20030065 | Office of Legal Ethics Counsel & Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri

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Informal Opinion Number: 20030065

Rules: 4-7.3

Information About Legal Services

Direct Contact with Prospective Clients

QUESTION: Is it permissible to advertise information workshops regarding elder law by direct mail to persons in a specific age range in a defined geographical area? What are the consequences of inadvertently mailing to a person with an immediate need?
ANSWER: It is permissible to advertise informational workshops by direct mail and to select recipients by age within a particular geographical area. As long as criteria are established and recipients known to be in need of the services are screened out, the Advertising disclaimer found in Rule 4-7.3 would not need to be included. Inclusion of that disclaimer would eliminate the need for that screening.

Informal Opinions are ethics advisory opinions issued by the Office of Legal Ethics Counsel to members of the Bar about Rule 4 (Rules of Professional Conduct), Rule 5 (Complaints and Proceedings Thereon), and Rule 6 (Fees to Practice Law) pursuant to Missouri Supreme Court Rule 5.30(c). Written summaries of select Informal Opinions are published for informational purposes as determined by the Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri pursuant to Rule 5.30(c). Informal opinion summaries are advisory in nature and are not binding. These opinions are published as an educational service and do not constitute legal advice.

To request an Informal Opinion, please visit: https://mo-legal-ethics.org/for lawyers/requesting-an-informal-advisory-opinion/.