Law Firm Domain Names

In order to establish a presence on the Internet, a law firm must register a domain name.  Like all domain names, law firm domain names are issued and controlled by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (http://www.icann.org/), and registered through accredited registrars and resellers.

Law firm domain name facts:

• Domain names are registered for a certain number of years.
• Prior to the expiration of the term, a firm’s domain name needs to be extended or else the domain becomes available to anyone.
• It’s important that law firms, attorneys, and other domain name registrants have legal control over the domain name. This ensures that they can choose where to have their website hosted.

If you register your firm’s domain name with us, it will always be registered in your name or through a private registration that you control.

Please beware! – some web development companies offer low, basic website design, but require that your firm continue to host the website with them in perpetuity for high monthly hosting fees, and control of the domain name. If you wish to leave, you may not be able to take the domain name with you.

What domain names should our law firm register?

• Law firms should choose as their primary domain name one with a “.com” extension.
• Other common extensions, such as “.net”, “.biz”, or “.pro” can also be registered.

In addition to the primary domain name (the one to be associated with the firm’s website and used in e-mail addresses), a firm may wish to register other “.com” names, especially if there is more than one way to spell the name of one of the partners included in the primary domain name.

How long should our domain name be registered?

Law firms will typically want to register their primary domain name for a period of at least five to ten years.  Non-primary domain names can be done for a lesser time period if desired, especially if the firm’s name may change with the addition of new partners.  If these other domains were to inadvertently lapse, it won’t be as critical as if the primary domain name lapses