Michigan rules
Can a Michigan law firm advertise results or client endorsements, and what does it have to keep on file?
Michigan files nothing, but its rule comment says results and client endorsements are ordinarily out, every ad is kept two years, and a criminal statute bars crash solicitation for 30 days.
By Santiago Alvarez, Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
Michigan lawyer advertising is governed by Rules 7.1 to 7.5 of the Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct, adopted by the Michigan Supreme Court. Ads aren't filed. The sharpest line is in the comment to Rule 7.1: the ban on creating "an unjustified expectation" would "ordinarily preclude" ads about results, such as damage awards or a verdict record, and ads with client endorsements.
Two duties apply to every ad. Rule 7.2(b) says a copy or recording is kept for two years after it last runs, with a record of when and where. Rule 7.2(d) says an ad run under a phone number, web address, icon or trade name names at least one responsible lawyer with contact details, in the ad or, if space is short, on the firm's home page.
Targeted letters are allowed under Rule 7.3, but a state statute, MCL 750.410b, bars direct solicitation of anyone injured in a motor vehicle crash until 30 days have passed. 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
Michigan regulates lawyer marketing through five short rules, 7.1 to 7.5, read with their comments.
The Court's rules PDF is marked "Updated with MSC order(s) effective on 1/1/2026". Its page of proposed and recently adopted orders, which runs back to 2018, lists no change to Rules 7.1 to 7.5.
| Rule | What it covers | Marketing effect |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | Public communications that are not false, fraudulent, misleading or deceptive; unjustified expectations; comparisons; judicial titles | Results and endorsements are ordinarily out, per the comment; comparisons need facts behind them |
| 7.2 | Advertising, the two-year record, payments for recommendations, naming a responsible lawyer | Keep every ad two years; pay only for advertising, a not-for-profit referral service, or a practice purchase |
| 7.3 | Solicitation of people with no family or prior professional relationship | No live pitches to strangers; truthful letters to people with known legal problems are allowed |
| 7.4 | Fields of practice | One sentence: a lawyer may say which fields they do or don't practice in |
| 7.5 | Firm names, trade names and letterheads | Trade names allowed if they don't imply a government or charity link |
Rule 7.1 also lets a former judge, referee or magistrate use the title only with "retired" or "former" in front. The national baseline is in our ABA Model Rules guide.
Filing and record keeping
Michigan has no filing or approval step, but every ad has to be kept for two years.
No Michigan rule sends ads to a reviewer. Rule 7.2(b) requires a paper trail instead, kept "to facilitate enforcement of these rules".
Save a copy of each version
Rule 7.2(b) covers "a copy or recording of an advertisement or communication", so each ad text, video and mailer goes into the file.
Log when and where it ran
The same rule asks for "a record of when and where it was used". For online ads, that's the platform, the campaign and the dates.
Keep it two years after the last run
The clock starts at the ad's "last dissemination", so an ad that runs for three years is kept for five.
Ask before you launch, if unsure
The State Bar's Ethics Helpline gives members verbal, nonbinding advice on their own prospective conduct, and a member can request a written ethics opinion.
Enforcement runs through the "Attorney Grievance Commission". Its public page says anyone may file a request for investigation, and the Grievance Administrator may open one on his own from news articles or court opinions. The State Bar adds that its opinions are "advisory and non-binding".
What every ad must include
A Michigan ad run under a number, web address or trade name has to name a responsible lawyer.
Rule 7.2(d) is the one content requirement in the rules; Rules 7.1 and 7.5 set what an ad may not say.
- A responsible lawyer (7.2(d)): media ads run "under the heading of a phone number, web address, icon, or trade name" identify "the name and contact information of at least one lawyer responsible for the content".
- Where it goes: on or in the ad itself, or, if space makes that impractical, "prominently displayed" on the home page of the firm's website and any other site the firm advertises through.
- Comparisons (7.1(c)): no comparing your services with other lawyers' unless the comparison "can be factually substantiated".
- Trade names (7.5(a)): allowed if they don't imply a connection with a government agency or a public or charitable legal services group. The comment says a name with a place in it, like its "Springfield Legal Clinic" example, may need a disclaimer.
- Multi-state firms (7.5(b)): the same name may be used in each jurisdiction, but lawyer listings show who isn't licensed where the office is.
- Partnerships (7.5(d)): don't imply one unless it exists; the comment's example is office-sharers calling themselves "Smith and Jones".
The home page option in 7.2(d) matters for short formats: a 30-character headline can't hold a lawyer's name and phone, but the home page can. Our ad copy rules guide covers fitting required lines into short ads.
Results, endorsements and ratings
Michigan's rule comment treats verdicts, award amounts and client endorsements as ordinarily misleading.
Rule 7.1(b) bars any communication "likely to create an unjustified expectation about results the lawyer can achieve". The comment explains how far that reaches.
| Content | Michigan's position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Award amounts and verdict records | "Ordinarily" precluded, because they suggest similar results without reference to each case's facts and law | Rule 7.1(b), comment |
| Client endorsements | "Ordinarily" precluded for the same reason | Rule 7.1(b), comment |
| Comparisons with other lawyers | Only if factually substantiated | Rule 7.1(c) |
| Rating listings such as Super Lawyers | Allowed if the rating meets the opinion's conditions (real inquiry, selective, not bought, verifiable basis) and the ad states the listing truthfully | RI-341 |
| Implying you are what the rating says | A listed lawyer may state the listing but "may not state that because he is so listed, he is the best, or super" | RI-341 |
| A certification from a bona fide body | May be advertised, and naming the body is how RI-142 framed it | RI-142; Rule 7.1 |
A client video saying the lawyer "called me back the same day" fits Michigan better than one naming a settlement. RI-341 adds that a lawyer dropped from a rating list limits the claim to the years listed. How other states handle testimonials is in our testimonials guide.
Specialist and certified
Michigan's Rule 7.4 says nothing about specialists, so Rule 7.1 decides every "specialist" claim.
Rule 7.4 reads in full: a lawyer "may communicate the fact that the lawyer does or does not practice in particular fields of law." There is no certification clause.
- Fields of practice (7.4): listing what you do, and saying you take only certain matters, is allowed, per the comment.
- Certification (RI-142, 1992): a lawyer certified by the American Bankruptcy Board of Certification could say "certified by the American Bankruptcy Institute", and could advertise as a specialist in the field certified, relying on the US Supreme Court's 1990 Peel decision.
- The test the opinion applied: the certifier stands behind a real test and requirements, and the certification "is not a sham".
- Without certification: "specialist" is judged as any other claim under Rule 7.1, so it has to be true and not misleading.
The State Bar warns that older opinions may be "outmoded or no longer sound". Our Illinois guide covers a neighbour across Lake Michigan where "specialist" may appear only to identify a certificate or award, with a required statement.
Direct contact and paying for leads
Michigan allows targeted letters by rule, but a criminal statute bars crash solicitation for 30 days.
Rule 7.3 follows Shapero v Kentucky Bar Ass'n and excludes truthful letters to people known to face legal problems from "solicit". The Penal Code then adds limits of its own.
- Live and targeted contact (7.3(a))
No soliciting someone with no family or prior professional relationship for pecuniary gain, in person, by phone or by other communication to a specific recipient. General mailings and "truthful and nondeceptive letters" to people with known problems are outside the ban.
- Never, in any form (7.3(b))
No written, recorded, in-person or phone solicitation of someone who has said they don't want it, and none involving coercion, duress or harassment.
- Online contact (RI-276)
Posting information online is fine, an email is treated like direct mail, but a lawyer-initiated, real-time electronic conversation is analogous to in-person solicitation.
- MCL 750.410b, motor vehicle accidents
No person may intentionally contact someone known to be injured in a motor vehicle accident, or their spouse, parent, child or sibling, with a direct solicitation to provide a service, until 30 days after the accident. Electronic messages count. A first offense carries a fine of up to $30,000; a repeat offense, up to a year in jail, a $60,000 fine, or both.
- MCL 750.410, injury claims
Soliciting an injured person to represent their claim is a misdemeanor, and a contract obtained that way is void. The Legislature's note says a 1980 Michigan Supreme Court case found its overbreadth curable by a limiting construction.
- Paying for recommendations (7.2(c))
Only the reasonable cost of advertising, the usual charges of a not-for-profit referral service meeting Rule 6.3(b), and buying a practice. The comment says a lawyer "is not permitted to pay another person for channeling professional work".
The rules don't mention lead generators, so whether a pay-per-lead fee is an advertising cost or payment for channeling work is a question for the Ethics Helpline. RI-391 (2024) says gifts to physicians at a firm party in exchange for referrals break Rule 7.2(c). Our paying for leads guide compares other states.
Channel by channel
What Michigan's rules mean for search ads, Local Services Ads, social media and AI search content.
Rule 7.1 covers "any form of public communication", and RI-276 says every form of lawyer communication is covered, "regardless of whether they are in person, on paper, billboard, telephone, fax, computer or otherwise".
| Channel | What the rule means there | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Google search ads | A responsible lawyer's name and contact details in the ad, or prominently on the home page; no unsupported comparisons; each version kept two years | 7.2(b), 7.2(d), 7.1(c) |
| Local Services Ads | Google says you're charged for each valid lead; Michigan's rules allow paying for advertising but not for channeling work, so ask the Helpline | 7.2(c) and comment |
| Facebook and Instagram ads | Settlement figures and client endorsements are ordinarily out; ads aimed at people hurt in a crash wait 30 days if they're direct solicitations | 7.1(b) comment; MCL 750.410b |
| Social media posts | Posts are general information; starting a live chat with a stranger to offer services is solicitation | 7.3(a); RI-276 |
| Website and AI search content | Pages, FAQs and bios that AI search tools may quote stay within 7.1, rating mentions follow RI-341, and the site copy goes in the two-year file | 7.1; 7.2(b); RI-276; RI-341 |
Meta's own limits on legal ads are covered in our Meta special ad categories guide, and the posting rules across platforms are in our social media rules guide.
What we check
Our Michigan review: the results claims first, then the two-year file.
When we review a Michigan firm's ads, we check every result, verdict and client quote against the Rule 7.1 comment before we look at targeting, because that comment speaks to results and endorsements directly.
Pull results out of ads
Award amounts, verdict counts and "record" claims come out of ads and posts.
Swap endorsements for process
Client video moves from outcomes to how the firm handled the case.
Name the responsible lawyer
Ads run under a tracking number or trade name carry a lawyer's name and contact details, or the home page shows them prominently.
Hold crash campaigns to 30 days
Anything aimed at a specific person known to be hurt in a crash waits 30 days.
Start the file
Each ad version, with platform, campaign and run dates, kept two years after its last run.
One case study, $1.5 Million From a Niche No One Was Targeting, came from Facebook and Instagram ads for an injury niche; the amount is the firm's result, not an ad claim. Our Meta ads service builds that kind of campaign. For that practice, see our personal injury marketing page. Compare Ohio's rules and Indiana's rules if you advertise across a state line.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
Michigan mistakes we look for in accounts firms bring to us.
Verdicts in the headline
The comment to Rule 7.1 says ads about results, such as award amounts or a verdict record, are ordinarily precluded.
No lawyer behind a trade name
Rule 7.2(d) requires a responsible lawyer's name and contact information in the ad or prominently on the home page.
No ad file
Rule 7.2(b) requires a copy of every ad, with when and where it ran, for two years after it last ran.
Crash outreach in the first 30 days
MCL 750.410b makes direct solicitation of a motor vehicle accident victim or close family member within 30 days a misdemeanor.
"Super Lawyer" read as "the best"
RI-341 allows stating a rating listing truthfully, but not claiming superiority because of it.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
Published injury and family law 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 Michigan lawyers have to file their ads?
No. Nothing in Rules 7.1 to 7.5 requires filing or approval, but Rule 7.2(b) requires keeping each ad, with when and where it ran, for two years after its last use.
Can Michigan lawyers advertise case results?
Rarely. The comment to Rule 7.1 says the ban on unjustified expectations would ordinarily preclude ads about results, such as a damage award or a record of favorable verdicts.
Can Michigan lawyers use client testimonials or reviews?
The same comment says the rule would ordinarily preclude ads containing client endorsements. Satisfaction comments about service are lower risk than outcome stories, but the rule gives no safe harbor, so we keep endorsements out of paid ads.
Can I send letters to accident victims in Michigan?
Rule 7.3 allows truthful, nondeceptive letters to people with known legal problems. For motor vehicle accidents, MCL 750.410b bars any person from directly soliciting the injured person or close family for 30 days after the crash, including by electronic means.
Can a Michigan lawyer call themselves a specialist?
Rule 7.4 only addresses fields of practice. A "specialist" claim is judged under Rule 7.1, and the State Bar's RI-142 allowed advertising a bona fide certification and specialist status in the certified field.
Can I say I'm listed in Super Lawyers or a similar publication?
Yes, under RI-341, if the rating involves real inquiry, is selective, isn't bought and has a verifiable basis. State the listing and the year, without claiming to be "the best" because of it.
How does Michigan compare with Ohio, Indiana and other states?
Michigan keeps ads two years; Indiana keeps them six and Ohio sets no period. Our state-by-state list shows every jurisdiction's filing rule.
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. The Court's rules PDF doesn't show when each Part 7 rule was last amended, and the Court's orders page lists no change to Rules 7.1 to 7.5 since 2018, so this guide gives no amendment date for them. Platforms and rules change, so check the current version before you act on any of it. This is marketing guidance, not legal advice.
- Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct, Rules 7.1 to 7.5 (updated with orders effective January 1, 2026)
- Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Rules of Professional Conduct: Proposed and Recently Adopted Orders
- Michigan Supreme Court, ADM File No. 2023-11, housekeeping amendments (April 11, 2024)
- State Bar of Michigan, Ethics Opinions and Ethics Helpline
- State Bar of Michigan, ethics opinion index
- State Bar of Michigan, Ethics Opinion RI-391 (social events, advertising and solicitation)
- State Bar of Michigan, Ethics Opinion RI-341 (advertising a rating listing)
- State Bar of Michigan, Ethics Opinion RI-276 (internet, email and real-time contact)
- State Bar of Michigan, Ethics Opinion RI-142 (advertising a certification)
- Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission, For the Public
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 750.410b (contact after a motor vehicle accident)
- Michigan Legislature, MCL 750.410 (solicitation of personal injury claims)
- Google Local Services Help, How leads work
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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