Direct Mail Calculator for Law Firms
Enter how many pieces you will mail, what each costs, and your best guess at your response rate, close rate, and fee per client. The calculator shows calls, clients, and total gross, and what is left after the cost of the mail.
Try your own numbers
| Pieces sent (cost) | Response rate | Calls | Clients | Revenue per client | Total gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 ($1,250) | 2% | 20 | 6.6 | $2,000 | $13,200 |
After the $1,250 of mail, that leaves about $11,950 before your own time on intake and casework. The mail pays for itself once about 0.63 of a client signs.
An illustration from numbers you choose, not a promise or a typical result.
What each number means
- Pieces sent (cost). How many letters or postcards go out, and what they cost together. We print and mail a postcard for $1.25 and a letter for $1.75. Printing and mailing it yourself is $0.50 a referral plus your own printing and postage. See current pricing.
- Response rate. The share of pieces that lead to a call. Cold consumer lists are commonly reported at roughly 0.5% to 1%, and mail to prospect lists at roughly 4% to 5% (the Association of National Advertisers' 2024 report, as summarized by PIWorld). We use 2% as a modest working figure for mail to someone with a newly filed case.
- Calls. Pieces sent × response rate.
- Clients. Calls × the share that sign. We assume about a third (33%), and your intake speed moves it most.
- Revenue per client. What a signed client pays you. We use $2,000 as a round number.
- Total gross. Clients × revenue per client, before the cost of the mail and your own time.
Typical response rates
The same 1,000 postcards at three response rates, with a 33% close rate and $2,000 per client:
| Pieces sent (cost) | Response rate | Calls | Clients | Revenue per client | Total gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 ($1,250) | 1% (cold lists) | 10 | 3.3 | $2,000 | $6,600 |
| 1,000 ($1,250) | 2% (our working figure) | 20 | 6.6 | $2,000 | $13,200 |
| 1,000 ($1,250) | 4% (high end for prospect lists) | 40 | 13.2 | $2,000 | $26,400 |
Typical volumes
The same 2% response, 33% close, and $2,000 per client at the monthly lead limits you can choose, mailed as postcards:
| Pieces sent (cost) | Response rate | Calls | Clients | Revenue per client | Total gross |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 ($1,250) | 2% | 20 | 6.6 | $2,000 | $13,200 |
| 1,500 ($1,875) | 2% | 30 | 9.9 | $2,000 | $19,800 |
| 2,000 ($2,500) | 2% | 40 | 13.2 | $2,000 | $26,400 |
| 3,000 ($3,750) | 2% | 60 | 19.8 | $2,000 | $39,600 |
How much mail is enough to trust the answer?
About 1,000 pieces in a month. With fewer, a few lucky or unlucky calls swing your response rate. You should have a good idea after the first month, and a solid one after three months at 1,000 a month.
How many clients does the mail need to pay for itself?
Divide the cost by your revenue per client. At $1,250 of postcards and $2,000 a client, one client is more than enough to cover the mail; about 0.6 of a client does it. The number to watch is your own response and close rate, so measure your actual mail results and put them in the calculator.
Results are not necessarily typical. The calculator is an illustration from numbers you choose, not a promise or an average outcome. For the step-by-step version of this math, see direct mail: the numbers.
Want to see exactly what lands in your inbox? Download a sample spreadsheet — same format you'd actually receive, 250 fictional records so nothing here is a real defendant.