Florida Attorney Advertising Rule Amendments Approved by Florida Supreme Court

The Florida Supreme Court on November 2, 2006 adopted amendments to the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar based on recommendations of the Florida Bar Advertising Task Force 2004. These advertising amendments become effective on January 1, 2007.

The Florida Bar adopted the majority of the Advertising Task Force recommendations, with the exception of proposals dealing with: 1) attorney website regulation; and 2) the review of television and radio advertisements.

Generally, the amendments relate to the following Advertising Rules:
Rule 4-7.1, General
Rule 4-7.2, Communications Concerning a Lawyer's Services
Rule 4-7.3, Advertisements in the Public Print Media
Rule 4-7.4, Direct Contact with Prospective Clients
Rule 4-7.5, Advertisements in the Electronic Media other than Computer-Accessed Communications
Rule 4-7.6, Computer-Accessed Communications
Rule 4-7.7, Evaluation of Advertisements
Rule 4-7.8, Exemptions
Rule 4-7.9, Information about a Lawyer's Services Provided Upon Request
Rule 4-7.10, Firm Names and Letterhead

Subsequent posts will explore details of the changes in Florida's attorney advertising guidelines in more detail.