Criminal Defense Firm Website and Google Ads Structuring Question (Agency vs Separate Specialists)

About a month ago I posted here and received some helpful replies. I am now preparing to move forward with a website rebuild and paid search launch in a competitive criminal defense market.

I am a solo criminal defense attorney in the United States starting essentially from scratch. I currently have only a basic landing page. The objective is to build a clean, authority-focused website and generate high-intent leads, not high-volume price-shopping intake.

Scope under consideration:

Full website rebuild with professionally written content

Google Ads setup and ongoing management

Google Business Profile optimization

Proper tracking infrastructure including GA4 and call tracking

Ideally I would prefer a United States based agency that can handle this cohesively. However, I am finding that many firms specialize in either web development or paid ads, not both at a high level.

For those with direct experience in legal marketing:

1. Is it better to use a full-service agency or separate a developer and paid ads specialist?

2. For those actively working with criminal defense firms, what investment range is typical for a properly structured website rebuild and six months of paid search execution? I am less concerned with the lowest price and more concerned with what a properly built engagement should realistically cost.

3. In criminal defense specifically, would you prioritize paid ads before investing heavily in SEO?

I am prepared to invest appropriately if the structure and return profile make sense. I am looking for responses from those with legal marketing experience, not general marketing advice.

I appreciate any insight.