Advertising rules

Lawyer advertising rules for Google Ads, state by state.

What the bar rules say about search ads and the pages behind them, in the states we work in first, and which ways of paying for marketing they allow. Read from the rules and the bars' own pages in September 2026.

We are not lawyers and this is not legal advice. The rules bind you, not your agency. Read your state's rules, and call its ethics hotline when in doubt.

How you may pay for marketing.

The question behind every lead seller and every “performance” agency.

A share of your legal fee

Generally forbidden

Fee sharing with a non-lawyer (Model Rule 5.4(a); NYSBA Op. 1271; ISBA Op. 06-02).

A price per signed client

Forbidden where ruled on

Treated as paying for a referral, not for a lead (NJ ACPE Op. 741, 2021).

A price per lead

Depends on the state

Allowed in some states if the price does not depend on whether the lead hires you, and the seller does not recommend you (Model Rule 7.2, comment 5; NYSBA Op. 1131). In Colorado, buying information about potential clients became a deceptive trade practice in 2026.

A flat fee for marketing work

Allowed

Paying the reasonable costs of advertising and the vendors who do it (Model Rule 7.2(b)(1), comment 3). This is how we charge.

The rules, by state.

Every state

No false or misleading communication about your services. A true result can still mislead if it suggests the same result for the next client without regard to the facts (Model Rule 7.1 and comment).
Every ad names at least one lawyer or firm responsible for its content, with contact information (Model Rule 7.2(d)).
“Certified specialist” only with a certifying body that is approved or ABA-accredited, and named in the ad (Model Rule 7.2(c)).
An ad shown in response to a search is advertising, not solicitation (Model Rule 7.3, comment 1).
You answer for the marketing vendors you hire (Model Rule 5.3; ABA Formal Opinion 501, 2022). Their mistakes in your ads are yours.

Sources:Model Rule 7.2 Model Rule 7.3, comment ABA Formal Opinion 501

Texas

Each ad names a lawyer responsible for it and the lawyer's primary practice location (Rule 7.02(a)).
Ads that are not exempt are filed with the Advertising Review Committee no later than ten days after first use, with the application and a $100 fee (Rule 7.04(a)). No waiting period before launch.
Exempt: a website's pages other than the homepage (Rule 7.05(b)), and ads limited to listed basics such as names, contact details, practice areas and fees for an initial consultation (Rule 7.05(i)).
An ad that should have been filed and was not can cost a $250 fine plus the review fee.

Sources:State Bar of Texas, Advertising Review Advertising rules (PDF)

Florida

Internet ads, except the firm's own website, are filed at least 20 days before first use, unless they stay within the safe-harbor content of Rule 4-7.16. $250 per ad on time, $750 late.
Search ads are the hard case: one responsive search ad can produce more than 65,000 combinations of headlines and descriptions. The Bar has asked the Florida Supreme Court to exempt some sponsored search results (case SC2025-1178); check the current status before you rely on it.
Every ad, filed or not, names a lawyer or firm responsible and the city of a bona fide office (Rule 4-7.12(a)).
“Specialist” or “expert” only with board certification or objectively verifiable expertise (Rule 4-7.14(a)(4)).
A fee in an ad sits next to who pays costs, and an advertised fee holds for 90 days unless the ad says otherwise (Rule 4-7.14(a)(7)).
Disclosures are clear, not fine print, and in the language of the ad. A filed Spanish ad needs an English translation (Rule 4-7.12(c), (d)).

Sources:Filing requirements Advertising FAQ Florida Bar News on search ads, May 2025

California

Since 1 January 2026 (SB 37), every ad shows the name of a California-licensed lawyer or the firm, and the city of a bona fide office.
No guarantees of outcome, no “immediate cash” claims, and “contingent fee” only with who carries the costs if nothing is recovered.
No awards or badges that come with a membership or a payment.
A misled consumer can sue for $5,000 to $100,000 per ad. The liability sits with the lawyer, not the agency that wrote the ad.

Sources:SB 37 (2025)

Colorado

SB 26-174 (signed June 2026) makes paying a third party for information about a potential client or case a deceptive trade practice, for the buyer and the seller.
Legal marketing is allowed for a Colorado-licensed lawyer, or on behalf of one who is clearly identified in every ad. A page that collects inquiries under a neutral brand is out.

Sources:SB 26-174

New York

“Attorney Advertising” on ads where the rule requires it; on a website, on the homepage.
Past results and testimonials carry “Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.”
Copies of ads are kept: three years in general, one year for computer-accessed ads, and a snapshot of the website at least every 90 days.
Whether a Google text ad itself needs the label is not settled in the sources we read. Ask before you rely on either answer.

Sources:22 NYCRR 1200, Rule 7.1

New Jersey

Bidding on another firm's name is allowed. Since the Supreme Court's decision on Opinion 735 (2025), the landing page of such a campaign carries a set disclaimer that the ad was paid and who it is from.

Sources:Opinion 735 supplement, Dec 2025

What we do with this on your account.

Every ad and every page is drafted against your state's list, and you see it before it runs. We tell you what needs filing and by when, and keep every version with its dates. The filing and the final word stay with you.

We run ads: free teardown Not yet: free market check

Tell us about your firm.

We read before we speak, and reply within one business day with times for a 25-minute call with Matthis and Paul.