they are paid |
| Taxes | Whether HST is added to the fee |
| Agreement | That a standard-form contingency fee agreement is used |
One audience per page, one audience per ad group.
Employee pages talk about severance, deadlines and contingency fees. Employer pages talk about contracts, policies and predictable costs. Mixing them dilutes both and confuses the conflict check.
What does a compliant employment law ad look like?
Employee ads should offer a review or consultation, mention the fee model and say the work is done by lawyers. Employer ads should name the document or problem and the predictable fee. Neither should promise a severance amount or a result.
We win or you don't pay. Guaranteed more money than your offer.
- "2x your severance" and "guaranteed more money" raise expectations about results
- "We win" and "top" suggest outcomes and superiority
- A contingency offer with no link to the posted maximum fees
- Nothing about the service or how to start
Employee-side review of your offer. Maximum contingency fees posted on our site.
- Says "Lawyers" and which side the firm acts for
- Offers a defined first step: reviewing the offer
- Points to the posted maximum contingency fees
- Promises nothing about the amount
Contracts, policies and terminations for small employers. Flat fees per document.
What should employment law intake ask first?
Ask which side the person is on, any signing or filing deadline, the employer's name for the conflict check, and whether the workplace is provincially or federally regulated if they know. Then book the review.
- Employee or employer?
- Is there a deadline: a severance offer, a complaint response, a hearing?
- Names of the employer and the individuals involved, for the conflict check.
- Province of work, and whether the employer is federally regulated, if known.
- Documents to send after the conflict check: letter, offer, contract.
- Preferred contact method; many employees do not want calls on a work phone.
Conflicts are a real risk in employment law, because the same employer can appear on both sides of a firm's intake in one month. See consultation booking for running the check before the meeting.
What should an employment law firm measure?
Measure retainers and fees separately for employee and employer work, by source. The two sides have different values and cycles, and blending them hides which campaigns pay.
| Measure | Employee side | Employer side |
|---|---|---|
| Enquiries | 164 | 38 |
| Consultations held | 71 | 26 |
| Retained | 33 | 19 |
| Main source | Google Ads | Referrals from accountants |
Frequently asked questions
How do employment lawyers get clients?
Employees mostly find them through search and Google Ads after a dismissal; employers more often through referrals, LinkedIn and search.
Do Ontario lawyers have to post contingency fees online?
Yes. Since July 1, 2021, Ontario lawyers using contingency fees must post their maximum contingency fees online, or tell clients at first contact if they have no website.
Can an employment lawyer advertise no win, no fee?
Contingency fee marketing in Ontario must comply with rule 3.6-2.2, and maximum fees must be posted. Avoid "we win" wording and check the current rules first.
Can an ad promise more severance?
No. Promising amounts or results raises expectations that law-society rules warn against.
Should a firm market to both employees and employers?
It can, with separate pages, ad groups and messages. Watch conflicts closely when doing both.
What is a good first offer for dismissed employees?
A defined review of the termination letter and severance offer, with a clear fee or fee model.
How fast should employment lawyers respond?
The same day for employees with a severance deadline. Ask about the deadline in the first question.
Do federal workplaces need different pages?
Often yes. Federally regulated workplaces follow different rules, so say which ones the firm handles.
Sources & further reading
Regulator rules, platform policies and local data change. These sources let you check the facts on this page, last checked October 6, 2026.