Calculator
Cost per Signed Case Calculator for Personal Injury Lead Sources
To calculate cost per signed case, divide what you spent on a lead source — after credits — by the number of cases you signed from it. To see what a source really costs, go one step further: divide by the number of those cases still viable after 90 days. This calculator does both, using your own numbers.
Your lead source
Enter one month of data for a single lead source. All fields are percentages or dollar amounts from your own reporting.
What this source really costs
Enter your numbers to see your cost per signed and retained case.
Your spend stays the same. Adjust conversion or drop rate to see how intake and retention change what you pay per case you keep.
For example, +10% moves a 40% conversion rate to 44%.
For example, −10% moves a 20% drop rate to 18%.
Complete your numbers above to see what-if results.
How do you calculate cost per signed case?
Start with what the source cost you in a month, after any credits or refunds, plus any other fees. That’s your net spend. Then work down the funnel: multiply the units delivered by your want rate to get wanted leads, multiply wanted leads by your conversion rate to get signed cases, and multiply signed cases by one minus your 90-day drop rate to get retained cases.
Divide net spend by signed cases for your cost per signed case. Divide it by retained cases for your cost per retained case — the number that tells you what a source really costs.
Net spend = (price × units) + other costs − credits Cost per signed case = net spend ÷ (units × want rate × conversion rate) Cost per retained case = net spend ÷ (signed cases × (1 − 90-day drop rate))
A worked example
Say a source cost $12,000 in a month after credits and delivered 60 leads. With a 75% want rate, 45 leads met your criteria. With 40% conversion on wanted leads, you signed 18 cases — a cost per signed case of about $667. If 20% of those cases dropped within 90 days, 14.4 remained, so your cost per retained case is about $833.
Hypothetical numbers for illustration only. They are not benchmarks or typical results.
Key terms
- Want rate
- The share of leads delivered that meet your firm's case criteria.
- Conversion on wanted leads
- The share of wanted leads your firm signs as clients.
- Cost per signed case
- Net spend on a source divided by the number of cases signed from it.
- 90-day drop rate
- The share of signed cases that drop within roughly 90 days of signing.
- Cost per retained case
- Net spend divided by the number of signed cases still viable after about 90 days.
What doesn’t this calculator measure?
- Case value. It doesn’t account for case tier. A source producing more serious-injury or commercial cases may justify a higher cost per case.
- Intake quality. Results reflect your firm’s intake as much as the source. Slow follow-up raises cost per case for any source.
- Consent and compliance. A low cost per case says nothing about whether consent records are complete. Review those separately.
- Time to resolution. It doesn’t reflect how long cases take to resolve or when fees are realized.
What should you do with your results?
Compare sources against each other, not against your branded inbound calls — third-party leads follow a different consumer journey and will usually cost more per signed case. If a source’s cost per retained case is climbing, check your own intake speed and follow-up first, then raise it with the provider using weekly data. When you’re deciding whether to keep going, set clear rules for when to scale, hold or cut.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good cost per signed case for personal injury leads?
It depends on your market, case types and delivery model, so there isn't one right number. Compare each source against your other third-party sources and against the value of the cases it produces, and track cost per retained case rather than cost per signup.
Why is cost per retained case more useful than cost per signed case?
Because signed cases that drop within a few months don't produce fees. Cost per retained case shows what you paid for each case that stuck, which is a truer measure of what a lead source is worth.
Should I include credits and refunds in the calculation?
Yes. Credits for invalid leads reduce what the source actually cost you. Enter the share of units credited back so your net spend reflects the real cost.
How should I use this calculator for signed retainer leads?
Enter the price per retainer and the number delivered. Set want rate and conversion to reflect retainers that met your criteria and stayed signed after your firm made contact, then enter your 90-day drop rate as usual.
Can I compare two lead sources?
Yes. Turn on "Compare a second source" to enter a second set of numbers and see both sources side by side, including cost per retained case.
Does Sanguine Legal Solutions see the numbers I enter?
No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser — your numbers aren't stored or sent to us.
Not sure what your numbers are telling you?
Sanguine Legal Solutions vets and tests lead sources before introducing them to personal injury firms, then stays involved after launch. We don’t sell leads. Talk to us about the sources you’re using or considering.
Book a CallThis calculator provides estimates based solely on the information you enter. It is general commercial information, not legal, financial or tax advice. Sanguine Legal Solutions is not a law firm. Results are not a prediction or guarantee of provider performance, lead quality, retained cases or return on spend. Sanguine Legal Solutions does not sell leads.