Florida Bar Association Rules for Websites

Lawyer websites in Florida must comply with these rules as a website is considered advertising. Don’t let just any web developer make your website. Hire someone who knows and follows these rules!

 

Required Content

  1. Name and Office
    1.  Name of advertising lawyer, law firm, lawyer referral service or lawyer directory
  2.  Bona fide office by city, town, or county
  3.  Disclosure that the lawyer will refer the case to another lawyer when applicable
  4. Required information must appear in all languages used in the web page
  5. Required information must be reasonably prominent and clearly legible

Deceptive and Inherently misleading like these are not allowed;

  1. Material statements that are factually or legally inaccurate
  2. Omissions of information necessary to prevent misleading consumers
  3. Implication of a material nonexistent fact
    1. Examples of Deceptive and Inherently Misleading Ads:
      1. Predictions or guarantees of success or specific results
      2. Past results that are not objectively verifiable
  • Comparisons or characterizations of skills, experience, reputation, or record that are not objectively verifiable
  1. Areas of practice that the lawyer does not practice or intend to practice
  2. Voices or images of a person that appears to be a lawyer or law firm employee without a prominent disclaimer “Not an employee or member of the firm”
  3. Dramatizations without a prominent disclaimer “DRAMATIZATION. NOT AN ACTUAL EVENT” and actors appearing as if in a professional or occupation without a prominent disclaimer “ACTOR. NOT ACTUAL [..]”
  • Any aspect of an ad that states or implies the lawyer will violate the law or ethics rules
  • Testimonials that the giver is not qualified to make, that are not the actual experience of the giver, that are not representative of what clients of the advertiser actually experience, that the lawyer has written or drafted, that the giver is paid for, and that do not include a disclaimer that prospective clients may not obtain the same or similar results
  1. Stating or implying that The Florida Bar has approved the ad or the lawyer, except for saying the lawyer is a member of The Florida Bar or is board certified,

Use of a judicial, executive, or legislative title before a person’s name who is a former or retired judicial, executive, or legislative officer is forbidden

Potentially Misleading advertisements that you can’t use

  1. Potentially misleading ads include: (1) Ads that have more than one interpretation, some of which are materially misleading
  2. Accurate ads that may mislead a prospective client about a material matter
  3. References to memberships, awards, and honors unless bona fide, recognized in the legal community, selection is on objective criteria
  4. (4) Use of the terms “board certified,” “specialist” “expert” or variations of those terms unless the lawyer is certified by The Florida Bar, an organization accredited by the ABA (with a disclaimer that not certified by The Florida Bar), or another state bar with standards substantially the same as The Florida Bar
  5. Information about fees charged unless accompanied by a disclosure of costs the client may be responsible for; lawyers who advertise specific fees must honor them for at least 90 days unless the ad itself states a shorter span, except the span for yellowpages and other annual publications may not be less than 1 year
  6. Ads with potentially misleading information may be used if the lawyer provides sufficient clarifying information in the ad Rule 4-7.15 Unduly Manipulative or Intrusive Advertisements
  7. Ads may not include images, sounds, videos or dramatizations designed to appeal to emotions rather than “a rational evaluation” of the lawyers qualifications
  8. Ads may not include authority figures such as actual or judges and law enforcement or actors portraying them, to endorse the lawyer or act as a spokesperson
  9. Celebrities may not be used, except for a local announcer who regularly records ads and does not endorse the lawyer
  10. Lawyers may not use economic incentives to hire the lawyer or view the ad, except for a discounted fee or free legal advice
Payment for Advertisements on your website Here are the rules for paid ads on your website.
  1. You can’t have paid ads by a lawyer who is not in the same law firm as the advertising lawyer
  2. Ads may not be paid for by a non-lawyer- that means no Google type ads for example
woman in gold dress holding sword figurine