About solicitor advertising in Ireland

What is considered an ad?

As is detailed in the PDF document across, which you can download or scroll through; an “advertisement” means any communication (whether oral or in
written or other visual form and whether produced by electronic
or other means) which is intended to publicise or otherwise
promote a solicitor in relation to the solicitor's practice,
including:

(i) any brochure, notice, circular, leaflet, poster, placard
photograph, illustration, emblem, display, stationery
directory entry, article or statement for general
publication,

(ii) any electronic address or any information provided by the
solicitor that is accessible electronically,
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(iii) any audio or video recording, or

(iv) any presentation, lecture, seminar or interview,

which is so intended but excluding a communication which is
primarily intended to give information on the law.

Your practice's website

Your website is probably your most consistent and visible advertisement, it is essentially an around the clock salesperson looking to get you new customers.

Talk to us today and we will be able to build you an amazing website to do just this!

​​Limitations on solicitors' right to advertise

Subject to the Regulations, it shall be lawful for a solicitor to advertise. However, there are limitations on these rights, some of which are detailed below:

An advertisement intended to publicise or otherwise promote a solicitor in relation to the solicitor's practice shall be in such a form as shall not:

(i) be likely to bring the solicitors' profession into disrepute;
(ii) be in bad taste;
(iii) reflect unfavourably on other solicitors;
(iv) be false or misleading in any respect;
(v) be published in an inappropriate location;
(vi) expressly or impliedly solicit, encourage or offer any inducement to any person or group or class of persons to make claims for damages for personal injuries or to contact the solicitor concerned with a view to such claims being made; or
(vii) be contrary to public policy.

(b) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-clause (vi) of clause (a) of this Regulation, a solicitor may, where appropriate and save as otherwise provided in these Regulations, include the words “personal injuries” in any advertisement which contains factual information on the legal services provided by the solicitor and on any areas of law to which those services relate.

(c) For the avoidance of doubt, a reference in an advertisement published or caused to be published by a solicitor to his or her authorship of a publication on a legal topic shall be deemed to be factual information on the legal services provided by the solicitor and on any areas of law to which those services relate. 

​Advertisements in respect of contentious business/personal injuries

If, as a solicitor, you are using your website to attract personal injury work, you should give serious consideration to the following extract from the regulations:
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(a) An advertisement published or caused to be published by a solicitor, which contains a reference to “personal injuries” (to the extent permitted by section 71(4) (as inserted by section 4 of the Act of 2002) of the Act of 1954) or other contentious business as one or more of the legal services being provided by
the solicitor shall also include a clear reference to the prohibition (as provided for in section 68(2) of the Act of 1994) on a solicitor acting for a client in connection with any contentious business (not being in connection with proceedings seeking only to recover a debt or liquidated demand) on the basis that all or any part of the charges to the client are to be calculated as a specified percentage or proportion of any damages or other moneys that may be or may become payable to the client; and (for greater clarity of what such a reference to such prohibition might be where a listing of legal services being provided by a solicitor includes “personal injuries” or other contentious business) an asterisk (*) should be placed after the words “personal injuries” that would notate the presence of the following words that should be shown adjacent thereto: “(* Incontentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement)”.

(b) For the avoidance of doubt, the limitation on the use by a solicitor of the words “personal injuries” in an advertisement to the setting out in such advertisement of factual information on the legal services provided by the solicitor and on any area of law to which those services relate shall extend to the use of any other word or words that may be more specifically descriptive of categories of cases where claims for damages for personal injuries may arise such as “motor accidents”, “workplace accidents”, “public place accidents” or other words or phrases of a similar nature.
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(c) Without prejudice to the generality of Regulation 4, an advertisement published or caused to be published by a solicitor with a reference to “personal injuries” to the extent permitted by these Regulations and section 71(4) of the Act of 1954, or words or phrases of a similar nature as provided for in clause (b), shall not include words or phrases such as “no win no fee”, “no foal no fee”, “free first consultation”, or other words or phrases of a similar nature which could be construed as meaning that legal services involving claims for damages for personal injuries would be provided by the solicitor at no cost to the client.

Law Society of Ireland vetting service

The Law Society provide a handy advertisement vetting service. To avail of the service all you have to do is send your draft advertisement (or website) to advertisingregulations@lawsociety.ie or call Eamonn Maguire on (01) 879 8700 with any questions relating to solicitor advertising.

Be sure before you publish

Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure any advertisement/website you commission complies with all regulations and legislation governing your industry. We'll always advise you with respect to the best SEO and website design techniques to maximise traffic, but it is your responsibility to ensure your website doesn't fall foul of the Law Society's rules. 

The information on this page is offered as a guide only, and it was up-to-date at the time of publishing on 08/08/2020. For full, up-to-date information you should see the Law Society's website: LawSociety.ie (https://www.lawsociety.ie/Solicitors/Regulations/Solicitor-Advertising/)