Lawyer Advertising Rules-A-Changing
Posted on July 3rd, 2008 at 9:31 am by admin
Tip! Irregular work hours may be the norm: Lawyers quite often have irregular work schedules and even work for several hours in discussing with clients or preparing the briefs of the case during non office hours.

LAWYER ADVERTISING IN NEW YORK IS ABOUT TO CHANGE

Starting this fall, you no longer have to worry about seeing cheesy ads on television or in print from celebrities hawking lawyers and law firms in New York. It’s true. The advertising rules for lawyers are changing. No more Bill Shattner (from Star Trek) telling you how great a particular law firm is. No more photos of lawyers standing in front of a courthouse, or even inside a courtroom. Our rule-makers (and many lawyers) felt that many ads were simply degrading to the legal profession. (You think?)

Also banned are computer pop-ups, misleading testimonials and catchy nicknames that lawyers have used, like “The Hammer” or “Pit Bull.” Let me ask you a question. When you see an ad like that, do you really want to rush out and call someone because you saw a pop-up ad on your computer? Do your fingers rush to the phone to start dialing a lawyer because he tells you how quickly he can get you cash for your injuries? When you see an ad with a wrecked car and a person in a wheelchair, smiling, holding up a cardboard check with lots of zeros on it- does it make you want to throw up, or does it make you rush to the phone and call that lawyer?

Tip! Read the fine print, and know your lawyer’s case history. Once you are nearing your decision and narrowing down potential candidates, take your research to a new level.

I’ve written many articles on lawyer advertising, and recently wrote about why you won’t find a medical malpractice lawyer in the Yellow Pages. The reason is exactly why the advertising rules in New York are changing for lawyers. The ads are disgusting, and totally uninformative.

All lawyer ads say the same thing-FREE CONSULTATION

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