Nov 4, 2011

NJ Ethics Opinion On Pay Per Lead

     Some Social Security attorneys use pay per lead advertising. A pay per lead outfit has a web presence that includes a contact form. A person fills out a form indicating an interest in talking with an attorney about a Social Security case. The pay per lead outfit immediately sends the information to one or more law firms -- for a price. The law firm or firms then contact the prospective client and seek to represent him or her. For an attorney, pay per lead advertising falls into a gray area ethically. Attorneys are forbidden to pay for referrals but attorneys who use pay per lead advertising argue that it is little different than pay per click advertising which is generally accepted as ethical. Most state bars have not ruled on pay per lead. The recent, somewhat tortured opinion of the New Jersey Committee on Attorney Advertising on this issue may be of interest to attorneys dealing with this issue.

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