Florida Bar okays testimonials on law firm websites

Only took them four years of debate, but the Florida Bar Association has authorized the use of client testimonials on a law firm website.

Pending approval by the Bar’s Board of Governors and the Florida Supreme Court, Jordana Mishory of the Daily Business Review reports “…[T]he inside pages of law firm Web sites — but not the home page — could include testimonials, references to past results and statements characterizing the quality of the services, as long as the statements are truthful, not misleading and come with disclaimers. The disclaimers must say that past results do not guarantee a future success.” And “unlike other forms of media, Web sites would not have to be submitted for the Bar’s approval.

The updated rules were passed upon recognition that the Internet has become the go-to research tool for today’s consumers. Instead of turning to the Yellow Pages, the public turns to search engines and other Internet tools to find lawyers. Dennis Kainen, a Miami criminal defense attorney and a Bar governor said “Consumers surfing the Web are hungry for more information than what is provided in a newspaper ad. The person doing a Google search is seeking a particular type of attorney in a particular field in a particular [geographical] area. The consumer is looking for testimonials and looking for the experience of a lawyer.”

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