Legal notices are an essential element of any website, including those of lawyers. They inform visitors about important legal information concerning the site, such as the identity of the publisher, conditions of use, protection of personal data, etc. In this article, we propose a model legal notice for lawyers' websites.
Model legal notices for lawyers' websites
Site publisher identification
The [site name] website is published by [first and last name of lawyer or name of law firm], a member of the [city] bar, whose registered office is located at [postal address].
Telephone number: [telephone number]
E-mail address: [e-mail address]
Director of publication: [first and last name of lawyer or name of law firm].
Site host
The [site name] website is hosted by [host name], whose head office is located at [postal address].
Telephone number: [telephone number]
E-mail address: [e-mail address]
Terms of use
Use of the [site name] website implies full acceptance of the general conditions of use described below. These conditions of use may be amended or supplemented at any time, and users of the [site name] website are therefore advised to consult them regularly.
The [site name] website is regularly updated by [first and last name of the lawyer or name of the law firm]. In the same way, the legal notices may be modified at any time: they are nevertheless binding on the user, who is invited to refer to them as often as possible in order to take cognizance of them.
Description of services provided
The purpose of the [site name] website is to provide information about the activities of [first and last name of the lawyer or name of the law firm].
[Lawyer's full name or law firm name] endeavors to provide information on the [site name] site that is as accurate as possible. However, it cannot be held responsible for any omissions, inaccuracies or failure to update information, whether due to its own fault or that of third-party partners who provide it.
All information on the [site name] website is provided for information only and is subject to change. Furthermore, the information on the [site name] site is not exhaustive. It is subject to modifications having been made since it was put online.
Contractual limitations on technical data
The site uses JavaScript technology.
The website cannot be held responsible for any material damage linked to the use of the site. In addition, the user of the site undertakes to access the site using recent, virus-free equipment with the latest generation of up-to-date browsers.
Intellectual property and counterfeiting
[Lawyer's first and last name or law firm name] is the owner of the intellectual property rights or holds the rights of use on all the elements accessible on the site, in particular the texts, images, graphics, logos, icons, sounds, software.
Any reproduction, representation, modification, publication, adaptation of all or part of the elements of the site, whatever the means or the process used, is prohibited, except prior written authorization of : [surname and first name of the lawyer or name of the law firm].
Any unauthorized use of the site or any of the elements it contains will be considered as counterfeiting and will be prosecuted in accordance with the provisions of articles L.335-2 et seq. of the French Intellectual Property Code.
Limitation of liability
[Lawyer's first and last name or law firm's corporate name] cannot be held liable for direct or indirect damage caused to the user's equipment when accessing the site [site name], and resulting either from the use of equipment that does not meet the specifications indicated in point 4, or from the appearance of a bug or incompatibility.
[Lawyer's first name and surname or law firm name] cannot be held responsible for indirect damage (such as loss of market or loss of opportunity) resulting from the use of the [site name] website.
Personal data management
In France, personal data is protected by law no. 78-87 of January 6, 1978, law no. 2004-801 of August 6, 2004, article L. 226-13 of the Criminal Code and the European Directive of October 24, 1995.
When using the [site name] site, the following information may be collected: the URL of the links through which the user has accessed the [site name] site, the user's access provider, the user's Internet protocol (IP) address.
In any case, [first and last name of the lawyer or name of the law firm] only collects personal information relating to the user for the purposes of certain services offered by the site [name of the site]. Users provide this information with full knowledge of the facts, particularly when they enter it themselves. Users of the [site name] site are informed whether or not they are required to provide this information.
In accordance with the provisions of Articles 38 et seq. of the French Data Protection Act 78-17 of January 6, 1978, all users have the right to access, rectify and object to any personal data concerning them, by sending a written and signed request, accompanied by a copy of the identity document bearing the signature of the holder of the document, and specifying the address to which the reply is to be sent.
No personal information of the user of the site [name of the site] is published without the user's knowledge, exchanged, transferred, assigned or sold on any medium whatsoever to third parties. Only the assumption of the repurchase of [name and surname of the lawyer or corporate name of the law firm] and its rights would allow the transmission of the said information to the eventual purchaser who would in turn be bound by the same obligation of conservation and modification of the data with respect to the user of the site [name of the site].
The above-mentioned site is registered with the CNIL under the number [CNIL registration number].
Databases are protected by the provisions of the law of July 1, 1998 transposing directive 96/9 of March 11, 1996 on the legal protection of databases.
Hyperlinks and cookies
The [site name] site contains a number of hypertext links to other sites, set up with the authorization of [first and last name of the lawyer or name of the law firm]. However, [first and last name of the lawyer or corporate name of the law firm] is not in a position to check the content of sites visited in this way, and consequently accepts no liability in this respect.
Browsing the [site name] website may result in the installation of cookie(s) on the user's computer. A cookie is a small file which does not allow the user to be identified, but which records information relating to the navigation of a computer on a site. The data obtained in this way is intended to facilitate subsequent browsing of the site, and is also used to measure visitor numbers.
Refusal to install a cookie may make it impossible to access certain services. Users may, however, configure their computers as follows to refuse the installation of cookies:
Internet Explorer: Tools tab (cog-shaped icon at top right) / Internet options. Click on Confidentiality and choose Block all cookies. Confirm with Ok.
Firefox: at the top of the browser window, click on the Firefox button, then go to the Options tab. Click on the Privacy tab. Set the Retention Rules to: use custom settings for history. Finally, uncheck it to disable cookies.
On Safari: Click on the menu icon (symbolized by a cog) in the top right-hand corner of the browser. Select Settings. Click on Show advanced settings. In the "Privacy" section, click on Content settings. In the "Cookies" section, you can block cookies.
Under Chrome: Click on the menu icon (symbolized by three horizontal lines) in the top right-hand corner of the browser. Select Settings. Click on Show advanced settings. In the "Privacy" section, click on preferences. In the "Privacy" tab, you can block cookies.
Applicable law and jurisdiction
Any dispute arising in connection with the use of the [site name] website is subject to French law. Exclusive jurisdiction is granted to the competent courts of Paris.
The main laws concerned
Act no. 78-17 of January 6, 1978, as amended by Act no. 2004-801 of August 6, 2004 on data processing, data files and individual liberties.
Law no. 2004-575 of June 21, 2004 on confidence in the digital economy.
Conclusion
Legal notices are an essential element of any website, including those of lawyers. They protect the rights of site users and publishers, while ensuring transparency and trust in online exchanges. By using this legal notice template for lawyers' websites, you can ensure that your site complies with current legal and regulatory requirements.
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