AI search for Missouri law firms

Five points every Missouri page has to respect

Results claims carry their own qualifier. Under Missouri Rule 4-7.1, a communication is misleading if it proclaims results obtained for clients, such as a damage award or a record of favorable verdicts or settlements, without stating that past results afford no guarantee of future results and that every case is different and must be judged on its own merits. That is Rule 4-7.1(c). An assistant often lifts one sentence, so the qualifier belongs in that sentence, not a footer.

Testimonials, simulations, and fees. Rule 4-7.1(h) requires disclosure of any paid testimonial, Rule 4-7.1(i) requires labeling a simulation, and Rule 4-7.1(k) requires a no-fee statement to say conspicuously that the client may owe costs or expenses, if so.

Office locations. Rule 4-7.1(j) requires conspicuous notice when an office is staffed only part-time or by appointment. Rule 4-7.2(e) bars promoting an office other than the principal office unless a lawyer is there at least three days a week, or the ad states lawyer hours or appointment-only meetings. City pages built around satellite offices need to get this right.

The advertising disclaimer. Rule 4-7.2(f) requires a conspicuous statement that "The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements." Rule 4-7.2(g) drops that requirement only when the content is limited to basics such as names, practice areas, bar admissions, and contact information.

Specialist claims. Except as Rule 4-7.4(a) and (b) allow, a lawyer may not state or imply being a specialist unless the communication includes a disclaimer that neither the Supreme Court of Missouri nor The Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations. More in whether a lawyer can call themselves a specialist online.

Filing and record keeping

Missouri does not require filing your website or ads for review. Rule 4-7.2(b) does require keeping a copy or recording of each advertisement for two years after its last use, with a record of when and where it was used and the name of at least one responsible lawyer unless the ad names one. Dated copies of each published page meet that duty.

What Missouri's ethics counsel has said about AI

Missouri's Office of Legal Ethics Counsel adopted Informal Opinion 2024-11, on artificial intelligence, on April 25, 2024. It covers what a firm's generative AI policy should address: competence and training under Rule 4-1.1, confidentiality and platform terms under Rule 4-1.6, court orders on AI, independent judgment, verification and supervision, fees, and candor to the tribunal.

The opinion does not address marketing, so your pages answer to Rules 4-7.1 through 4-7.4 whoever drafts them, and an attorney at the firm approves every page we deliver. For the national picture, see which states have issued AI ethics opinions.

Missouri questions need Missouri answers

In Missouri, estates go to the probate division of the circuit court, and small estates have their own path. The statewide small estate affidavit forms, with and without a will, are captioned for that division and require that the estate not exceed $40,000 and that thirty days have passed since the death.

Kansas uses $75,000, a gap that matters for any firm serving Kansas City. The estate planning guide shows how detail like this shapes a full page set.

Missouri markets

Market guides cover the local courts and questions specific to each area:

• St. Louis
• Kansas City

In St. Louis, the key line runs between an independent city and the county around it; in Kansas City, across four counties and into Kansas.

What we build for Missouri firms

• Practice-area pages written to Rules 4-7.1 and 4-7.2, with results and the required qualifier kept in the same sentence
• Location pages that state honestly when an office is staffed and by appointment
• Answer posts for the questions Missouri clients ask, each linked to the right practice page

For personal injury firms, Rule 4-7.1(k) decides how a "no fee unless we win" line must read. For elder law firms, the probate division and small estate path come up constantly.

Neighboring states

Pages for readers across a state line should say which state's law they explain and where your attorneys are licensed. The Kansas guide matters most for Kansas City, the Illinois guide for firms with Illinois matters, and the Iowa and Arkansas guides cover the other borders.

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