Rule 4-7.16 — Presumptively Valid Content

Rule Text (verbatim from The Florida Bar)

The following information in advertisements is presumed not
to violate the provisions of rules 4-7.11 through 4-7.15:
(a) Lawyers and Law Firms. A lawyer or law firm may
include the following information in advertisements and unsolicited
written communications:
(1) the name of the lawyer or law firm subject to the
requirements of this rule and rule 4-7.21, a listing of lawyers
associated with the firm, office locations and parking arrangements,
disability accommodations, telephone numbers, website addresses,
and electronic mail addresses, office and telephone service hours,
social media contact information including social media icons or
logos, and a designation such as “attorney” or “law firm”;
(2) date of admission to The Florida Bar and any other
bars, current membership or positions held in The Florida Bar or its
sections or committees or those of other state bars, former
membership or positions held in The Florida Bar or its sections or
committees with dates of membership or those of other state bars,
former positions of employment held in the legal profession with
dates the positions were held, years of experience practicing law,
number of lawyers in the advertising law firm, and a listing of
federal courts and jurisdictions other than Florida where the lawyer
is licensed to practice;
(3) technical and professional licenses granted by the
state or other recognized licensing authorities and educational
degrees received, including dates and institutions;
(4) military service, including branch and dates of
service;

(5) foreign language ability;
(6) fields of law in which the lawyer practices, including
official certification logos, subject to the requirements of this
subchapter regarding use of terms such as certified, specialist, and
expert;
(7) prepaid or group legal service plans in which the
lawyer participates;
(8) acceptance of credit cards;
(9) fee for initial consultation and fee schedule, subject
to the requirements of this subchapter regarding cost disclosures
and honoring advertised fees;
(10) common salutary language such as “best wishes,”
“good luck,” “happy holidays,” “pleased to announce,” or “proudly
serving your community”;
(11) punctuation marks and common typographical
marks;
(12) an illustration of the scales of justice not deceptively
similar to official certification logos or The Florida Bar logo, a gavel,
traditional renditions of Lady Justice, the Statue of Liberty, the
American flag, the American eagle, the State of Florida flag, an
unadorned set of law books, the inside or outside of a courthouse,
column(s), diploma(s), or a photograph of the lawyer or lawyers who
are members of, or employed by, the firm against a plain
background such as a plain unadorned office or a plain unadorned
set of law books.
(b) Lawyer Referral Services and Qualifying Providers. A
lawyer referral service or qualifying provider may advertise its
name, location, telephone number, the fee charged, its hours of
operation, the process by which referrals or matches are made, the
areas of law in which referrals or matches are offered, the
geographic area in which the lawyers practice to whom those
responding to the advertisement will be referred or matched. The
Florida Bar’s lawyer referral service or a lawyer referral service

approved by The Florida Bar under chapter 8 of the Rules
Regulating The Florida Bar also may advertise the logo of its
sponsoring bar association and its nonprofit status.