Advisory Opinion: 1780

Year Issued: 1997

RPC(s): RPC 7.1; 7.2; 7.3; 7.4; 8.4(c)

Subject: Advertising; ad for family law seminars to be given to prospective litigants

Facts Presented: Lawyer wishes to hold seminars for potential litigants on family law issues and submit advertisements for such seminars to the newspaper.

Questions Presented: Is a proposed advertisement for a family law workshop leading with the language "Don't be a victim of divorce or custody litigation/ A divorce and custody survival workshop for men and women" misleading?

Applicable Rules: RPC 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.4(c)

RPC Committee Opinion: To the extent that the language in the advertisement contains only factually accurate statements, with appropriate disclaimers, the advertisement is not necessarily in violation of the Rules.

Advisory Opinions are provided for the education of the Bar and reflect the opinion of the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) or its predecessors. Advisory Opinions are provided pursuant to the authorization granted by the Board of Governors, but are not individually approved by the Board and do not reflect the official position of the Bar association. Laws other than the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct may apply to the inquiry. The Committee's answer does not include or opine about any other applicable law other than the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct.