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Cost-per-signed-case worksheet: what each channel costs, as a share of your fee

Work out your cost per signed case for each ad channel from your own numbers, and see what share of your average fee it takes. Free, with a CSV. No forecasts.

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What is this for?

Cost per signed case is what you spent on a channel divided by the signed clients it brought. This worksheet works it out from your own numbers, channel by channel, then sets it against the average fee from your cases, so you can see what share of the fee goes to winning each client. It does not work out profit or forecast anything.

For reference, in the Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026 the ad cost per signed client was $5,500–6,000 for search and video ads on Google and Microsoft, and $4,000–4,500 for Local Services Ads. That is ad cost only, without staff or agency fees. See the full table and how the measure is defined in cost per signed case.

Download the worksheet as a CSV

Before you type

  • Use the same months for spend and for signed clients.Three full months give a steadier number than one.
  • Count signed clients by the source that brought the inquiry.Net of clients who dropped later, and using the source recorded first.
  • Write the average fee from your closed cases of that type.From your own records, not the one big case everyone remembers.

After you work it out

  • Agree with your partners the share of the fee you will pay for a signed client.Write it at the top of the sheet and look at it again each quarter.
  • Look first at the channel furthest from that share.Check its search terms, how its calls are answered and what counts as a conversion before you move budget.
  • Repeat the sheet each quarter with the same steps.A change only shows if you measure the same way each time.

Your numbers, channel by channel

Use the same months for every box. Other costs (agency fees, call tracking, tools) and the average fee are optional. Leave a channel empty to skip it.

Search ads (Google and Microsoft)
Local Services Ads
Meta and YouTube
Lead vendor
Another paid channel

How was this built?

What it covers. For each paid channel: ad spend, other costs, signed clients and the average fee, all from your own records, turned into ad cost per signed client, all-in cost per signed client and its share of your average fee.

Method. Your browser divides spend by signed clients, then divides that cost by the average fee you type. The definitions follow cost per signed case in The Probative Standard. The reference bands come from the cost-per-signed-client table in the Probative benchmarks. Nothing you type is stored or sent.

Limits. Your own numbers, not a forecast and not a return figure. A channel with few signed clients swings from quarter to quarter, and the average fee depends on your case mix.

Related

Questions people ask

What is cost per signed case?

What you spent on a channel divided by the signed clients it brought in the same months. The worksheet also shows it with your other costs added, such as agency fees and call tracking.

Does this tell me what return to expect?

No. It works out what each signed client cost you and what share of your average fee that is. It does not forecast fees, profit or results.

What share of the fee is too much?

That is a decision for your partners, and it differs by practice and case size. Write your own limit at the top of the sheet and compare each channel with it every quarter.

Sources

  1. Probative benchmarks, 2025–2026: how each figure is made and protectedAccessed October 26, 2026
  2. Cost per signed client, the table this worksheet citesAccessed October 28, 2026
  3. Cost per signed case, as defined in The Probative StandardAccessed October 28, 2026

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What the review covers

The review scores six areas out of 100 points: Google profile 20, website 20, content 15, paid ads 15, intake 20 and compliance 10. It uses public information only: no logins and no call to your phone lines. It can’t see what each client costs you or which ads brought signed clients. Delivered within 2 business days.

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We use what you send to make your review and to send a few short follow-up emails (unsubscribe any time). We also tell Google, Microsoft and Meta which of our ads worked, with the ad you clicked (if any) and a hashed copy of your email (a code the platform can still match to you). Never sold; you can opt out. Privacy policy · Prefer to talk? Phone answered 24 hours, 7 days: (323) 489-5686

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How we checked this page

Sources
3 sources listed on this page, each with the date we read it.
Checked by
Our data desk, with a second person checking every number against its source (who does what).
Last checked
What it covers
The open data and rules named on this page. It shows what they say; it never says an ad passes or fails, and it is not legal advice.
Found a mistake?
Email hello@probativegrowth.com. Every fix goes in our corrections log.