Lawyers and law firms
Digital marketing and AI search for law firms in Belgium and Italy
Oltre Digital helps lawyers and law firms in Belgium and Italy get found on Google and recommended by AI assistants, within the rules of their Bar. Oltre Digital writes clear pages for each practice area, aligns the firm’s profiles across the web and monitors what ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini say about it, in English, French and Italian.
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Your clients
What do clients ask before they choose a lawyer?
People rarely search for “a lawyer”. They describe a problem, often in their own language, and expect a direct answer. A few examples of the questions a law firm’s pages should answer:
- “Can my employer dismiss me while I am on sick leave in Belgium?”
- “How long does a divorce by mutual consent take in Brussels?”
- “Avvocato per separazione consensuale a Milano: come funziona?”
- “Avocat bail commercial Bruxelles : que faire si le bailleur ne renouvelle pas ?”
An AI assistant answers these questions with a summary and, often, a few names. A firm whose pages answer them clearly, and whose name is confirmed by other sources, has a better chance of being one of those names.
Why now
Are clients asking AI before they call a lawyer?
Yes, and the share is growing. AI does not replace the lawyer, but it increasingly decides which lawyer the client calls first.
46%
of US adults would consult AI before contacting a lawyer; nearly one in four has already used AI for a legal question.
Source: Clio, Legal Trends Report 2026
28%
of consumers who used AI for a legal question were told by the AI to contact a lawyer.
Source: Clio, Legal Trends Report 2025
45%
of US consumers asked an AI tool for a local business recommendation in the past year, up from 6% the year before.
The rules
What can a lawyer publish online in Belgium and Italy?
Lawyers can advertise in both countries. Since the EU Services Directive (2006/123/EC, art. 24), Member States may not ban advertising by regulated professions outright: the rules that remain decide how a lawyer communicates, not whether. In Belgium they differ between the French- and German-speaking bars (AVOCATS.BE) and the Flemish bars (OVB).
| Belgium · AVOCATS.BE | Belgium · OVB | Italy · CNF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising | Allowed, objective and verifiable by the Bar | Allowed, if not misleading | Allowed by any means, if truthful, correct and transparent |
| Comparative or denigrating claims | Not allowed | Must not be misleading | Not allowed, nor ambiguous or suggestive content |
| Case results, number of cases, success rates | Not allowed | Allowed (nature, size and result of cases), without the client’s name | No specific rule; must not be suggestive or misleading |
| Client names | Nothing that identifies clients or cases | Only with the client’s specific consent | Not allowed, even with the client’s consent |
| Unsolicited offers | Written canvassing allowed; no uninvited visits | No unsolicited personalised offer for a specific case | No unsolicited personalised offer; no finders or referral fees |
What this means for a law firm’s website:
- Answer pages are safe ground. Explaining a procedure, the documents needed or the questions clients ask is information, which every code allows.
- Be careful with testimonials and case results. In Italy and for the French- and German-speaking Belgian bars, they usually identify clients or cite results, which those codes forbid.
- State the essentials. In Italy the lawyer’s communication must show the professional title, the firm and the Bar of registration; in Flanders, fees must be stated clearly, never as a “from” price alone.
- Choose the domain name carefully. AVOCATS.BE does not allow a domain that is just a generic term for the profession.
This summary is for orientation and is not legal advice. Rules change, and the professional body of each firm has the final word.
How it works
How does Oltre Digital work with a law firm?
- Practice areas and questions. Oltre Digital lists, with the partners, the practice areas that matter and the questions clients ask about each one, in every language the firm works in.
- Answer pages. One page per practice area, opening with a clear answer, followed by the steps, the documents needed and the questions clients ask. Factual and within the rules of the Bar.
- Profiles and directories. Google Business Profile, Bar directories, LinkedIn and legal directories completed and consistent with the website.
- AI monitoring. Every month Oltre Digital asks ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini the questions your clients ask and reports which firms are cited.
Services
Which services fit a law firm?
AI Search Optimization
Be among the firms that ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini cite for your practice areas.
SEO
Rank on Google and Bing for the searches that bring the clients you want.
Web design
A clear, fast, multilingual website that answers clients’ questions.
Online advertising
Search and LinkedIn campaigns written within the rules of your profession.
Digital strategy
A short plan: which clients, which channels, which budget, in which order.
Frequently asked questions
Can lawyers advertise in Belgium?
Yes. Both Belgian bar associations allow lawyers to advertise, within limits. AVOCATS.BE, for the French- and German-speaking bars, requires objective content that the Bar can verify and that is not misleading, denigrating or comparative. The OVB, for the Flemish bars, forbids misleading advertising and sets rules on fees and unsolicited offers.
Can a Belgian lawyer mention case results or clients on the firm’s website?
It depends on the bar. AVOCATS.BE forbids mentioning results, the number of cases, success rates or turnover, and anything that identifies clients. The OVB allows describing the nature, size and result of cases, and names a client only with the client’s specific consent.
Can a lawyer in Italy advertise online?
Yes. Article 35 of the Codice deontologico forense allows information about the lawyer’s activity whatever the means used, provided it is truthful, correct and transparent. Comparative, ambiguous, misleading or suggestive content is not allowed, and the lawyer must state the professional title, the firm and the Bar of registration.
Can an Italian law firm publish client names or testimonials?
No. Article 35 of the Codice deontologico forense forbids naming clients or assisted parties, even when they consent, so testimonials that identify a client cannot be used.
Can a law firm use Google Ads or LinkedIn Ads?
In general yes, because advertising is allowed in both countries, but ads must respect the same limits as any other communication: no misleading or comparative claims and, in Italy, no unsolicited personalised offers. Oltre Digital writes ads with these rules in mind; the final check stays with the firm and its Bar.
How do AI assistants decide which lawyers to recommend?
They build their answer from sources they can read and trust: the firm’s own pages, directories, profiles and articles that mention it. A firm with clear answers on its website and a consistent presence in trusted sources is more likely to be cited.
Free tool
How do AI assistants describe your firm today?
With the free AI Visibility Scan, Oltre Digital checks what ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini say about your business and sends you the results.