Advertising Regulation & Information Index
On This Page
Notices
Handbook on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation
Cover sheets
Guidelines
Checklists
Resources
NOTICE: The Supreme Court of Florida has issued a revised opinion amending the rules regulating lawyer advertisements over the Internet. Websites will be subject to the general advertising regulations set forth in Rule 4-7.2. Websites will remain exempt from the filing requirement under Rule 4-7.8. The jurisdictional disclosure requirement will no longer be required on the homepage, but will be required to appear on the website. Requirements for direct e-mail will be reinstated: a statement of qualifications will be required and a disclosure if a lawyer other than the one whose name appears in the advertisement will handle the matter will be required. Direct e-mail also will be required to begin the subject line with the statement "legal advertisement." The changes will be effective 90 days from the Court's order in SC10-1014, which has not yet been decided. In Re: Amendments to Rules Regulating The Florida Bar - Rule 4-7.6, Computer Accessed Communications (PDF), 34 Fla. L. Weekly S627 (Fla. Nov. 19, 2009), Case No. SC08-1181.
NOTICE: At the direction of the Supreme Court of Florida, the Florida Bar filed a petition on June 1, 2010 to adopt amendments to Rule 4-7.6 on websites. The amendments in case number SC10-1014 , if adopted, would provide a method by which a portion of the website would be considered information at the request of a prospective client and therefore not subject to subchapter 4-7 (the lawyer advertising rules) if specific requirements are met. The Florida Bar also filed an emergency motion to request a further stay of the effective date of the amendments to Rule 4-7.6 in SC08-1181. The Court issued an order, granting the bar's motion to stay the effective date, which will be 90 days from the Court's order in SC10-1014, which has not yet been decided.
HANDBOOK ON LAWYER ADVERTISING AND SOLICITATION
The Handbook on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation is an annual publication by the Standing Committee on Advertising. This handy reference gives general information on lawyer advertising, how to file advertisements with The Florida Bar, current rules regarding advertising and sample ads for reference. The handbook has been updated to include the most recent amendments to the lawyer advertising rules, including changes to Rule 4-7.6 on computer accessed communications (the effective date has been extended to July 1, 2010) and changes to other lawyer advertising rules from the 2008 Master Rules filing (effective February 1, 2010). The quick reference checklists have been updated to include these amendments as well. To obtain the full handbook, please download both the handbook (PDF, 1MB) and the examples of complying and noncomplying ads (PDF).
Link to attorney advertising rule Chapter 4-7 Rules Regulating The Florida Bar.
Attorney advertising filing requirements (PDF)
How to file attorney advertisements (PDF)
Examples of complying and noncomplying ads (PDF)
Bona Fide Offices (PDF)
COVER SHEETS:
To assist Florida Bar members in filing their advertisements for review, staff of the Ethics and Advertising Department created cover sheets for your use that address many of the common omissions and questions in filing advertisements. You are not required to file the cover sheet with your advertisement. If you choose to use the cover sheet, we hope it will help expedite the review process. For information on which advertisements are required to be filed for review, please see Attorney Advertising Filing Requirements above. For your convenience, these forms are available in 2 formats: one you can print and fill out, the other you can fill in and save the completed form in your own system.
GUIDELINES:
CHECKLISTS:
RESOURCES: