Marketing for lawyers means making the law firm easy to find for people who need a lawyer, within OAB Provision 205/2021 (the Brazilian Bar Association’s advertising rules). The rules allow content marketing, boosting informative posts and Google ads for people searching for the service. They prohibit mentioning fees, promising results, using specific cases and claiming to be better than others. In practice, clients arrive through Google, in search and on Maps, and check out the lawyer on Instagram and the website before calling.
This guide does not replace reading the provision or consulting the local OAB section when in doubt.
What Provision 205/2021 allows and prohibits
The provision has been the advertising rule for lawyers in Brazil since 2021, with an annex covering each tool. The summary:
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Informative legal content marketing | Mentioning fees, payment terms, free services or discounts |
| Boosting informative posts on social media | Sponsoring posts that offer legal services |
| Google ads for people searching for the service | Ostentatious ads on video platforms |
| Lives and videos within the Code of Ethics | Promising results or using specific cases |
| WhatsApp groups with your own contacts | Persuasive, self-promoting or comparative language |
| Website, Google profile, business card | Flaunting assets, paying to appear in rankings or awards |
The full text, with the annex, is on the OAB website.
Google Ads: allowed, with care in the copy
The provision’s annex allows buying keywords when the ad answers a search made by the client. Someone searching for “labor lawyer in Curitiba” is asking for the information, and the ad answers.
In practice, what separates an accepted ad from one that isn’t is the copy:
- Informative: “Labor law firm in Curitiba. Appointments by schedule.”
- Against the rules: “Hire the best labor lawyer now. Win your case.”
No prices, no “the best”, no promises. The page the ad leads to follows the same rule.
Google Maps: the most overlooked channel
Many people search “lawyer near me” or “family lawyer” on their phones, and Google shows the map before any website. Google Business Profile is free, and the Brazilian Bar Association’s advertising rules (the provimento) don’t stop a law firm from having one.
What makes a difference:
- The right category, such as “Labor lawyer” or “Law firm”, with practice areas listed as services.
- A real address, hours and phone number that match the website.
- Real photos of the office and the team.
- Reviews answered in a professional tone, without commenting on the client’s case.
The step-by-step is in how to optimize your Google Business Profile.
Instagram and content
Informative legal content is exactly what the provimento encourages: explaining a right, a change in the law, a deadline people often miss. It’s what makes clients remember the lawyer when they need one. What to post, with examples, is covered in Instagram for lawyers.
Boosting that post is allowed, as long as it stays informative and doesn’t offer the service.
Website: one page per practice area
The website is where the ad, Maps and Instagram send people. One page per practice area, explaining in plain language what the firm does and how the first consultation works, performs better than a single page with everything. Showing the lawyers’ names and their OAB registration numbers builds trust and is what clients look for.
What usually goes wrong
- An ad or post with “free consultation”, which is a free offer and the provimento prohibits it.
- A post celebrating “another case won”, which is a concrete case.
- Photos of cars, trips or watches on the firm’s profile.
- A Google profile with no proper category, no photos and no replies to reviews.
- Every ad sending people to the homepage.
Frequently asked questions
Can a lawyer advertise on Google Ads? Yes, with a keyword that matches what the client is searching for and informative text, with no price and no promises.
Can I boost an Instagram post? Yes, if the post is informative and doesn’t offer the legal service.
Can I advertise the consultation fee? No. The provimento prohibits references to fees, payment terms, free services and discounts.
Can I post about a case I won? No. Using a concrete case is prohibited, even without naming the client.
Can a law firm have a Google Maps profile and ask for reviews? It can have the profile. Ask for reviews discreetly, without offering anything in return, and reply without exposing anyone’s case.
Where to start
With the free Google Business Profile audit you see the firm’s profile compared with three competitors in the area. If the firm already advertises, the free Google Ads audit shows what the account is doing today.