Advertising Ban - Which Industries Have Limited Opportunities to Promote Their Products and Services
Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2024 5:39 am
End of attorney advertising ban. What are the new rules?
Until recently, attorneys were not allowed to advertise their legal services in order to reach potential clients. Paragraph 23 of the Code of Advocate Ethics and Dignity of the Profession (Advocate Ethics Code) stated that: "An attorney is prohibited from using advertising, as well as from acquiring clients in a manner contrary to the dignity of the profession and from cooperating with entities acquiring clients in violation of the law or the principles of social coexistence." [Collection of Principles of Advocate Ethics and Dignity of the Profession]
The resolution adopted in May 2023 changed the rules contained in the Code of Advocates' Ethics. It lifted the bans on the use of commercial information by persons performing the profession of attorney. Under it, attorneys can legally promote their services via the Internet, refer to cases handled by their offices, place opinions of satisfied clients on websites (with consent), and disclose their rates of remuneration.
Signing the speech
Should lawyers advertise?
There are many ways in which attorneys can effectively and, above all, safely promote their services in accordance with applicable law, without violating the rules of professional ethics. So how do you promote legal services and reach your potential clients? One of the most effective solutions is online marketing .
As part of internet marketing, we can use tools such as:
Positioning of the law firm's website ,
Creating a business card for your law firm on Google,
Google Ads ,
Running a blog with substantive content,
Creating and regularly maintaining a profile on Linkedin,
Maintaining social media profiles and providing legal information - Instagram and even TikTok,
Running your own podcast and/or YouTube channel,
Running a dedicated Facebook group and posting educational content.
You might be interested in this article: Google Maps Business Cards - Statistics. See the benefits of a Google profile!
Legal Advisers - Law Firm Advertising
Since January 2023, changes to the Code of Ethics for Legal Advisers, which were adopted in July 2022, have come into force and introduced regulations regarding information about the practice of the profession. Legal advisers, with the entry into force of the act, may conduct marketing communication aimed at promoting their image, services cash app database or law firm. However, all information should be published with care for the content, i.e. it cannot be false and mislead the recipient. The method of communication is also important, we are talking here about an intrusive way of directing promotions to people who are not interested in obtaining legal assistance.
Information content related to the practice of the profession by a legal adviser:
should not contain signs of unfair competition, i.e. act to its detriment,
cannot contain evaluative phrases such as: the best, most experienced, most effective, etc.
must be free of any assuring declarations that speak of achieving a specific result in the case.
Examples of content that is inconsistent with the Code of Ethics for Legal Advisers
Our law firm is the best in the area!
We are reliable. With us you will win every case!
What about the notary office?
A notary, as a person performing a profession of public trust, is obliged to conduct notarial work in an appropriate manner, therefore any unauthorized actions or irregularities may be punished. Notaries are subject to a total ban on personal advertising, which is treated as an act of unfair competition, this also applies to artificial positioning of the website.
However, there are ways to legally achieve better visibility on the Internet and higher positions in search results. First, the owner of a notary office can have his or her own website as part of his or her professional activity. The appearance and content that notaries can post on websites are strictly defined by the Code of Professional Ethics of the Notary. It should contain only the necessary information that is needed by clients interested in the services of the office.
The law also does not prohibit running an informational business card on Google. Thanks to good optimization, it allows you to achieve high positions and becomes another channel for reaching potential customers on the local market.
You may be interested in: How to create a business card on Google Maps
How can a lawyer use commercial information?
Thanks to the resolution of the Supreme Bar Council, which was adopted on May 26, 2023, key changes have been made to the Code of Ethics for Advocates:
the total ban on advertising legal aid has been lifted,
restrictions on the content included in commercial information have been introduced.
These changes have given lawyers the opportunity to promote their professional activities, but members of the bar must remember that they are prohibited from using commercial information:
offending the dignity of other people,
violating the principle of camaraderie and loyalty,
violating attorney-client privilege,
compromising the independence of a lawyer,
comparative, unfair, untrue, deceptive, inappropriate or intrusive,
containing evaluative and misleading content,
creating a sense of unjustified expectation regarding the results of the legal assistance provided,
referring to feelings or emotions,
abusing trust, lack of knowledge or experience of the recipient,
containing shameful content that violates ethical principles,
placed in an inappropriate or inappropriate place.
The lifting of the ban on attorney advertising does not give attorneys complete freedom to promote their services. Nevertheless, it is a significant change in the context of attorney activity and efficient reaching of principals interested in using comprehensive legal services.
Until recently, attorneys were not allowed to advertise their legal services in order to reach potential clients. Paragraph 23 of the Code of Advocate Ethics and Dignity of the Profession (Advocate Ethics Code) stated that: "An attorney is prohibited from using advertising, as well as from acquiring clients in a manner contrary to the dignity of the profession and from cooperating with entities acquiring clients in violation of the law or the principles of social coexistence." [Collection of Principles of Advocate Ethics and Dignity of the Profession]
The resolution adopted in May 2023 changed the rules contained in the Code of Advocates' Ethics. It lifted the bans on the use of commercial information by persons performing the profession of attorney. Under it, attorneys can legally promote their services via the Internet, refer to cases handled by their offices, place opinions of satisfied clients on websites (with consent), and disclose their rates of remuneration.
Signing the speech
Should lawyers advertise?
There are many ways in which attorneys can effectively and, above all, safely promote their services in accordance with applicable law, without violating the rules of professional ethics. So how do you promote legal services and reach your potential clients? One of the most effective solutions is online marketing .
As part of internet marketing, we can use tools such as:
Positioning of the law firm's website ,
Creating a business card for your law firm on Google,
Google Ads ,
Running a blog with substantive content,
Creating and regularly maintaining a profile on Linkedin,
Maintaining social media profiles and providing legal information - Instagram and even TikTok,
Running your own podcast and/or YouTube channel,
Running a dedicated Facebook group and posting educational content.
You might be interested in this article: Google Maps Business Cards - Statistics. See the benefits of a Google profile!
Legal Advisers - Law Firm Advertising
Since January 2023, changes to the Code of Ethics for Legal Advisers, which were adopted in July 2022, have come into force and introduced regulations regarding information about the practice of the profession. Legal advisers, with the entry into force of the act, may conduct marketing communication aimed at promoting their image, services cash app database or law firm. However, all information should be published with care for the content, i.e. it cannot be false and mislead the recipient. The method of communication is also important, we are talking here about an intrusive way of directing promotions to people who are not interested in obtaining legal assistance.
Information content related to the practice of the profession by a legal adviser:
should not contain signs of unfair competition, i.e. act to its detriment,
cannot contain evaluative phrases such as: the best, most experienced, most effective, etc.
must be free of any assuring declarations that speak of achieving a specific result in the case.
Examples of content that is inconsistent with the Code of Ethics for Legal Advisers
Our law firm is the best in the area!
We are reliable. With us you will win every case!
What about the notary office?
A notary, as a person performing a profession of public trust, is obliged to conduct notarial work in an appropriate manner, therefore any unauthorized actions or irregularities may be punished. Notaries are subject to a total ban on personal advertising, which is treated as an act of unfair competition, this also applies to artificial positioning of the website.
However, there are ways to legally achieve better visibility on the Internet and higher positions in search results. First, the owner of a notary office can have his or her own website as part of his or her professional activity. The appearance and content that notaries can post on websites are strictly defined by the Code of Professional Ethics of the Notary. It should contain only the necessary information that is needed by clients interested in the services of the office.
The law also does not prohibit running an informational business card on Google. Thanks to good optimization, it allows you to achieve high positions and becomes another channel for reaching potential customers on the local market.
You may be interested in: How to create a business card on Google Maps
How can a lawyer use commercial information?
Thanks to the resolution of the Supreme Bar Council, which was adopted on May 26, 2023, key changes have been made to the Code of Ethics for Advocates:
the total ban on advertising legal aid has been lifted,
restrictions on the content included in commercial information have been introduced.
These changes have given lawyers the opportunity to promote their professional activities, but members of the bar must remember that they are prohibited from using commercial information:
offending the dignity of other people,
violating the principle of camaraderie and loyalty,
violating attorney-client privilege,
compromising the independence of a lawyer,
comparative, unfair, untrue, deceptive, inappropriate or intrusive,
containing evaluative and misleading content,
creating a sense of unjustified expectation regarding the results of the legal assistance provided,
referring to feelings or emotions,
abusing trust, lack of knowledge or experience of the recipient,
containing shameful content that violates ethical principles,
placed in an inappropriate or inappropriate place.
The lifting of the ban on attorney advertising does not give attorneys complete freedom to promote their services. Nevertheless, it is a significant change in the context of attorney activity and efficient reaching of principals interested in using comprehensive legal services.