The ROI Math · Region-Aware
How a ₹48,000 Subscription Becomes ₹3,78,000. How a $2,400 Subscription Becomes $54,000.
We're a small business asking another small business to spend money. The least we can do is show our work. Three illustrative scenarios below, conservative assumptions, transparent math, with the caveats spelled out. Toggle between India and Global pricing above.
~7.9×
Indicative return on ClientACQ
Year 1, 5-lawyer firm
~50×
Indicative return on FirmReach+
On a 12-mo expansion
~83%
Hiring cost saved with People+Plan
vs 8.33% recruiter fee
0%
Commission on any of the above
subscription only
~22×
Indicative return on ClientACQ
Year 1, 5-lawyer boutique
~120×
Indicative return on FirmReach+
On a 12-mo expansion
~97%
Hiring cost saved with People+Plan
vs 20–25% recruiter fee
0%
Commission on any of the above
subscription only
Indicative figures based on representative engagements. Actual outcomes vary by practice area, city, competition and execution. Not guarantees.
A 5-Lawyer Firm, Six Months In.
Subscription: ₹48,000 / yr
Assumptions
- ·A 5-lawyer urban firm with avg matter value ₹35,000
- ·Existing inbound: ~3 inquiries/month, ~30% close rate
- ·ClientACQ targets 2× inbound by month 6, holding close rate
Subscription: $2,400 / yr
Assumptions
- ·A 5-lawyer boutique with avg matter value $5,000
- ·Existing inbound: ~3 inquiries/month, ~30% close rate
- ·ClientACQ targets 2× inbound by month 6, holding close rate
| Without PlugLaw | With ClientACQ | |
|---|---|---|
| PlugLaw subscription | ₹48,000 | ₹48,000 |
| Inquiries per month (avg) | 3 | 6 |
| New matters per month (avg) | 0.9 | 1.8 |
| Avg matter value | ₹35,000 | ₹35,000 |
| Annual matter revenue | ₹3.78 L | ₹7.56 L |
| Net lift over baseline | — | ₹3.78 L |
| Return on subscription | — | ~7.9× |
| Without PlugLaw | With ClientACQ | |
|---|---|---|
| PlugLaw subscription | $2,400 | $2,400 |
| Inquiries per month (avg) | 3 | 6 |
| New matters per month (avg) | 0.9 | 1.8 |
| Avg matter value | $5,000 | $5,000 |
| Annual matter revenue | $54,000 | $108,000 |
| Net lift over baseline | — | $54,000 |
| Return on subscription | — | ~22× |
Read this as the delta, the lift, not the total, is what the subscription is buying.
Opening a Second Office, Faster and Cheaper.
Subscription: ₹36,000 / yr
Assumptions
- ·A 12-lawyer firm opening a second office in a Tier-2 city
- ·Without PlugLaw: 18-month break-even, ₹40 L total burn
- ·With FirmReach+: 9-month break-even, ₹22 L total burn
Subscription: $1,800 / yr
Assumptions
- ·A 12-lawyer firm opening a second office in a new city or region
- ·Without PlugLaw: 18-month break-even, $480K total burn
- ·With FirmReach+: 9-month break-even, $260K total burn
| DIY expansion | With FirmReach+ | |
|---|---|---|
| PlugLaw subscription | — | ₹36,000 |
| Months to break-even | 18 | 9 |
| Cash burn before break-even | ₹40 L | ₹22 L |
| Risk of closure within 24 mo | ~30% | <10% |
| Net cash saved | — | ₹18 L |
| Return on subscription | — | ~50× |
| DIY expansion | With FirmReach+ | |
|---|---|---|
| PlugLaw subscription | — | $1,800 |
| Months to break-even | 18 | 9 |
| Cash burn before break-even | $480K | $260K |
| Risk of closure within 24 mo | ~30% | <10% |
| Net cash saved | — | $220K |
| Return on subscription | — | ~120× |
The headline number isn't revenue, it's burn avoided. Closing an office at 18 months also damages reputation in a new market.
Three Hires, No 8.33% Surcharge. Three Hires, No 20–25% Surcharge.
Engagement fee: ₹24,000 / engagement
Assumptions
- ·Hiring 2 mid-level associates and 1 senior counsel
- ·Standard recruiter fee: 8.33% of CTC, ~₹1.4 L on these three roles
- ·People+Plan: flat fee, replacement guarantee, deliverable-tied
Engagement fee: $1,200 / engagement
Assumptions
- ·Hiring 2 mid-level associates and 1 senior counsel
- ·Standard recruiter fee: 20–25% of base salary, ~$45K on these three roles
- ·People+Plan: flat fee, replacement guarantee, deliverable-tied
| Standard recruiter | With People+Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| PlugLaw engagement fee | — | ₹24,000 |
| Standard recruiter fee (8.33%) | ₹1,40,000 | — |
| Replacement guarantee | Often none | Yes |
| Onboarding plan included | — | ✓ |
| Deliverable tied to hire | — | ✓ |
| Net cost saved on these 3 hires | — | ₹1,16,000 |
| Standard recruiter | With People+Plan | |
|---|---|---|
| PlugLaw engagement fee | — | $1,200 |
| Standard recruiter fee (20–25%) | $45,000 | — |
| Replacement guarantee | Often none | Yes |
| Onboarding plan included | — | ✓ |
| Deliverable tied to hire | — | ✓ |
| Net cost saved on these 3 hires | — | $43,800 |
The cost saving is real, but the bigger value is the deliverable-tied model, hires are picked against a milestone, not a JD.
Caveats
What We Will Not Promise.
Four written-down honesty disclaimers. Same wording on every scope letter.
These are scenarios, not guarantees.
Real outcomes depend on your practice area, your city's competition, your firm's existing reputation, and frankly how seriously the partners take the engagement.
Some firms see less.
A criminal defence firm in a saturated metro will see slower ClientACQ pickup than a corporate boutique in a Tier-2 city. We tell you which side of that line you're on during discovery.
A few firms see substantially more.
When ClientACQ stacks with FirmReach+ and the firm has a clear narrative, year-2 returns sometimes go north of 15×. We don't lead with those numbers because they're not typical.
If we don't see a path to 3×, we say so.
About one in five discovery calls ends with us recommending against engaging. That's the only way the rest of this works.
The Discipline Behind These Numbers
The Math on This Page Is the Visible Layer.
Legal Economics Is the Discipline Underneath.
Seven sub-disciplines, matter, pricing, practice-mix, capacity, acquisition, hiring, geographic economics — that we measure and optimise in every PlugLaw engagement.
Read the Full Discipline →Run the Math on Your Firm
Want This Math Run on Your Firm's Actual Numbers?
Send us your inbound rate, average matter value and team size. We'll come back with a customised version of the table above, usually within 48 hours.
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