Can a Lawyer Advertise on Groupon?

In North Carolina, the answer is yes. Groupon offers consumers “daily deals” online. The deals entitle consumers to discounts on various services.  According to the North Carolina State Bar Ethics Committee, lawyers can offer their services on Groupon and similar websites.

There are the obvious qualifications: (1) no misleading advertising; (2) fees received from the website must go into the lawyer’s trust account; (3) the lawyer must honor the professional relationship with the purchaser of the  discounted legal service; (4) the lawyer must  not  retain a clearly excessive fee; (5) the lawyer has the duty  of competent representation. I would also warn the consumer that you often get what you pay for.

 Here is the opinion.

(ljs)