Colorado rules
What must a Colorado law firm's ads disclose, from specialist claims to "no fee" lines?
Colorado doesn't file ads, but its comments add two set disclosures: a specialist disclaimer and a costs line for "no fee" claims. Injury solicitations wait 30 days.
By Santiago Alvarez, Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
Colorado lawyer advertising is governed by Rules 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 of the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, adopted by the Colorado Supreme Court and rewritten on September 10, 2020. Ads aren't filed. Every communication under Rule 7.2 names at least one responsible lawyer or firm with contact information (Rule 7.2(d)).
Two disclosures come from the official comments. An ad claiming certification as a specialist must say "Colorado does not certify lawyers as specialists in any field." (Rule 7.2, comment [11A]), and a "no fee unless we win" line must add that the client may owe costs or the other side's lawyer fees if a court orders them (Rule 7.1, comment [3A]).
Solicitations about personal injury or wrongful death wait more than 30 days after the event (Rule 7.3(d)), and every solicitation is labeled "Advertising Material" and kept five years (Rule 7.3(f)). 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.
Which rules apply
Colorado's lawyer marketing rules are Rules 7.1 to 7.3, with Rule 7.6 on political contributions.
The rules sit in the appendix to Chapters 18 to 20 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure. The Colorado Bar Association's copy lists Rules 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 and 7.6, shows 7.4 and 7.5 as repealed, and is marked as amended through Rule Change 2026(03).
| Rule | What it covers | Marketing effect |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | No false or misleading communication; comments on results, "no fee" wording and firm names | Results need context; "no fee" claims need the costs line |
| 7.2 | Any media; payments for recommendations; certified specialist claims; name and contact information | Lead generators allowed under conditions; the specialist disclaimer; a responsible lawyer or firm in every ad |
| 7.3 | Solicitation: live contact, people who said no, the 30-day injury rule, labels and records | Targeted injury outreach waits 30 days and is kept five years |
| 7.6 | Political contributions to obtain legal engagements or appointments by judges | Rarely touches a firm's ads |
| 5.4 | Professional independence; fee sharing only with licensed legal paraprofessionals among nonlawyers | No nonlawyer owners other than licensed legal paraprofessionals, and no fee splits with marketing partners |
Rule Change 2020(29), adopted September 10, 2020 and effective immediately, repealed and readopted Rule 7.1, amended Rules 7.2 and 7.3, and repealed Rules 7.4 and 7.5. The newest change to the group is Rule Change 2023(17), effective November 16, 2023, which added licensed legal paraprofessionals to the people a lawyer may solicit in person. The Court's adopted list from 2024 to October 2026 shows no later change to Rules 7.1 to 7.3. Our ABA Model Rules guide covers the national text Colorado's comments track.
Filing and record keeping
Colorado files no ads; the only record rule is a five-year file for solicitations.
Rules 7.1 and 7.2 have no filing, fee or approval step. Rule 7.3(f)(3) is the only record duty, and it covers solicitations, not general ads.
Decide whether it's a solicitation
Rule 7.3(a): a communication "directed to a specific person" the lawyer knows or reasonably should know needs legal services in a particular matter. A billboard, banner ad, website or TV spot is not one (comment [1]).
Label it
"Advertising Material" on the outside envelope, if any, and at the beginning and ending of any recorded or electronic communication (Rule 7.3(f)(1)).
Keep the outside plain
Nothing on the envelope or the outside of a self-mailer may reveal the nature of the person's legal problem (Rule 7.3(f)(2)).
File your own copy for five years
A copy or recording of each solicitation and a sample envelope, kept five years from the date it went out (Rule 7.3(f)(3)).
Skip the label only for listed people
Lawyers, people with a family, close personal or prior business or professional relationship, and routine business users of the service don't need the label or the file.
Keeping general ads anyway is cheap insurance, because a dispute about an ad's wording is easier to settle with the version that ran. For a state that files every ad with the bar, see our Nevada guide.
What every ad must include
A Colorado ad names a responsible lawyer or firm with contact details, and fee and specialist claims carry set words.
Rule 7.2(d): "Any communication made under this Rule must include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content."
- Contact information (Rule 7.2, comment [12]): "a website address, a telephone number, an email address or a physical office location."
- "No fee" claims (Rule 7.1, comment [3A]): any communication stating or implying no fee without a recovery must also disclose that the client may be liable for costs or the adverse party's lawyer fees if a court orders them. It doesn't apply to a line saying only that contingent fees are available or that the first consultation is free.
- Specialist certification (Rule 7.2, comment [11A]): an ad affirmatively claiming certification must carry "Colorado does not certify lawyers as specialists in any field." Law lists, law directories and publications for the legal profession are exempt.
- Firm names (Rule 7.1, comment [5]): a trade name, website address or social media username is fine if it isn't misleading; implying a link to a government agency or legal aid group is not.
- Multi-state firms (Rule 7.1, comment [6]): lawyer listings in a Colorado office must show the limits on those not licensed in Colorado.
The "no fee" comment is broader than a costs line: it names the other side's lawyer fees too, so a line that mentions only costs falls short. Our ad copy rules guide covers fitting extra words into search ad assets.
Results, testimonials and dramatizations
Colorado allows results and client praise if the ad doesn't create expectations the facts can't support.
Comment [3] to Rule 7.1 says a truthful report of results may mislead if it suggests other clients will get the same outcome "without reference to the specific factual and legal circumstances of each client's case."
| Content | Colorado's rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Verdicts and settlements | Allowed, but can mislead without the case's facts and law; a disclaimer or qualifying language may help | Rule 7.1, comment [3] |
| Claims about services or fees | An unsubstantiated claim, or comparison with other firms, may mislead if it looks provable | Rule 7.1, comment [3] |
| Urgent-action messages | Misleading if a reasonable person would think they must act when no action is required | Rule 7.1, comment [2] |
| Client testimonials | No separate Colorado rule; judged by the misleading test | Rule 7.1 |
| Endorsements bought from others | Paying anyone for recommending the lawyer is barred outside the Rule 7.2(b) exceptions | Rule 7.2(b), comment [2] |
Comment [2] to Rule 7.2 defines a recommendation as anything that "endorses or vouches for" a lawyer's credentials, abilities or character, so paying an influencer to praise the firm is a recommendation, while a plain paid ad is not. Our testimonials guide compares states with stricter testimonial rules, and our social media rules guide covers influencer posts.
Specialist and certified
Colorado lets a lawyer say "specializes", but a certification claim needs an approved certifier and the state's disclaimer.
Rule 7.2(c) bars stating or implying certification as a specialist unless the certifier is approved by an appropriate state, DC or territorial authority or accredited by the American Bar Association, and is "clearly identified in the communication."
- Describing a focus (comment [9]): "concentrates in", "specialist" or "specializes in" based on experience, training or education is allowed, judged by Rule 7.1.
- Claiming certification (Rule 7.2(c)): name the certifying organization in the same communication.
- Adding the disclaimer (comment [11A]): "Colorado does not certify lawyers as specialists in any field."
- Set titles (comment [10]): patent practice and admiralty designations are not barred.
For contrast, Arizona's guide covers a state that certifies specialists itself through its State Bar.
Direct contact and paying for leads
Colorado bans live solicitation, holds injury solicitations for 30 days, and allows lead generators that don't recommend you.
Rule 7.3 covers solicitation, and comment [5] to Rule 7.2 speaks directly to paying lead generators.
- Live contact (7.3(b))
No soliciting by live person-to-person contact for pecuniary gain, unless the contact is with a lawyer, someone with a family, close personal, or prior business or professional relationship, a routine business user of the service, or a licensed legal paraprofessional.
- What counts as live (7.3, comment [2])
In-person, live phone and other real-time visual or auditory contact. It "does not include chat rooms, text messages or other written communications that recipients may easily disregard."
- The 30-day injury rule (7.3(d))
No solicitation "by any media" concerning personal injury or wrongful death unless it goes out more than 30 days after the event, or the lawyer has a family or prior business or professional relationship. The rule cites C.R.S. 13-93-111. Even after 30 days, no contact with someone known to be represented, and the message must say if another lawyer will handle or receive the case.
- Lead generators (7.2, comment [5])
A lawyer may pay for leads if the generator doesn't recommend the lawyer, payments fit Rules 1.5(d) and 5.4, and its messages fit Rule 7.1. Don't pay one that implies it recommends you, says it refers without payment from the lawyer, or claims to have analyzed the person's legal problem.
- What you may pay for (7.2(b))
Reasonable advertising costs, a legal service plan or a not-for-profit or qualified referral service, buying a practice, non-exclusive reciprocal referrals the client is told about, and nominal thank-you gifts.
C.R.S. 13-93-111 sets the same 30-day wait for any person soliciting injury or wrongful death work from someone with no family or prior professional relationship, bars accepting a referral from someone who solicited inside that window, and lets the injured person void an agreement made in violation. It counts in-person, written and phone contact as solicitation, but not radio, television, newspaper or yellow pages ads. Our paying for leads guide compares lead rules, and the Utah guide covers a neighbour that bans referral fees from November 1, 2026.
Channel by channel
What Colorado's rules mean for search ads, Local Services Ads, social media and AI search content.
Rule 7.2(a) lets a lawyer communicate "through any media", and none of Rules 7.1 to 7.3 names a platform, so the same tests apply everywhere.
| Channel | What the rule means there | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Google search ads | "No fee" headlines need the costs and fee-shifting line in a description that always shows; firm name and contact in every ad | 7.1 cmt [3A]; 7.2(d) |
| Local Services Ads | Paying a platform for ad placement is an advertising cost; a profile that reads as a recommendation by the platform raises the lead-generator questions | 7.2(b)(1), cmt [5] |
| Facebook and Instagram ads | Results need context; any certification claim carries the Colorado disclaimer | 7.1 cmt [3]; 7.2 cmt [11A] |
| Social media posts | A message to a specific injured person is a solicitation: 30 days, the label and the five-year file | 7.3(d), (f) |
| Website and AI search content | Bios and FAQ pages that AI search tools may quote count as communications; specialist wording follows Rule 7.2(c) | 7.1; 7.2(c) |
How the two Google programs work is in our Local Services Ads vs Google Ads guide. Our social media service runs firm pages and messaging inside these limits.
What we check
Our Colorado review starts with two sets of required words.
When we review a Colorado firm's ads, we check every fee line and every certification claim first, because those are the two places Colorado's comments prescribe language.
Fix "no fee" lines
Add that the client may owe costs or the other side's lawyer fees if a court orders them, or reword to say only that contingent fees are available.
Pair certifications with the disclaimer
Name the certifier and add "Colorado does not certify lawyers as specialists in any field."
Vet every lead source
Read the vendor's own pages: no claim that it recommends the firm, screens legal problems or refers for free.
Hold injury outreach
Direct messages, letters and texts about an injury wait more than 30 days, carry "Advertising Material" and go in a five-year file.
Check the contact line
Each ad and post shows a responsible lawyer or firm and one way to reach them.
One case study, $37,000 Closed in Month One, comes from a family law firm; the amount is the firm's result, not an ad claim. For that practice, see our family law marketing page. Firms licensed across borders can compare the New Mexico guide and Nevada's filing rules.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
Colorado mistakes we look for in accounts firms bring to us.
"No fee" without the fee-shifting warning
Comment [3A] to Rule 7.1 requires disclosing that the client may owe costs or the adverse party's lawyer fees if ordered by a court.
A certification claim with no disclaimer
Comment [11A] to Rule 7.2 requires "Colorado does not certify lawyers as specialists in any field." in any ad that claims certification.
Injury outreach in the first 30 days
Rule 7.3(d) bars personal injury and wrongful death solicitation by any media until more than 30 days after the event.
A lead vendor that sounds like a referral service
Comment [5] to Rule 7.2 bars paying a generator that implies it recommends the lawyer or has analyzed the person's legal problem.
No five-year solicitation file
Rule 7.3(f)(3) requires keeping each solicitation and a sample envelope for five years.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
Published family law, estate planning and real estate results, from firms whose case studies don't name their state.
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.
Do Colorado lawyers have to file ads with the Supreme Court or the bar?
No. Rules 7.1 to 7.3 have no filing or review step. The only record duty is Rule 7.3(f)(3): keep each solicitation, with a sample envelope, for five years.
What does Colorado require for "no fee unless we win" ads?
Comment [3A] to Rule 7.1: the ad must also disclose that the client may be liable for costs or the adverse party's lawyer fees if ordered by a court. A line that only says contingent fees are available, or that the first consultation is free, doesn't need it.
Can a Colorado lawyer call themselves a board certified specialist?
Only if certified by an organization approved by a state, DC or territorial authority or accredited by the ABA, named in the ad (Rule 7.2(c)), with the disclaimer "Colorado does not certify lawyers as specialists in any field." (comment [11A]).
When can I contact an injury victim in Colorado?
A solicitation about personal injury or wrongful death, in any media, must go out more than 30 days after the event, unless you have a family or prior business or professional relationship (Rule 7.3(d)). Live person-to-person solicitation of strangers is barred at any time (Rule 7.3(b)).
Can a Colorado firm pay for leads?
Yes, under comment [5] to Rule 7.2, if the generator doesn't recommend the lawyer, the payment fits Rules 1.5(d) and 5.4, and the generator's communications aren't misleading. Paying someone to recommend you is barred outside the Rule 7.2(b) exceptions.
Do text messages count as live contact in Colorado?
No. Comment [2] to Rule 7.3 says live person-to-person contact doesn't include chat rooms, text messages or other written communications that recipients may easily disregard. A text to someone known to need help is still a solicitation, so the label and record rules apply, and so does the 30-day rule for injury and death matters.
How does Colorado compare with neighbouring states?
Colorado files nothing, while Nevada files ads within 15 days. Our state-by-state list shows every jurisdiction we cover.
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. We read C.R.S. 13-93-111 in the legislature's Colorado Revised Statutes 2024 printout, the newest edition its site posts, and the rules through the Colorado Bar Association's copies of the official text. Platforms and rules change, so check the current version before you act on any of it. This is marketing guidance, not legal advice.
- Colorado Bar Association, Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct (as amended through Rule Change 2026(03))
- Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.1 Communications Concerning a Lawyer's Services, with comments
- Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.2 Communications Concerning a Lawyer's Services: Specific Rules, with comments
- Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.3 Solicitation of Clients, with comments
- Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 5.4 Professional Independence of a Lawyer
- Colorado Supreme Court, Adopted and Proposed Rule Changes
- Colorado Supreme Court, Rule Change 2020(29), Rules 7.1 to 7.5 (September 10, 2020)
- Colorado Supreme Court, Rule Change 2023(17), including Rule 7.3 (November 16, 2023)
- Colorado Supreme Court, Rule Change 2026(14), Rule 6.5 (effective October 1, 2026)
- Colorado General Assembly, Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 13 (including 13-93-111, solicitation of accident victims)
- Colorado Supreme Court, Rules of Professional Conduct Standing Committee
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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