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Advertising Regulation and Information

Advertisement Filing Changes Coming Soon

ADVERTISEMENT OPINIONS WILL BE EMAILED AS OF MAY 1st, 2025

Effective May 1, 2025, Bar staff will go paperless and will send all advertisement opinions pursuant to Rule 4-7.19 via email to the responsible lawyer’s Bar profile email address.

This will not change the initial advertisement filing process. While an online filing system will be implemented in the future, advertisements filed after May 1, 2025, must continue to be sent via mail or physical delivery and will still require payment via check until further notice. Checks should be payable to “The Florida Bar” and advertisement filings should be mailed to:

The Florida Bar
Ethics & Advertising
651 E. Jefferson St.
Tallahassee, Florida 32399

WHAT WILL CHANGE ON MAY 1, 2025?

You will no longer receive a paper copy of your advertisement opinion letters for advertisement opinions completed after May 1, 2025.

Instead, you will receive an email copy of the opinion letter similar to the paper letters previously sent. This email will be sent to the email address listed on your Bar member profile.

Each advertisement will receive a separate email opinion.

Rather than using a single letter to address multiple files, each advertisement will have its own opinion response. For example, if a submission includes ten (10) separate advertisements, the filing lawyer will receive ten separate responses.

Advertisement file numbers will change.

Rather than the current advertisement numbering format, files reviewed after May 1, 2025, will be numbered according to the following format: [YYMM-XXXXX]

For example, the first file reviewed in May of 2025 will be numbered 2505-00001.

STAY TUNED:

While the online submission of advertisements is not available yet, it will be coming soon! Check the Bar News and this page for updates.

Finally, please make sure that your Bar member profile and email address are accurate! You an access your member profile through the MyFloridaBar Member Portal.

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

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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 August 16, 2023 and includes the most recent amendments to the lawyer advertising rules.

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Sample Advertisements

To view sample complying and noncomplying advertisements, please download the sample advertisements.

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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.

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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, Text Message and Targeted Social Media Advertisements (Word, PDF)
  • Internet Advertisements (WordPDF)
  • Print Advertisements (WordPDF)
  • TV & Radio Advertisements (Word, PDF)

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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.

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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.

Read More About Qualifying Providers

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