The Florida Bar Ethics Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of legal ethics opinions issued by the The Florida Bar, with full citations and source links on every page.
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Can a Florida law firm rent office space to a nonlawyer arbitrator and list the arbitrator's name on the office door?
The opinion concluded that, although sharing office space with a nonlawyer is not to be encouraged, the firm may place the arbitrator's name on the office door so long as the listing is clearly separa…
Can a law firm join a downtown civic council that promotes the business district, and have its partners listed individually on the membership rolls?
The opinion concluded that a law firm may belong to a downtown council organized to promote civic interest in the downtown area, with the membership listed in the partners' individual names rather tha…
Can a firm add a new partner's name to the firm name while keeping a deceased partner's name in it?
The opinion concluded that adding a new name to a firm name that already includes a deceased partner's name is not necessarily improper, provided the deceased partner's name is properly retained under…
Can a law firm with offices in two cities use letterhead that lists all of the firm's lawyers and shows both office addresses?
The opinion concluded that a firm with active offices in two Florida cities may use stationery listing all of its lawyers and showing the addresses and telephone numbers of both offices, especially wh…
Can a lawyer print her name, address, and 'Attorney at Law' on the checks she uses in her law practice?
The opinion concluded that a lawyer may print her name, address, and the designation 'Attorney at Law' on checks used in her practice, where this is done simply to give useful identifying information …
Can a Florida lawyer list an out-of-state lawyer's name on the firm letterhead when they work together but are not partners?
The opinion concluded that it is improper to list an out-of-state lawyer's name on a Florida firm's letterhead when no partnership exists between them, even though they work jointly on many matters.
Can a firm keep a partner's name in the firm name after he becomes a judge, and may a long-deceased predecessor's name stay on the letterhead?
No to the judge: a partner who becomes a judge and is precluded from practice must be dropped from the firm name. A majority found the long-deceased predecessor's name could still be listed on the let…
Can a lawyer whose office is in a hotel use the hotel's address and telephone number for the law office?
Using the hotel's street address is not improper since the office is actually located there. Using the hotel's main telephone as the office line may be improper because business could be channeled to …
Can a lawyer write a letter on office letterhead endorsing a political candidate and inviting the candidate to publish it?
Yes, on these facts. The committee found no basis for discipline where a lawyer used office letterhead to endorse a candidate, but cautioned that the answer would differ if the letter was intended to …
Can a lawyer run a law office out of his home and list his home address and phone number on a business card?
Yes. The committee found no objection to a lawyer maintaining a law office in his home, using his home telephone for business, and listing his residence address and telephone number on a professional …
Can a lawyer sue a party represented by another lawyer who is listed 'of counsel' on the suing lawyer's letterhead?
No. The committee found it improper for a lawyer to bring an action against a party represented by an attorney who appears 'of counsel' on the suing lawyer's letterhead, where the two are actually ass…
May a Florida firm list on its letterhead out-of-state lawyers not yet admitted in Florida, noting they are not Florida members?
No (majority view). The committee concluded that under the Integration Rule prohibiting practice in Florida by out-of-state lawyers, listing an out-of-state lawyer not admitted in Florida on the firm …
May a Florida lawyer list on the firm letterhead the other states in which the lawyer is admitted to practice?
Yes. The committee concluded that, after the Florida Supreme Court's 1980 amendments to the advertising rules, a lawyer admitted to practice in Florida may indicate on the letterhead the other states …
Can a Florida lawyer state on an office sign, letterhead, or business card that he is also a registered real estate broker?
The opinion concluded that after the 1979 deletion of DR 2-102(E), a lawyer may indicate on a sign, letterhead, or business card that he is a registered real estate broker, though the committee cautio…
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Legal ethics opinions from the The Florida Bar interpret the rules of professional conduct for working lawyers, in response to inquiries from members and committees. They are not binding like court discipline decisions, but courts and discipline boards treat formal opinions as substantial guidance on how the rules apply. Every opinion above has a plain-English question and short answer, plus a link to the original source on the bar's site.