Understand how your CPC compares. Dive into benchmark data by industry, region, and campaign type
December 2024 - December 2025
Detailed observation of presented data
Legal advertising CPCs spent most of the year operating in a different orbit than the market: well above the global benchmark through late Q3, followed by a sharp Q4 slide that ended the year below market. The arc is clear: a steady build from January through midsummer, an August peak, and then a rapid correction into November–December. Along the way, volatility was markedly higher than the overall Facebook Ads benchmarks, with larger month-to-month swings and a wider range between highs and lows.
This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks. This analysis explores ad performance trends for the Legal industry across all countries compared to the global benchmark.
CPC for Legal started at $2.11 in December 2024 and finished at $0.70 in December 2025, a 67% decline over the period. Despite that finish, the year as a whole ran expensive: the average CPC was $2.79, with a median of $2.93. The high point arrived in August at $3.91, while the low point was December’s $0.70, producing a wide $3.21 spread.
Momentum built early. From January to May, CPC rose in five straight moves: $2.42 (Jan) → $2.78 (Feb) → $2.93 (Mar) → $3.35 (Apr) → $3.60 (May). June eased to $3.46 and July cooled to $2.86, before a late-summer surge to the $3.91 peak in August. From there, the retreat set in: $3.35 (Sep) → $2.95 (Oct) → $1.87 (Nov) → $0.70 (Dec). Average month-to-month absolute change was 0.54 points, signaling pronounced volatility.
By contrast, the global benchmark was stable: an average CPC of $1.14, moving within a tight band from $1.07 to $1.32, with an average monthly swing of just 0.06 points.
The Legal category displayed a classic mid-year build, with Q1 giving way to a stronger Q2 (average $3.47). Q3 remained elevated (average $3.37), punctuated by August’s high. Q4 marked a decisive break from that pattern: the quarter averaged $1.84, down 46% from Q3, with November and December delivering the steepest monthly declines of the year.
At the macro level, the broader market typically tightens in late Q4, and the global series did show a November lift. Legal diverged sharply from that market rhythm, with costs falling substantially in November and then undercutting the global average in December.
Across all countries, Legal CPCs exceeded the global benchmark by a wide margin for most of the year. On average, Legal CPCs were 145% higher than the global level ($2.79 vs. $1.14). The gap was widest in August (+257%) and narrowest in November (+42%). In December, the relationship flipped: Legal CPCs fell 38% below the global benchmark ($0.70 vs. $1.12).
Trend shape also differed. The global benchmark drifted slightly lower overall (−12% from December to December) with mild seasonality, while Legal rose +86% from December 2024 to the August 2025 peak, then fell −82% by year-end. Volatility in Legal CPCs was almost nine times the global baseline (0.54 vs. 0.06 average monthly movement), underscoring a more turbulent cost environment for this industry.
In summary, Facebook Ads CPC trends for the Legal industry across all countries show a high-cost, high-volatility year: a mid-year climb, an August peak, and a sharp Q4 correction that briefly dipped below the market. Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks for Legal across all countries helps quantify industry ad performance, compare country-specific ad costs at the aggregate level, and situate Legal CPCs within the broader global benchmark.
Insights & analysis of Facebook advertising costs
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. In the Legal industry, Facebook ad costs can be influenced by seasonal trends and market competition. Geographic targeting affects ad costs based on market competition and user engagement in different regions. Different campaign objectives lead to varying costs based on how Facebook optimizes for your specific goals. The data shown represents median values across multiple campaigns, and individual results may vary based on ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
We use the median CTR because the underlying distribution of click-through rates is highly skewed, with a small share of campaigns achieving extremely high CTRs. These outliers can inflate a simple average, making it less representative of what most advertisers actually experience. By using the median—which sits at the midpoint of all campaigns—we provide a more rigorous and realistic benchmark that reflects the true underlying data model and helps you set attainable performance expectations.
Note: This data represents industry median values and benchmarks. Your actual costs may vary based on specific targeting, ad creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
The truth is that varies, so play with our tool to get some benchmarks that are relevant to you. CPC values are highly dependent on the region, industry and campaign objective. The US is one of the most expensive markets.
Several factors affect CPC: your audience targeting, competition in your industry, ad relevance score, and creative performance. If your ad isn't getting engagement or relevance is low, CPC tends to spike.
CPC spikes usually happen because of increased competition in your target audience, seasonal trends (like holidays), poor ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check if your audience targeting has become too narrow or if your creative is showing fatigue.
Yes, there's a noticeable difference between platforms. Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop. How many times do check Instagram on your phone and how often do you open it in your computer? There's simply much more mobile inventory. Tip: segment your performance data by placement to understand where your clicks are coming from. Spoiler: it's likely all mobile.
For most businesses, optimizing for conversions will deliver much better ROI than focusing purely on CPC. A low CPC is meaningless if those clicks don't convert. However, if you're running awareness campaigns or some kind content promotion, CPC optimization might potentially make sense, although most experts have switched to conversion optimization by now.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher due to stronger purchase intent and higher competition among advertisers. But it depends on the audience and creative.
Discover detailed cost benchmarks for different Facebook advertising metrics:
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Cost per thousand impressions across different markets
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Cost per lead across different markets
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