Advertising rules for lawyers and accountants in Ontario, in plain English.

The advertising rules for lawyers in Ontario come from the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), and accountants follow CPA Ontario's Code of Professional Conduct. Both apply to far more than paid ads. Your website, your Google Business Profile, your firm name and your social posts are all marketing.

In short: lawyers and paralegals can market their services as long as the marketing is demonstrably true, accurate and verifiable, isn't misleading, and is consistent with a high standard of professionalism. Lawyers can't use the word "specialist" unless certified by the LSO. CPAs can't make claims they can't back up or claim to be better than other CPAs.

What counts as marketing

The LSO's rule says "marketing" includes advertisements and similar communications in any media, plus firm names (including trade names), letterhead, business cards and logos. The LSO's own guide to opening a practice lists websites and other internet advertising in the same breath.

So if it's public and promotes your practice, assume the rules apply. That includes your Google Business Profile and anything a marketer posts for you.

The rules for Ontario lawyers (Rule 4.2)

The core test is in Rule 4.2-1. Marketing has to be demonstrably true, accurate and verifiable, not misleading, confusing or deceptive, and in the best interests of the public. The commentary gives examples.

Things that may break the rule

• Past results. Stating an amount you recovered or your success rate, unless it comes with a statement that past results don't predict future results and that outcomes vary with the facts of each case.
• Suggesting you're better than other lawyers.
• Raising expectations or suggesting you're aggressive. So "aggressive representation" is risky.
• Testimonials or endorsements with emotional appeals.

Things that do break the rule

• Marketing services you can't currently provide to the standard of a competent lawyer.
• "Bait and switch" offers, where the price or terms advertised aren't what clients who respond actually get.
• Not clearly disclosing that you refer clients to other licensees for a fee.
• Not saying whether the services will be provided by lawyers, paralegals or both.
• Awards, rankings and endorsements that aren't genuine.

Two more simple ones: every piece of marketing has to identify that you're licensed as a lawyer (Rule 4.2-1.1), and marketing "second opinion" services is prohibited outright (Rule 4.2-1.2).

Awards, "best" and "#1"

This catches a lot of firms. The LSO says "awards" and "rankings" should be read broadly and include superlative titles like "best", "super" and "#1". An award breaks the rule if it doesn't genuinely reflect your work, isn't the result of a reasonable evaluation, or was given partly because you paid a fee.

So the "Best Lawyer in Halton 2026" badge that arrived with an invoice is a problem. Honours for genuine professional or civic service, like recognition from the Law Society or a government, are fine. The LSO also says to take particular care with awards in mass advertising like billboards, buses and internet ads.

"Specialist" and practice area wording

Rule 4.3-1 is short: a lawyer can't advertise as a specialist in a field unless the LSO has certified them. You also can't use any designation that would make someone reasonably think you're a Certified Specialist.

What you can do is list your practice areas, say your practice is restricted to one area, and describe your experience or proficiency, as long as it's accurate and demonstrably true. "Our practice is limited to family law" is fine. "Family law specialists" is not, unless it's true in the certified sense.

Advertising your fees

You can advertise fees if the ad is reasonably precise about what each fee covers, says whether disbursements, third-party charges and taxes are extra, and you stick to the advertised fee in every applicable case.

Residential real estate prices have stricter, all-inclusive rules. The LSO says a price shown on a website (even one only given in reply to a web form) counts as price advertising.

If you advertise on a contingency fee basis, the rules point you to the contingency fee requirements in Rule 3.6. Check those before your "no win, no fee" landing page goes live.

Paralegals have their own version

Licensed paralegals follow the Paralegal Rules of Conduct. Rule 8.03 uses the same test (demonstrably true, accurate and verifiable), the same fee advertising conditions, the same ban on second opinion marketing, and requires all marketing to identify that you're licensed as a paralegal. Rule 8.02 adds that you can't advertise services beyond a paralegal's permitted scope.

Rules for accountants: CPA Ontario Rule 217

CPA Ontario's advertising rule is Rule 217 of the CPA Code of Professional Conduct, in effect since February 26, 2016. CPAs can advertise, but not in a way that's false or misleading, can't be substantiated, reflects badly on other members, or brings the profession into disrepute.

You can read it in the CPA Ontario Code of Professional Conduct (PDF).

The guidance is very specific about websites, and a few examples are worth checking against yours:

• Don't look bigger than you are. Implying the practice is larger than it is, including through plural descriptions, is listed as misleading. A sole practitioner's "our team of experts" page is the classic example.
• No out-of-date info, and no services you can't currently provide.
• No false expectations about the results of an engagement.
• Fee wording. "From $X" pricing is misleading if it isn't representative of what you normally charge. An hourly rate needs a reasonable description of what's included, and a fee that depends on buying other services has to say so.
• No claims of superiority over other CPAs.
• "Specialist" needs backing up. The guidance expects things like peer or client recognition or a credential, a significant share of your time in that area over a sustained period, and ongoing professional development.

Rule 217 also makes you responsible for agents you hire, like a PR or marketing firm. And solicitation can't be persistent, coercive or harassing, so cold emails and LinkedIn messages should stop the moment someone asks.

What about Google reviews?

Here's the big difference from health professionals. The LSO's practice guide lists "asking clients to post reviews of your services online" as a low-cost marketing method. Regulated therapists can't ask at all (see marketing within CRPO rules), and Rule 217 has no specific testimonial ban.

Two cautions. Once you put a review on your website or in an ad, it's part of your marketing and has to meet the rules (lawyers should watch for emotional appeals and raised expectations). And LSO Rule 3.3-1 says lawyers must hold all information about a client's affairs in strict confidence, a duty that continues after the retainer ends.

That means a reply should never confirm someone was a client or discuss their matter. A short, polite reply that invites them to call the office is the safe default. Our online reputation management work is built around replies like that, and our guide to getting more Google reviews covers the asking part.

Other regulated professions

Every regulator has its own version. Real estate agents, for example, should check the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO), which publishes its own advertising bulletins, including one on advertising online.

What works instead of hype

The rules push you toward marketing that tends to work anyway: clear and specific.

• One page per practice area or service. "Wills and powers of attorney Oakville" or "corporate tax returns Milton" each deserve their own page. That's the core of our SEO work for firms.
• Plain, accurate bios. Year of call or designation, practice areas, experience, languages. No adjectives you can't prove.
• Honest fee pages. Flat fees with what's included and what's extra are allowed and people love them.
• A complete Google Business Profile. Right category, accurate services, real photos. If yours isn't showing, start with why your Google Business Profile isn't showing up.

A quick audit of your firm's marketing

• No "best", "top", "#1" or "leading" unless it's a genuine, unpaid, properly evaluated award
• No "specialist" unless you're an LSO Certified Specialist (lawyers) or can substantiate it (CPAs)
• Licence type stated on all marketing (lawyer or paralegal)
• Past results carry the required disclaimer, or come down
• Fee pages say what's included and whether disbursements and HST are extra
• "From $X" prices reflect what you normally charge
• Team page matches the actual size of the practice
• Review replies never confirm someone was a client
• Anything your marketer publishes is checked against the rules first