Guide
Attorney Advertising Rules for Law Firm Websites
· Last verified
Every rule below comes back to one test: can you prove it? In Ontario, New York and most US states, a law firm’s marketing has to be true and not misleading, and the whole website counts as marketing.
What differs is the detail: which titles are reserved, when results need a disclaimer, and what a page must say about who you are. This guide sets those rules side by side for Ontario, New York and the rest of the US.
Last verified October 2, 2026. General information, not legal advice. Rules change; have your ethics counsel review your site.
What are attorney advertising rules?
Attorney advertising rules are the professional-conduct rules that govern how lawyers market their services. They cover websites, lawyer bios, directory profiles, social posts, email and paid ads. In Ontario they include the firm name and logo.
Three principles run through all of them:
– Claims must be demonstrably true.
– Results must not create unjustified expectations.
– A lawyer can’t imply a certification they don’t hold.
In Ontario the rules are Chapter 4 of the Law Society of Ontario’s Rules of Professional Conduct. In the US, most states adapt the American Bar Association’s Model Rules 7.1 to 7.3. New York rewrote its version on June 1, 2026, bringing it much closer to the ABA model.
The rules, jurisdiction by jurisdiction
Ontario: Law Society of Ontario, Chapter 4
| Rule | What it says | On your website |
|---|---|---|
| 4.2-0 | Marketing includes ads and “firm names (including trade names), letterhead, business cards and logos” | The whole site, the domain name and the logo count as marketing. |
| 4.2-1 | Marketing must be “demonstrably true, accurate and verifiable” | Keep evidence on file for every factual claim: years, matters, awards. |
| 4.2-1, commentary 2 | Results may need “a further statement that past results are not necessarily indicative of future results” | Put that statement next to any recovery, verdict or success rate. |
| 4.2-1, commentary 2 | Marketing “suggesting qualitative superiority to other lawyers” may breach the rule | Avoid “the best,” “aggressive,” “we win,” and comparisons with other firms. |
| 4.2-1, commentary 3 | Marketing must state whether services are provided “by licensed lawyers, by licensed paralegals or both” | Say who delivers the work. |
| 4.2-1, commentary [5] | Superlatives such as “best”, “super” and “#1” count as awards or rankings | Show only genuine, merit-based recognition, with the source and year. No pay-to-play badges. |
| 4.2-1.1 | Marketing must “specifically identify … that they are licensed as a lawyer” | “Lawyer” or “Barrister & Solicitor” in bios and the footer. |
| 4.2-1.2 | “The marketing of second opinion services is prohibited” | No “free second opinion” pages or buttons. |
| 4.2-2 | Fee ads must state “whether … disbursements, third-party charges and taxes will be charged in addition” | Define what each advertised fee covers, and say whether disbursements and HST are extra. |
| 4.2-2.1 | Residential real-estate prices must be all-inclusive (except HST and listed items) | Real-estate fee pages show an all-in price. |
| 4.3-1 | No advertising as “a specialist … unless … certified by the Law Society” | “Specialist” is for LSO Certified Specialists only. “Expert” is risky too (commentary [2]). |
| LSO v. Rothman, 2021 ONLSTA 13 | The verb “specialize” is allowed if accurate | “We specialize in real estate law” is fine if true. “Real estate specialist” isn’t, unless certified. |
New York: Rule 7.1 as amended June 1, 2026
| Rule | What it says | On your website |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1(a) | No “false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services” | Truthfulness is the test for every page. |
| 7.1(c) | No stating or implying certification as a specialist unless certified by an approved body, “clearly identified” | Name the certifier next to any “certified” claim. |
| 7.1, comment [7] | Lawyers may say they “concentrate in” or are a “specialist” if not misleading | Since June 2026, “We specialize in…” is fine in New York if true. |
| 7.1(d) | Communications must include “the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible” | Show the responsible lawyer or firm with a phone number or office address (a footer is fine). |
| 7.1, comment [3] | A disclaimer “may preclude a finding” that a statement misleads | “Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome” is now good practice, not a requirement. |
Other US states: ABA Model Rules 7.1–7.3
| Rule | What it says | On your website |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | No “false or misleading communication” | Every page, bio and result, read as a whole. |
| 7.1, comment [3] | Results can mislead if they “lead a reasonable person to form an unjustified expectation” | Give results context and a disclaimer. No unprovable comparisons. |
| 7.2(b) | No giving “anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer’s services” | Paid reviews and “recommended by” deals are out. Paying ad platforms and web designers is fine (comment [3]). |
| 7.2(c) | No claiming certification as a specialist unless certified by an accredited body, named clearly | Name the certifier. |
| 7.2(d) | Include “the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible” | The responsible lawyer or firm, and contact details. |
| 7.3, comments [1]–[2] | A website isn’t solicitation. “Live person-to-person contact” excludes “chat rooms, text messages or other written communications” | A typed live-chat widget isn’t prohibited contact. Its content still has to meet 7.1. |
States adapt the ABA model differently. Check your state bar’s version.
What New York dropped on June 1, 2026
| Old requirement | Now |
|---|---|
| “Attorney Advertising” on the home page | Removed |
| Mandatory “Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome” | Optional, but advisable |
| Keeping copies of the website at launch, at changes and at least every 90 days | Removed |
| Detailed testimonial rules | Governed only by the false-or-misleading test |
| Rule 7.4 ban on uncertified “specialist” | Rule 7.4 reserved; “specialist” allowed if accurate |
Sources: NYSBA, Rules of Professional Conduct as amended through July 1, 2026; NYSBA, “Amendments Adopted to Advertising Rules,” Sept 1, 2026.
A checklist for your website
Every page
– Every factual claim has evidence on file.
– The responsible lawyer or firm is named, with a phone number or address (New York, ABA).
– (Ontario) The site says services are provided by lawyers, paralegals or both.
Lawyer bios
– (Ontario) “Specialist” appears only for LSO Certified Specialists. “Expert” is avoided.
– (Everywhere) Any “certified” claim names the certifying body.
– (Ontario) Each bio identifies the person as a lawyer.
Awards and rankings
– Each one is genuine and merit-based, with the source and year shown.
– No paid badges or “recommended by” arrangements.
Results and testimonials
– Results carry a past-results statement and enough context not to mislead.
– Testimonials are factual, not emotional appeals (Ontario).
Fees
– (Ontario) Advertised fees say what’s included and whether disbursements and taxes are extra.
– (Ontario) Residential real-estate prices are all-inclusive.
Calls to action and chat
– (Ontario) No “second opinion” offer.
– Live chat content meets the same truthfulness standard as the site.
How we build to it
We design and build law firm websites with these rules in the brief from the first draft. Every claim traces to evidence on file. Bios come from interviews, reserved terms stay out, and your ethics counsel reviews one clean draft instead of rewriting it.
Questions
Can a lawyer say they “specialize” in an area?
In Ontario, yes, if it’s accurate: the Law Society Tribunal allowed the verb in LSO v. Rothman (2021). Calling yourself a “specialist” is reserved for LSO Certified Specialists. In New York, since June 1, 2026, “specialist” is also allowed if it isn’t misleading. Only certification claims need a named certifier.
Does a law firm website still need “Attorney Advertising” in New York?
Not since the June 1, 2026 amendments, which removed the label requirement along with the mandatory results disclaimer and the website-retention rule. Requirements vary by state, so check yours.
Does live chat on a law firm website count as solicitation?
Under the ABA Model Rules, no. A website isn’t solicitation, and typed chat is excluded from “live person-to-person contact.” What the chat says still has to be true and not misleading.
Do past results need a disclaimer?
In Ontario, the Law Society commentary expects a statement that past results are not necessarily indicative of future results wherever recoveries or success rates are quoted. In New York and under the ABA model, a disclaimer is optional but helps.
General information, not legal advice. Rules change; have your ethics counsel review your site. Last verified October 2, 2026.