Advertising Regulation and Information
Advertising Rules
To view the advertising rules, please click on the link, click on Chapter 4 Rules of Professional Conduct, then click on any of rules 4-7.11 through 4-7.22 in the bookmarks of the pdf: Lawyer advertising rules – Subchapter 4-7 Rules Regulating The Florida Bar
Handbook on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation
The Handbook on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation, published by the Standing Committee on Advertising, is a handy reference that 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 was updated July 7, 2022 and includes the most recent amendments to the lawyer advertising rules.
Sample Advertisements
To view sample complying and noncomplying advertisements, please download the sample advertisements.
Advertising Filing Requirements
Lawyer Advertising Filing Requirements
Board of Governors Policy on Review of Advertisements
On March 28, 2014, the Board of Governors adopted a new policy interpreting Rule 4-7.19 regarding filing and review of lawyer advertisements, effective July 1, 2014:
Any change of any kind to an advertisement renders the advertisement a new advertisement with a new filing fee of $150 per timely filed advertisement and $250 per untimely filed advertisement. The only exception is a revision to an existing advertisement that is solely to comply with a bar opinion that the advertisement does not comply with the lawyer advertising rules, for which no additional fee will be charged. Any change includes, but is not limited to, any change to wording, illustrations, photographs, typographical marks, layout, or color scheme.
Cover Sheets
To assist Florida Bar members in filing their advertisements for review, these cover sheets address many of the common omissions and questions in filing advertisements. You are not required to file the cover sheet with your advertisement, but use of the cover sheets often helps expedite the review process. 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.
- Direct Mail, Email and Text Message Advertisements (Word Mail, PDF Mail)
- Internet Advertisements (Word Internet, PDF Internet)
- Print Advertisements (Word Print, PDF Print)
- TV & Radio Advertisements (Word TV, PDF TV)
Checklists
The quick reference checklists are intended to assist in developing advertisements that comply with the lawyer advertising rules. They are not a substitute for filing the advertisement as required by Rule 4-7.19. Furthermore, even if all the questions are answered NO, it does not mean a particular advertisement complies with the lawyer advertising rules.
Guidelines
- Guidelines for a Law Firm’s Statement of Qualifications and Experience
- Guidelines for Lawyer’s Statement of Qualifications and Experience
- Guidelines for a Qualifying Provider or Lawyer Referral Service’s Statement of Qualifications and Experience
- Guidelines for Determining Whether an Advertised Location is a Bona Fide Office
- Guidelines for Social Networking Sites, updated August 19, 2020
- Guidelines for Video Sharing Sites
Qualifying Providers/Lawyer Referral Services
Qualifying providers include lawyer referral services, matching services, group or pooled advertising programs, directories, or tips or leads generators. Lawyers may participate only when a qualifying provider is in compliance with Rule 4-7.22.
Resources
- Advertise in The Florida Bar News, Journal and Website
- Commercial Speech Doctrine
- Ethics Opinions on Advertising and Solicitation
- Florida Bar Procedures for Issuing Advisory Opinions Relating to Lawyer Advertising or Solicitation
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Rules Regulating The Florida Bar: Chapter 15. Review of Lawyer Advertisements and Solicitations
- Standards for Lawyer Sanctions in Advertising and Solicitation Rule Violations