Ethics Hotline
800-235-8619
On This Page
General Information
Oral Advisory Opinion
Written Ethics Opinion
Resources
For non-attorneys
General Information
One of the first of its kind in the nation, and still one of only a handful in operation, the toll-free Ethics Hotline was established in 1984 to help guide lawyers through the minefields of conflict dilemmas, confidentiality questions, communication concerns, trust accounting problems, and other ethics difficulties unique to the profession.
Hotline attorneys are authorized to respond to inquiries from members in good standing of The Florida Bar who are asking about their own contemplated conduct. When there is no Florida authority upon which to base an answer to an inquiry, ethics counsel can decline to issue an opinion. Staff must decline to render an opinion when an inquirer asks a question of law, a question about past conduct, a question about another attorney’s conduct, or a question about the subject of a pending grievance.
Advisory ethics opinions are appealable to the Professional Ethics Committee and, ultimately, to the Bar’s Board of Governors according to The Florida Bar Procedures for Ruling on Questions of Ethics. Advisory ethics opinions are not binding.
Oral Advisory Opinion
Members of The Florida Bar in good standing who wish to receive an oral advisory opinion about their own contemplated conduct may call 800-235-8619 to reach an ethics attorney. Advisory ethics opinions are not binding.
To leave a message call 850-561-5780.
Written Ethics Opinion
To receive a written ethics opinion, which takes 3-5 weeks, members of The Florida Bar in good standing may make written inquiry to The Ethics Department, The Florida Bar, 651 E. Jefferson St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300. Advisory ethics opinions are not binding.
Resources
- Researching Ethics Questions—If you wish to research an ethics issue yourself
- Rules of Professional Conduct
- Ethics Opinions—Searchable by key word and number
- Informational Packets—On frequently asked ethics questions
For Nonattorneys
If you are not a member of The Florida Bar and wish to file a complaint against your attorney, you may download the consumer pamphlet Complaint Against A Florida Lawyer, which contains the complaint form.