Law firm websites and professional ethics: what are you allowed to say under the advertising rules?

Yes, as a lawyer you may advertise your firm, including online. The code of ethics of the Flemish Bar Association (OVB) permits publicity as long as it is honest, non-misleading and dignified, and does not breach any legal rule. What is not allowed: misleading people, comparing yourself with another lawyer, or actively soliciting clients. This article sets out the law firm website rules that decide what your site may and may not say, and how you still convince visitors to convert into contact requests within those boundaries.

Can a lawyer advertise on their website?

Yes. Publicity is allowed in principle, provided it does not conflict with the ethical rules. The OVB lays them down in the Code of Ethics for Lawyers, and the underlying tone is clear: your publicity must be honest and accurate, it must not mislead, and it must not damage the honour of the Bar or the dignity of the profession.

In practice, that means a professional, well-maintained website is perfectly acceptable. So is a blog, a newsletter, opinion pieces, taking part in legal events and a well-kept social media profile. These are all legitimate ways to be visible and build authority. The question is therefore not whether you are allowed to have a strong website, but how you fill it without crossing the ethical line.

Important: you are responsible for what appears on your website. You cannot hide behind a web agency or a supplier that phrased something badly. Whoever builds your site, the final check stays with you.

What is not allowed on a law firm website?

Three things are clearly forbidden: misleading advertising, comparative advertising and actively soliciting clients.

• Misleading advertising. You may not create a false impression about your services, experience or results. The Act of 2 August 2002 on misleading and comparative advertising also applies to the liberal professions, so this is not an optional guideline.
• Comparative advertising. You may not set yourself against another lawyer or another firm to look better. Claims along the lines of “faster than” or “cheaper than the competition” do not belong on your site.
• Active soliciting. Approaching clients in an unsolicited, aggressive way or “reeling them in” is not allowed. Your website may invite, it may not push.

On top of that there is a sensitive point: showing off won cases. You may not display results achieved, success rates, numbers of files handled or revenue figures. That clashes not only with the advertising rules but also with your professional secrecy, because a concrete case points to a concrete client. A page full of “97% of cases won” is therefore exactly what you do not do.

Finally, simply calling yourself a “specialist” or “specialised” is delicate as long as it is not a recognised title. What does work are your preferred practice areas: the fields of law you have registered with your Bar and in which you mainly work. They give an honest and accurate picture of what you do, without claiming a title you do not hold.

So how do you build trust without showing results?

By focusing on the right signals. If you cannot show figures and success rates, trust becomes your most important conversion lever, and you build that in other ways.

What is allowed and works well:

• A genuine introduction to the people. Photo, name, Bar, year of admission, education and your preferred practice areas. Clients choose a lawyer, not a logo. An honest team page does a lot.
• Substantive authority. Clear explanations of the kind of files you handle, blog articles that answer a legal question, opinion pieces. That is how you show your expertise without claiming it.
• Clarity about the process. Explain how a first meeting works, what a client can expect and how you handle fees. Transparency about your approach creates trust exactly where results claims are off limits.
• Reassuring details. Availability, languages, location, Bar membership. Small, verifiable facts that build credibility.

This is precisely the terrain where a B2B website makes the difference. We have written at length before about how to build trust with your website and how a B2B website effectively generates leads without going over the top. For a lawyer, those principles apply even more strongly, because the content has to stay sober and accurate by definition.

How do you convert within the ethical boundaries?

With a low barrier, clear language and an honest invitation to get in touch, not with sales tricks. For a law firm, conversion rarely means a direct “buy now”, but rather: the right visitor takes the step towards a first meeting.

A few concrete choices that fit within the rules and still work:

• Make the next step crystal clear. One clear action per page, for example an appointment for a first consultation. Our guide with call-to-action examples shows how to phrase that without applying pressure.
• Optimise your contact page. This is often the most important page on a firm’s site. In our piece on optimising the contact page you can read how to remove doubt and lower the barrier.
• Write honestly and humanly. No superlatives, just clear language that explains what you do for the client. Our approach to conversion copywriting starts from truth and relevance anyway, which lines up seamlessly with what the ethical rules demand.

The underlying logic is always the same as in our broader guide to having a B2B website built: steer on leads and trust, not on hollow claims. For a lawyer that is not a restriction but an advantage, because sober credibility is exactly what a potential client is looking for.

What about fees and rates on your website?

You may be transparent about your fees, and that is often an asset in itself. Nothing forbids you from saying something about your rates or how you calculate them, as long as you do not mislead. An honest explanation, for example that you work with an hourly rate, a fixed fee or a combination, and that you give an estimate in a first meeting, takes away uncertainty for the visitor.

What you avoid: teasers that create the wrong expectation, or amounts that never hold up in practice. As a lawyer you set your fees yourself and independently, and that should come across too. A clear, accurate paragraph about how you handle costs does more for your conversion than a vague “request a free quote”.

The short summary

As a lawyer you may have a strong, conversion-focused website. Publicity is allowed as long as it is honest, non-misleading and dignified. What is not allowed: misleading people, comparing yourself with other lawyers, actively soliciting clients and showing off results or success rates. Within those limits you do not convert with big claims but with trust: real people, clear preferred practice areas, transparency about your approach and your fees, and a low barrier to getting in touch. Build your site on those principles and you stay fully compliant with the ethical rules while still bringing in leads. Not sure whether a phrase passes muster? Always check it yourself, because the final responsibility stays with you.

Want a law firm website that convinces and converts while respecting professional ethics? Take a look at our approach to having your website built or plan your free intake.