Meta Just Changed the Rules… Is Your Law Firm’s Social Media in Trouble?

If your law firm relies on Facebook and Instagram ads for lead generation, brace yourself—Meta has rolled out major changes that could impact your law firm’s marketing strategy. From stricter ad restrictions to the end of third-party fact-checking, these updates may lead to ad rejections, increased compliance hurdles, and even account suspensions if you’re not prepared.

So, what’s changed, and how can your law firm navigate these new rules without losing valuable leads? Let’s break it down.

What’s Changed in Meta’s Advertising Policies?

Meta’s latest updates in 2025 introduce stricter ad regulations, new restricted categories, and a shift in how content is monitored. These changes aim to improve transparency and reduce misinformation but can pose challenges for law firms paying to advertise on Meta’s platforms.

Ending Third Party Fact Checking

One of the biggest shifts is Meta’s decision to discontinue its third-party fact-checking program in the U.S., replacing it with a Community Notes system. This means:

• Advertisers may face unpredictable content moderation, as fact-checking is now crowdsourced.
• More legal ads could be flagged or limited based on community feedback, even if they follow Meta’s guidelines.
• Law firms must be extra cautious about claims in their ads to avoid restrictions.

New Restricted Categories and Changes to Ads Tracking

Meta has expanded its Special Ad Categories, tightening rules around legal services, financial products, and other sensitive topics. Key changes include:

• Stricter approval processes for law firms advertising family law, immigration, personal injury, and other legal services.
• Removal of targeting options, making it harder to refine audiences based on demographics due to limited targeting options.
• Reduced tracking capabilities for accounts that fall in restricted categories, meaning retargeting past website visitors may become less effective.

How These Changes Could Affect Your Law Firms?

If your firm advertises on Meta’s platforms for generating leads or more website traffic, you may experience:

1. More Rejected Ads & Stricter Compliance Checks

With Meta enforcing new restrictions on legal services ads, you might see an increase in ad rejections. Common reasons law firm ads may get flagged include:

• Using language that implies guarantees. For example, “Win your immigration case now!” or “Get approved today!” could trigger Meta’s automated system.
• Mentioning personal attributes or hardships. Ads that reference a user’s immigration status, financial situation, or legal issues (e.g., ““Facing a Custody Case?” or Struggling with a visa application?”) are more likely to be disapproved.
• Vague or misleading claims. Meta’s AI is stricter in identifying “sensational” or “unclear” messaging, even if your ad is factually accurate.

Even if your ad gets approved, it may still face reduced reach due to increased scrutiny from the new Community Notes system, where users can flag or comment on content. Pay attention to your overall reach and advertising costs to know if you need to adapt and make updates to your content.

2. Higher Advertising Costs

Since targeting has become more limited, law firms will now have to compete for a smaller, more generalized audience. This can lead to:

• Increased cost per lead (CPL) – With fewer targeting options, law firms may need to run broader campaigns, increasing the cost of reaching the right audience. Using Advantage Audience+ with targeting suggestions to help you reach a wider audience that is still in line with the clientele you are looking to reach, while reducing costs.
• Greater reliance on creative & copy quality – Since Meta’s algorithm now prioritizes engagement and ad relevance, law firms will need to craft stronger ad creatives to compete effectively. Pay close attention to your reach, engagement, click-through-rates, and ad frequency. These metrics will let you know how many people your ad is getting in front of, how your ads are resonating, and if the same person is seeing your ad multiple times without taking action. The goal is to have high reach, engagement, and click-through-rate, while keeping your frequency low.

3. Limited Audience Targeting & Retargeting Restrictions

In previous years, law firms could rely on Meta’s detailed targeting tools to find clients based on location, behavior, legal interests, and even relationship statuses. However, with the expansion of Special Ad Categories, targeting has become much more restricted:

• Limited interest-based targeting. Meta has removed some legal-related audience interests, making it difficult to refine your audience to individuals interested in specifical legal services like divorce and immigration.
• Retargeting changes. Due to privacy updates, tracking website visitors and retargeting them with ads has become less effective or even unavailable entirely. This means law firms need alternative ways to re-engage potential clients. A potential work around to retargeting could be uploading custom audiences instead of retargeting based on web traffic. This means your website will need to be able to capture leads and connect to a CRM to manage your audiences.

4. Reduced Organic Reach & Visibility

Even if you’re not running paid ads, these changes can still affect your law firm’s visibility. The end of third-party fact-checking means that legal content might be flagged more often by Community Notes users, reducing how many people see your posts. Additionally, if your firm discusses politically sensitive topics (such as immigration policies), your posts could be deprioritized in the algorithm. However, if you can maintain a neutral tone and create an engaging creative this can help the algorithm favor your content.

5. Increased Risk of Account Suspensions

Many law firms have already experienced ad account shutdowns due to Meta’s automated moderation system. Now, with even more restrictions, law firms may face:

• Temporary bans on running ads if multiple violations occur.
• Permanent ad account suspensions if policies are repeatedly violated. It’s important to keep an eye on these and request an appeal if your ads get rejected. When you request an appeal it is typically reviewed by a real person and approved.

What to Do Next?

Meta’s latest policy changes are making it harder for law firms to run effective ads, with stricter approvals, reduced targeting options, and increased compliance risks. To stay competitive, firms must refine their messaging, audit their ad strategy, ensure they remain compliant, and create a diverse marketing strategy that also includes a focus on SEO, Google Ads, and email marketing. Navigating these changes can be complex, but you don’t have to do it alone. We specialize in legal marketing strategies that keep your firm visible, compliant, and generating high-quality leads. Schedule a free consultation today to protect your marketing efforts and stay ahead in a shifting digital landscape.