BC and Alberta rules
What are the BC and Alberta rules on lawyer marketing?
BC's Code 4.2-5 and its 2025 ethics advisory, Alberta's 2026 Code, and what each one does to a law firm's website, ads and reviews, plus Quebec's line on testimonials.
By Santiago Alvarez, Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
Both provinces start from the same idea: lawyer marketing must be true and checkable. BC says marketing must not be false, inaccurate, unverifiable or misleading (Code 4.2-5). Alberta uses Ontario's wording: "demonstrably true, accurate and verifiable" (Code 4.2-1).
The differences sit in the details. BC lets lawyers call their practice areas their "expertise"; Alberta tells lawyers to avoid even "specialize" and "expertise." BC's 2025 ethics advisory says praise like "great advice" in a testimonial can't be verified. Alberta bans advertising loans to clients. Neither province caps referral fees between lawyers, and BC caps personal injury contingency fees in its Law Society Rules. In Quebec, the Barreau tells lawyers not to solicit testimonials online at all.
This is a plain summary for marketing planning, not legal advice. Check the current rule with your bar or law society. We work with law firms across the US and Canada, and also in Australia and the UK.
Side by side
BC and Alberta agree on the principle and split on the wording.
Read across the row for the question you have. The rule numbers are from BC's annotated Code and Alberta's Code of Conduct version 2026_V1, in force September 1, 2026.
| Topic | British Columbia | Alberta |
|---|---|---|
| Main test | 4.2-5: not false, inaccurate, unverifiable, misleading or against the public interest | 4.2-1: demonstrably true, accurate and verifiable; not misleading; professional |
| Past results | Commentary: no unjustified expectation about results | Commentary [1], item (a): needs a statement that past results don't predict future ones |
| Testimonials | Every element must be true and verifiable (EA-2025-05) | Commentary [1], item (g): no emotional appeals |
| "Specialist" | Not allowed, and discourage others from using it about you (4.3-1) | Improper without certification; "specialist or expert" misleading (4.3-1) |
| "Expertise" | Acceptable for preferred practice areas (EA-2025-05) | Avoid, along with "specialize" (Learning Centre) |
| Referral fees between lawyers | Allowed with client consent; no cap (3.6-6) | Allowed with client consent; no cap (3.6-6) |
| Paying non-lawyers | No referral rewards; reasonable promotion allowed (3.6-7) | No referral rewards; reasonable ad costs allowed if not tied to a matter (3.6-7) |
| Province-only extras | PI contingency caps (Rule 8-2); notary status (4.2-7) | No ads offering loans to clients (4.1-3); firm name rules (4.4-1) |
The channels are the same in both provinces; the copy is what changes. Our one Canadian case study is from Ontario, not BC or Alberta: a Toronto real estate solo who generated $10,875 in the first week on Google search ads. A Google Ads campaign in Vancouver or Calgary runs the same way, with every headline written to that province's rules.
British Columbia
BC tests every marketing activity, and its definition of marketing is broad.
BC Code 4.2-5 applies to any marketing activity in which a lawyer is identified as a lawyer, mediator or arbitrator. Rule 4.2-4 defines that activity to include directory listings and public appearances, not only ads.
Under 4.2-5, marketing must not be false, inaccurate, unverifiable, reasonably capable of misleading, or contrary to "the best interests of the public." The commentary gives three examples of breaches: exploiting someone's physical or emotional vulnerability, creating an unjustified expectation about results, and anything that brings the administration of justice into disrepute.
The ethics advisory defines "verifiable" usefully: a claim an independent observer could check by objectively examining evidence. The evidence doesn't have to appear in the ad. So "over 300 strata disputes handled" works if your file list proves it, even though the ad doesn't show the list.
BC didn't adopt the Model Code's section 4.1, so its chapter 4 starts at 4.2. That's why BC rule numbers don't line up with Ontario's or Alberta's, and why a checklist copied from another province can point at the wrong rule.
BC's 2025 ethics advisory
EA-2025-05 turns decades of BC ethics opinions into concrete marketing calls.
The Law Society of BC published Ethics Advisory EA-2025-05, "Marketing activities," on August 18, 2025. It gathers the Ethics Committee's past opinions, and several of them map straight onto modern websites and ads.
- Testimonials must be verifiably true
All elements of a testimonial must be true and verifiable, including statements of fact by the former client. It isn't enough that the client believes it. Statements that the lawyer gave "great advice" or is "professional" or "knowledgeable" can't be verified, so the advisory says they're contrary to the rule.
- A Google review isn't marketing until you use it
An unsolicited review on Google or Yelp, posted by the client on their own and not reproduced or referred to by the lawyer, is unlikely to be a marketing activity. Put it on your homepage and it becomes one. Our guide to asking for reviews covers the asking side.
- Name the state, not "the United States"
Saying a lawyer is qualified to practise in the United States is misleading when the license is for particular states. Say which jurisdictions. A firm may call itself "international" only where its lawyers are permitted to practise in more than one country.
- "Recognized", not "recognized as leaders"
An older opinion found it misleading for a group of firms to claim they were "individually recognized as leaders" in an area, while "individually recognized" was fine. The difference is the unprovable ranking.
- Show who isn't a practising lawyer
Rule 4.2-8 bars listing anyone not entitled to practise law in BC, such as articled students, paralegals, retired or non-practising members, without making their status clear. That covers the team page on your website.
BC words and titles
In BC you can claim "expertise" in an area you regularly practise, but never "specialist."
Code 4.3-0.1 lets a lawyer state a preference for any field they "regularly practise." Code 4.3-1 bars "specialist" or any similar designation suggesting a recognized special status.
Rule 4.3-1 has a second half firms forget: the lawyer must also take all reasonable steps to discourage others from calling them a specialist in any marketing activity. A directory profile or a referral partner's website describing you as a "family law specialist" is your problem to correct.
The advisory confirms that calling preferred areas your "expertise" is reasonable, as long as nothing else suggests special status. It also gives a warning example: a lawyer with a university "Professional Specialization Certificate" couldn't use the words "professional" and "specialization" in marketing, though naming the certificate without them was acceptable.
Two smaller BC rules catch people out. A lawyer who markets notary services must also state their status as a lawyer in the same material (4.2-7). And a lawyer marketing real property for sale or lease must include the lawyer's or firm's name and only the firm's phone number (4.3-2).
Alberta
Alberta's Code reads like Ontario's, plus a loan ban and stricter word rules.
Alberta's Code of Conduct, version 2026_V1, came into force September 1, 2026. Its marketing test in 4.2-1 matches Ontario's, and its commentary lists the same risky examples.
- The test and its examples (4.2-1)
Marketing must be demonstrably true, accurate and verifiable, not misleading, and in the public interest. Commentary [1] lists results without the past-results statement, suggesting superiority, "raising expectations unjustifiably," implying the lawyer is aggressive, disparaging others, taking advantage of a vulnerable person, and testimonials with emotional appeals.
- No ads offering loans (4.1-3)
A lawyer must not advertise loans or cash advances to clients against their claims, personally or through a related entity. It's an Alberta-only rule that matters for personal injury ads promising "cash now."
- "Specialist", "expert", "specialize"
Commentary [2] to 4.3-1 says a claim to be a specialist or expert, or to specialize, implies an objective standard recognized by a law society, and without it the claim is misleading and improper. The Law Society's Learning Centre adds: avoid "specialize" or "expertise" in your marketing. A lawyer certified elsewhere may name that status if the certifying body is identified.
- Firm names (4.4-1)
Trade names should include words like "Law", "Law Firm", "Lawyer" or "Barristers and Solicitors" so it's clear the business practises law. A sole practitioner adding "and Associates" is misleading, and a geographic name can't suggest a public agency or the only office in town.
- Fee ads (4.2-2)
Advertised fees must be reasonably precise, say whether disbursements and taxes are extra, and be honored in every applicable case.
So the same sentence can pass in Vancouver and fail in Calgary. "Our expertise is family law" is fine in BC. In Alberta, write "we practise family law" or "our practice is restricted to family law." Ontario's version of these rules is in our Ontario guide.
Fees and referrals
Neither province caps referral fees between lawyers, and BC caps injury contingency fees.
In both BC and Alberta, a lawyer may pay or accept a referral fee from another lawyer if the referral was made for expertise, the fee is reasonable, doesn't increase the client's bill, and the client is informed and consents. There's no percentage cap like Ontario's.
Rewards to non-lawyers for referrals are banned in both (3.6-7). The commentaries draw the marketing line. BC allows reasonable spending on promotional items or activities that might lead to referrals generally, and occasional entertaining of referral sources. Alberta's commentary [2] lets lawyers pay non-lawyers for "direct and reasonable advertising costs" and pay marketing contractors, "provided the compensation is not directly related to a specific client matter."
Read that last clause against any vendor contract priced per signed client. Paying Google for clicks or a contractor for monthly work isn't tied to a matter. A fee per retained case is. Our guide on whether law firms can pay for leads compares how each jurisdiction treats those models.
BC's Law Society Rule 8-2 caps contingency fees in personal injury and wrongful death claims at 33 1/3% for motor vehicle claims and 40% for other claims, without court approval, and Rule 8-4 requires the cap statement in the agreement. A BC injury ad that mentions a percentage has to sit within those numbers.
A note on Quebec
Quebec's Barreau tells lawyers not to solicit testimonials online.
In an April 2, 2024 notice on social media, the Barreau du Québec told lawyers not to solicit testimonials from clients on social media or on a professional web page, and to promptly remove any that appear.
The same notice reminds lawyers that advertising must preserve the honour and dignity of the profession under article 129 of the Code of ethics of advocates, and names clickbait as something to avoid. It also warns against discussing clients or files online without authorization.
That's the opposite of the advice most US guides give. Before we set up review requests for any firm, we check where its lawyers are called, and a Quebec practice talks to the Barreau first. Commercial advertising in Quebec also has French language requirements, which our Canada guide covers.
What to check this week
Six checks for a BC or Alberta firm's site and ads.
We check copy against the rules of every law society the firm's lawyers belong to. A lawyer called in both BC and Ontario has to satisfy both on a website both audiences can read.
Search for the title words
"Specialist" anywhere is a fix in both provinces. In Alberta, also "expert", "expertise" and "specialize."
Test every testimonial for facts
Keep statements someone could check ("she explained each step in writing"). Cut "great advice" and "so knowledgeable" from anything you republish in BC.
Check the team page
Students, paralegals and non-practising members are labeled as such, and out-of-province licenses name the jurisdiction.
Read your directory profiles
BC asks you to discourage others from calling you a specialist. Edit or request edits to profiles that do.
Look at fee and contingency wording
Fees say whether disbursements and taxes are extra. BC injury percentages stay within Rule 8-2. No Alberta ad offers loans or advances.
Review vendor contracts
Anything paid per signed client gets a second look under 3.6-7.
A worked example
A hypothetical Calgary homepage, fixed line by line.
This is an illustration with an invented firm. It shows how the Alberta rules change four common homepage lines.
Move the same firm to Vancouver and the second line could say "our expertise", but the testimonial still needs to be verifiable. More on how family clients search and choose on our family law marketing page, and on writing ads to these rules in our ad copy guide.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
The BC and Alberta mistakes we see most often come from copying marketing written for somewhere else.
Using Ontario or US copy unchanged
An Ontario-safe page can still say "expertise", which Alberta's Learning Centre says to avoid. A US template may say "specialist" or "attorney." Check each line against your own province.
Republishing praise as proof
In BC, "knowledgeable" and "professional" in a republished review are unverifiable statements. Pick quotes that describe what happened.
Ignoring what others say about you
BC's 4.3-1 reaches directory listings and partner sites that call you a specialist. Ask them to change it and keep a record that you did.
"Licensed in the US"
The advisory calls that misleading when the license is state-specific. Name the state.
Per-case vendor pricing
Alberta's commentary allows marketing pay that isn't tied to a specific client matter. A fee per signed case is tied to one.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
Our Canadian case study is from Ontario, not BC or Alberta: a Toronto solo on Google search ads, shown as an example of the channel.
Identifying details are anonymized to protect our clients. Individual result, not a promise or prediction of any specific outcome for your firm.
FAQ
Questions lawyers ask us.
Straight answers to the questions that come up most.
Can BC lawyers use client testimonials?
Yes, if every element is true and verifiable, including the client's statements of fact. BC's EA-2025-05 says praise like "great advice" or "knowledgeable" can't be verified and breaches the rule. Factual quotes about what happened, used with permission, are the safer kind. Our testimonials guide compares other jurisdictions.
Can I say "expertise" or "expert" in Alberta?
Avoid both. Commentary [2] to Alberta's Rule 4.3-1 says calling yourself a specialist or expert, or saying you specialize, is misleading without law society recognition, and the Learning Centre says to avoid "specialize" or "expertise." You can list preferred practice areas and describe your experience accurately.
Are referral fees capped in BC or Alberta?
Not between lawyers. Both Codes allow a referral fee if the referral was for expertise and not a conflict, the fee is reasonable and doesn't raise the client's total bill, and the client is informed and consents. Ontario is the province with a cap. Rewards to non-lawyers for referrals are banned in both.
What are BC's contingency fee limits for injury cases?
Law Society Rule 8-2 caps the fee, without court approval, at 33 1/3% of the amount recovered in motor vehicle injury or death claims and 40% in other injury or death claims. Rule 8-4 requires the agreement to state the cap prominently. How injury clients pick a firm is on our personal injury marketing page.
Does a Google review count as marketing in BC?
Not by itself. The advisory says an unsolicited Google or Yelp review the lawyer doesn't reproduce or refer to is unlikely to be a marketing activity. Once you put it on your site, in an ad or in a post, the marketing rules apply to every word in it.
What about Quebec?
The Barreau's April 2024 notice tells lawyers not to solicit testimonials on social media or a professional web page and to remove ones that appear, and it names clickbait as something to avoid. Check with the Barreau before any review campaign. Our Canada guide covers French language rules for ads.
Can you write marketing that fits these rules?
Yes. We write websites and ads against the rules of each law society your lawyers belong to, and the lawyer approves everything before it goes live. To talk it through, schedule a consultation.
Where we do this
The services this guide touches.
What this looks like when we run it for a firm, with a demo for your practice on each page.
Sources
Where these facts come from.
Official pages we read when writing this page. Platforms and rules change, so check the current version before you act on any of it. This is marketing guidance, not legal advice.
- Law Society of British Columbia, Code of Professional Conduct, Chapter 4: Marketing of Legal Services
- Law Society of British Columbia, Code of Professional Conduct, Chapter 3: Relationship to Clients
- Law Society of British Columbia, Law Society Rules, Part 8: Lawyers' Fees
- Law Society of British Columbia, Ethics Advisory EA-2025-05: Marketing activities
- Law Society of Alberta, Code of Conduct (Version 2026_V1)
- Law Society of Alberta Learning Centre, Use of Expert and Specialist Designations
- Barreau du Québec, Notice to members on lawyers' conduct on social media (April 2, 2024)
Written by
Founder of Ad Hoc Digital. Leads strategy and works directly with every client firm on AI search, Local Services Ads, Google Ads and Meta ads.
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