Can a lawyer whose office is in a hotel use the hotel's address and telephone number for the law office?

Plain-English summary

A member whose law offices were located in a hotel asked whether he could use the hotel's street number as his office address. Because the office was actually located in the hotel, the committee saw no impropriety in using the hotel's address as the office address.

On the telephone, the committee believed it improper for the lawyer to use the hotel telephone as his office telephone, because calls to the hotel would be received by the office and there was a possibility that business might be channeled to the law office that way. It added that if the hotel telephone is on a switchboard requiring callers to ask for the law office after reaching the hotel, then there would be nothing unethical in having calls routed through such a switchboard.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1963, before The Florida Bar's adoption of the 2006 revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct. The opinion applied former Canon 27 of the Canons of Professional Ethics; the subjects of how a lawyer holds out an office and contacts prospective clients are now addressed by Rule 4-7.11 (lawyer advertising generally) and Rule 4-7.18 (direct contact with prospective clients) of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar (Model Rules 7.2 and 7.3). Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis, and the constitutional limits on regulating lawyer advertising have developed substantially since 1963. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance. Verify against the current rules before relying on any specific requirement mentioned here.

Common questions

Q: Can a lawyer use the address of the building where the office sits, such as a hotel?

A: Yes. Because the office was actually located in the hotel, the committee saw no impropriety in using the hotel's street address as the office address.

Q: Can the lawyer use the hotel's main telephone number as the office line?

A: The committee believed that was improper, because calls to the hotel would reach the office and business might be channeled to the law office that way.

Q: Is there any way to use the hotel switchboard without an ethics problem?

A: Yes. The committee said if the switchboard requires callers to ask for the law office after reaching the hotel, there would be nothing unethical in routing calls through it.

Background and rules framework

The opinion applied former Canon 27 of the Canons of Professional Ethics. How a lawyer presents an office address and contact information, and the concern that arrangements not operate to channel or solicit business, are now addressed by Rule 4-7.11 and Rule 4-7.18 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar (Model Rules 7.2 and 7.3).

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

• Canon 27 [Canons of Professional Ethics; see current Rules 4-7.11, 4-7.18]

See also

• FL Bar Ethics Op. 62-69: Leaving Business Cards to Refer
• FL Bar Ethics Op. 63-17: Suspended Lawyer Listings

Source

• Landing page: https://www.floridabar.org/etopinions/etopinion-62-64/
• Original PDF: https://www-media.floridabar.org/uploads/2017/04/FL-Bar-Ethics-Op-62-64-1.pdf

Original opinion text

Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.

FLORIDA BAR ETHICS OPINION
OPINION 62-64
March 15, 1963
Advisory ethics opinions are not binding.
It is not improper for a lawyer having his office in a hotel to use the address of the hotel as his office address, but it may be improper to use the hotel telephone number for his office telephone.
Canon: 27
Chairman Holcomb stated the opinion of the committee:
A member of The Florida Bar requests advice as to whether his law offices, which are located in the A Hotel at B, Florida, can use the hotel street number for an address.
Since he is actually located in the A Hotel, we can see no impropriety in using its address as the address of his office.
We believe it improper for the lawyer to use the A. Hotel telephone as his office telephone in that calls to the hotel would be received by the office and there is a possibility that business might thereby be channeled to his law office.
If the A Hotel telephone is on a switchboard requiring callers to ask for the law office after reaching the hotel, then there would be nothing unethical in having calls routed through such switchboard.