The short answer
A new client is a person who signed with your firm or paid to start, counted once from your own records. What that means changes by practice: a signed contingency agreement, a retained flat-fee or hourly matter, a paid retainer, or a qualified docket client. Use the table below, pick one definition per practice, and send Google only a neutral stage name.
Ask three firms what a new client is, and you may get three answers. The question matters because every ad, search page and report is judged against it. If one firm counts calls and another counts signed agreements, their results cannot be compared. This guide gives one working definition for each of fourteen practices: personal injury, employment, immigration, family, criminal defense, estate planning, workers’ compensation, lemon law, bankruptcy, business and commercial, Social Security disability, VA disability, medical malpractice and mass torts.
What does counted once, from your own records mean?
It means each client is one line in your own system, dated when they signed or paid, and that line is the only thing that counts. A second call, a second form or a second matter for the same person does not add a new client. The ad platform’s dashboard can show clicks and calls. Only your records can show who hired you. The Probative Standard uses the same rule everywhere.
What counts as a new client in each practice?
Use one row per practice. Pick the definition that matches how your firm is paid, then keep it steady.
| Practice | Counts as a new client | Early signal | Timing | Neutral stage name for Google |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal injury | Signed contingency agreement | Qualified case, intake accepted | Same day to weeks | Signed |
| Employment | Signed agreement for a worker-side matter, or a retained defense matter on hourly or flat fee | Screened and accepted for review | Days to weeks | Retained |
| Immigration | Retained matter on a flat fee, with the agreement signed or first payment made | Consultation held, filing path identified | Days to weeks | Retained |
| Family law | Retainer paid and agreement signed | Consultation booked and attended | Days to weeks | Retained |
| Criminal defense | Fee agreement signed or first payment made | Lawyer call completed | Same day to days | Retained |
| Estate planning | Engagement signed or flat-fee package paid | Consultation booked | Weeks to months | Retained |
| Workers’ compensation | Signed representation agreement | Qualified, claim status checked | Days to weeks | Signed |
| Lemon law | Signed agreement after the vehicle history is reviewed | Documents received | Days to weeks | Signed |
| Bankruptcy | Retainer paid or fee agreement signed | Consultation held | Days to weeks | Retained |
| Business and commercial | Engagement letter signed after the conflict check | Conflict check cleared | Days to weeks | Retained |
| Social Security disability | Signed fee agreement and appointment of representative | Screened as qualified | Days to weeks | Signed |
| VA disability | Signed agreement for the claim or appeal | Qualified, records requested | Weeks | Signed |
| Medical malpractice | Signed agreement after review of the records | Case accepted for medical review | Weeks to months | Signed |
| Mass torts | Qualified client retained on the docket | Qualified by the criteria for that docket | Days to weeks | Qualified |
Your own counsel decides the engagement terms in your state. The table only names what to count.
How do you tell Google about a new client?
Send the smallest amount of information that works: a click identifier, a neutral stage name, a time and, if you choose, a value band. Never send a name, a charge, a diagnosis, a claim or any case detail. Google’s policy says: Criminal defense lawyers are a named example of a sensitive interest category. Their ads can’t use advertiser-curated audiences: Customer Match, your data segments (remarketing), audience expansion or lookalike segments. Google’s own audiences (in-market, affinity, life events) are allowed. Other practices touch sensitive topics too, such as health, money and family. Neutral stage names keep every practice on the safe side.
Which early signals help, and which mislead?
Early signals tell you whether a campaign is likely to produce clients while you wait. Use them to steer, never to report.
- Helpful: calls answered by a person, qualified intake, a consultation booked and attended, documents received.
- Misleading: clicks, form fills, calls from people who are not a fit, repeat callers, and missed calls counted as leads.
Consultation booked is the usual early signal across practices, and it is the one most often mistaken for the result. A person can book and never hire.
How do you use these counts with cost?
Divide spend by clients counted, never by calls. The page on cost per signed case shows the math and why timing matters. Judge each practice against itself, since a flat-fee matter and a long contingency case differ in value and speed. Signed-case reporting turns your records into a monthly count, in your accounts, without sending client details out.
Read the practice page for your area for the intake and ad rules that apply: personal injury, employment, immigration, family law, criminal defense, estate planning, workers’ compensation, lemon law, bankruptcy, business law, Social Security disability, VA disability, medical malpractice and mass torts.
What this means for your firm
- Write one definition per practice of what counts as a new client, in your own records.
- Count once, dated when the person signed or paid, never by calls or forms.
- Divide spend by clients counted to get cost per signed case you can trust.
Start with a free video review and we will help you write the definition for your practice.
The exact definitions are in The Probative Standard: signed case and qualified lead.
Marketing information, not legal advice. Your counsel decides engagement terms and what you may say in ads.
Questions about this guide
Why not count every consultation as a new client?
A consultation is a meeting, not a decision. Many people attend and never hire. Count it as an early signal that helps you steer, but keep the final count for a signed agreement or a first payment, so that the number matches the money and the work your firm actually took.
What does counted once, from your own records mean?
Each client appears one time, on the day they signed or paid, in your case-management or billing system. Repeat callers, duplicate forms and later matters for the same person are not counted again as new. Platform dashboards are a clue, not the source.
Can the definition differ inside one firm?
Yes, when the firm has several practices. Each practice uses the definition that fits how its clients sign and pay. Write them down once, keep each one steady, and compare a practice only with itself over time.
What do we tell Google about a signed client?
Only a neutral stage name, a time and, if you choose, a value band. Never a name, a charge, a diagnosis, a claim or any case detail. Keep sensitive facts in your own system, not in an ad account.
How long should we wait before judging a campaign?
Wait as long as the practice takes to produce its count. Some practices sign the same day; others take weeks or months. Judge a campaign on clients counted so far, with the early signal alongside, and review again once the slower ones have had time to mature.
Sources
- The Probative StandardAccessed October 26, 2026
- Google Ads policy: personalized advertising and sensitive categoriesAccessed October 26, 2026