If you’ve ever filled out a “Contact Us” form on a law firm’s website and waited days for a response—if one ever came—you’re not alone. But according to Hennessey Digital’s 2025 Lead Form Response Time Study, things are changing. Slowly.

The digital marketing agency, well known for its laser focus on law firm SEO and understanding of Google’s evolving algorithm, just dropped its fifth annual report. It’s a data-heavy, no-fluff benchmark tracking how quickly U.S. law firms respond to online leads—and it offers a telling snapshot of how the legal industry is (and isn’t) adapting to digital-age client expectations.

After analyzing over 150,000 data points from more than 1,300 law firm websites nationwide, the verdict is clear: response times are improving, but not nearly fast—or consistently—enough.

Speed Is Winning the Race, but Many Firms Are Still at the Starting Line

Highlights from the 2025 study:

• 74% of personal injury firms now respond to online leads within a week, up from 59% in 2021.

• 25% reply in under 5 minutes—nearly doubling the 13% recorded four years ago.

• But 26% of firms still don’t respond at all, leaving potential clients (and revenue) hanging.

That last stat is especially brutal. In an era where response time is directly tied to lead conversion—and when technology has made instant engagement almost effortless—a quarter of law firms are still ghosting potential clients.

Calls and Texts Surge as Email Takes a Backseat

Email may still be the fallback for legal comms, but the study shows that phone calls and texts are now the fastest-growing response methods. It's a sign that firms are starting to meet clients where they are: on mobile and expecting immediacy.

And while automation and AI are increasingly being adopted in intake processes, human connection is still king, according to Hennessey Digital CEO Jason Hennessey.

“Even with everything AI can do today, the data still points to one clear truth: in the legal space, personalization and real human connection still matter most,” Hennessey said.

Hard to argue with that—especially when clients are often reaching out during one of the most stressful times in their lives.

The Good, the Bad, and the Opportunity

The report doesn't just benchmark speed. It calls out the 423 fastest law firms in the U.S., each responding to leads in under 10 minutes, and ranks the top (and bottom) cities based on average response times.

Also included:

• National and local lead response benchmarks

• Emerging trends in website and lead form behavior

• Common intake mistakes firms can avoid (hint: not responding is mistake #1)

• Strategic advice on how to boost conversions using automation and AI—without losing the human touch

Notably, cities showing standout performance are leveraging personalized automation and quicker hand-offs from intake teams to attorneys, blending speed with substance.

Why It Matters for Legal Marketing—and Beyond

This isn’t just about speeding up email replies. It’s a wake-up call for an industry that’s historically been slow to digitize. Fast response time isn’t a nice-to-have anymore—it’s a competitive edge. Especially as client expectations, search behavior, and Google's local ranking factors continue to evolve.

“Firms can spend thousands on SEO and PPC,” said Cindy Kerber Spellman, Senior Director of Marketing at Hennessey Digital, “but if they’re not responding quickly to leads, that marketing investment is wasted.”

The study itself was born out of that disconnect—when one client’s digital visibility skyrocketed, but conversions didn’t. Hennessey’s team dug deeper and found the real issue: no one was answering the (virtual) phone.

Since then, the annual benchmark has become a go-to industry resource for firms looking to tighten intake, convert more clients, and boost marketing ROI.