Florida Bar News August 19, 2025

‘This growth is expected to continue as Florida’s population further increases in the less-densely populated areas of the state, which are included in the LRS coverage area. Florida’s major cities have local bar associations that provide lawyer referrals’

A record-setting $5.7 million was collected by attorneys last fiscal year from clients they gained through The Florida Bar’s Lawyer Referral Service, according to the LRS’ latest numbers.

The figure is extrapolated from a record-high of approximately $686,000 in remitted fees the LRS received from its panel members for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025 – a 90% increase over the previous fiscal year.

The Bar’s LRS receives a 12% remittance fee from its panel members, which they pay after they collect their fees from their referred clients.

Although the 2024-2025 fiscal year is over, that record-breaking amount is expected to increase slightly as panel member-attorneys continue to collect fees for cases referred during that period.

In comparison, attorneys collected $3.98 million in FY 2023-2024. That figure is extrapolated from the LRS’ revenue of $357,768.71 for that period.

This growth is expected to continue as Florida’s population further increases in the less-densely populated areas of the state, which are included in the LRS coverage area. Florida’s major cities have local bar associations that provide lawyer referrals.

LRS Senior Clerk Joel Patton says the dramatic increase in revenue is due, at least in part, to the LRS making “better” and “more” connections for clients and attorneys, explaining that fees are paid to the LRS only after attorneys have taken the referral, connected and contracted with the client,  and are paid.

Following a membership push in February, four more consumer law attorneys joined the LRS panel this year, which means slightly less pressure on panel members in some areas, with an easier load in terms of the number of cases referred to each attorney.

The slight bump is good news for LRS members and for the public. In counties with fewer panel members, the demand has exceeded capacity in some cases, leading to unmet client needs and missed opportunities for panel members, according to the LRS.

This is because less than 25% of eligible attorneys join the panel in some areas of the state, the Bar’s Programs Marketing Manager Roberto Saravia told the News in February.

In an ongoing effort to encourage more Bar members to join LRS panels, the LRS’ annual panel fee of $125 continues to be waived.

The LRS says the need for panel members remains consistent, as shown by undiminished numbers in referrals requested by the public.

In the first six weeks of this fiscal year, the LRS made almost 9,000 referrals to panel members. The service says it’s on pace to make an expected 70,000 referrals for this year, an increase of 5,000 referrals, or 7.61%, for 2025, which although slightly below 2024’s 8.5% increase to 65,010 referrals, continues recent years’ general upward trend. And the LRS has already collected $106,152 in referral remittances for FY 2025-2026, up 15% over same period last year, further suggesting the increase may continue.

Lawyers who participate in the service range from new lawyers trying to build a practice, to more established attorneys who use it to supplement their client base. To be approved, applicants must pass a disciplinary history check, maintain an office in a geographical area not covered by a local bar referral service, and carry at least $100,000 in professional liability insurance. The application is available online.

How it Works

Incoming calls and online inquiries to the referral service are answered by a clerk at the Bar’s Tallahassee office who takes the caller’s name, email address, telephone number, and a brief description of the caller’s legal problem. The clerk conducts a search for panel members, who are filtered by county and area of practice. The prospective client receives the referred attorney’s contact information and is instructed to schedule an appointment, informing the attorney that they were referred by The Florida Bar. The panel member agrees to provide an initial 30-minute consultation to the client for no more than $25. [The initial consultation fee is excluded from the 12% referral fee that panel members pay to the LRS.]

The LRS also has a “modest means” panel for callers who qualify. Lawyers who are willing to take modest means referrals agree to provide the 30-minute consultation for free.

For more information on becoming a panel member, Bar members may call 850-561-5616 or email lawyerreferral@floridabar.org.

VIEWS AND CONCLUSIONS EXPRESSED IN ARTICLES HEREIN ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHORS AND NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF FLORIDA BAR STAFF, OFFICIALS, OR BOARD OF GOVERNORS OF THE FLORIDA BAR.