Google Business Profile posts for lawyers come with a responsibility Google spells out in its own policy: the business that posts is the one answerable for following the law.
For a law firm, that law includes the state’s attorney advertising rules. An update, an offer and an event can each touch a different rule.
The ABA Model Rules and the rules in Florida, Texas and New York show how far those differences go. This is general information, not legal advice; check your state bar’s current rules before posting.
Google Business Profile posts are subject to a law firm’s state advertising rules, and Google says the poster is responsible for compliance.
An informational update and an offer for a free consultation can be treated very differently.
What Google Business Profile Posts Are and Where They Appear
Google Business Profile posts come in three types: updates, offers and events. Posts older than six months are archived unless a date range is set, according to Google’s help page on creating and managing posts. They appear in the Updates or Overview tabs on mobile Search and Maps and under “From the owner” on desktop.
Two Google rules matter for law firms. On the same help page, a post with a phone number in its description “might get rejected” if Google cannot verify the number belongs to the business. A Call now button, which uses the verified number on the profile, avoids the problem, as set out in Google’s content policy for photos, videos and posts.
The second rule, in that same policy, frames everything else: “You’re responsible for making sure that your posted content complies with all applicable laws and regulations.”
Every Law Firm Post Needs a Responsible Lawyer or Firm Named
Every Google Business Profile post from a law firm should identify who is responsible for it. Under ABA Model Rule 7.2(d), a communication must “include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content.”
New York adopted the same requirement as its Rule 7.1(d) under a Joint Order of the Appellate Division effective June 1, 2026. The same amendments dropped New York’s old “Attorney Advertising” label. Naming the firm in the post itself is the safer habit.
Update, Offer or Event: Which Posts Trigger Bar Filing
Whether a Google Business Profile post must be filed with the state bar depends on the state and on what the post says:
- Florida: under the Florida Bar’s guidelines for networking sites, a firm’s own networking pages are subject to the advertising rules but need not be filed. Paid posts shown to consumers with no prior family or professional relationship must be filed under Rule 4-7.19 unless they are tombstone ads. The guidelines do not mention Google Business Profile, so whether a post counts as the firm’s own page is an open question.
- Texas: under the rules adopted in Misc. Docket No. 21-9061, ads are filed no later than 10 days after dissemination. Rule 7.05(g) exempts social media that “does not expressly offer legal services” and is primarily informational or educational. An educational update likely fits; an offer post for a consultation likely does not.
- New York: the 2026 amendments adopted the ABA name-and-contact rule and dropped the label.
Video posts can carry extra requirements under state rules on law firm videos.
What a Law Firm Can Post Each Month
A law firm can keep its Google Business Profile active with lower-risk posts, such as:
- Plain-language explanations of a legal deadline.
- Firm events and community involvement.
- New attorney announcements and office changes.
Each post should name the firm and avoid promising results.
Case results and client reviews need more care, because disclaimer rules vary by state and a short post leaves little room for one. A public post also differs from direct outreach: under Comment 1 to ABA Model Rule 7.3, communications directed to the general public, such as a website, are not solicitation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Google Business Profile posts count as attorney advertising?
Google Business Profile posts about a law firm’s services are communications covered by ABA Model Rule 7.1. The Florida Bar says networking pages used to promote a practice are subject to its advertising rules.
Does a law firm have to file Google Business Profile posts with the state bar?
A law firm may have to file some Google Business Profile posts, depending on the state. Texas exempts informational posts that do not expressly offer services. Florida exempts a firm’s own networking pages but has not addressed Google Business Profile directly.
Can a law firm post case results or client reviews in a Google Business Profile update?
A law firm can post case results or reviews in a Google Business Profile update only where its state rules allow them, with any required disclaimer. A short post leaves little room for a disclaimer, so the firm’s website is often the simpler place for results.
Can a law firm run an Offer post for a free consultation?
A law firm can run a Google Business Profile Offer post for a free consultation, but that post expressly offers legal services. In Texas that likely takes it outside the Rule 7.05(g) exemption, so the post may need filing no later than 10 days after it is posted.
Google Business Profile Posts for Lawyers, Written Within the Rules
Google Business Profile posts for lawyers work best when each one is checked against state rules before it goes live. Lexicon’s legal content experts plan content for law firms around those rules from the first draft. Reach us at 877-486-8123 or contact us online to get started.
David Arato, JD is the founder of Lexicon Legal Content, an attorney-owned legal content marketing agency serving law firms since 2012. Lexicon’s writers hold JD degrees. David is a frequent contributor to Attorney at Law Magazine and Attorney at Work and a recurring guest on legal marketing podcasts.
