r/Ask_Lawyers rules, stats, and what to post

A source-backed Rankhog guide to r/Ask_Lawyers: public rules, community context, posting fit, and startup-promotion risk before you publish.

Check a post for r/Ask_Lawyers Test a Reddit post

By Anthony Riera, founder and operator of Rankhog.

Subreddit guides combine public Reddit source URLs, captured rules, visible verification dates, and Rankhog's account-safety workflow.

Current public stats

Members: 136,303
Verified: September 18, 2026
Category: Consultants and professional services operators

Rules can change, so Rankhog keeps verification dates and the original public Reddit sources visible.

Rule summary

Only verified lawyers may post answers in comments.: Only verified lawyers with flair may answer questions or post top-level comments. Users without verification flair are limited to asking questions in this forum. If you are a lawyer and wish to get flair please [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/Ask_Lawyers). Repeated and willful violations of this rule may result in a temporary or permanent ban.
Do not solicit legal advice.: It is unethical for an attorney to offer legal advice about your specific situation, so do not request any. You may request *general advice and information* about the courts. The closest thing to specific legal advice that a lawyer may offer is advising you to speak to a lawyer licensed in your jurisdiction. They may advise you about how to obtain legal representation or counsel.
Do not give legal advice.: Your comment and the post to which you responded have been removed because the post is suspected of being a request for legal advice. Please do not give legal advice on /r/Ask_Lawyers and please report any post you suspect is a request for legal advice. Please message the mods if you feel the post and your comment have been wrongfully removed. Repeated willful violations of this rule is cause for a ban.
Be civil.: Out of respect for all of our subscribers, including the licensed attorneys who devote time and energy to answering questions about law, we maintain high standards of civility. Please help us maintain a cordial atmosphere by treating all people on this sub with respect, ignoring provocation, and reporting uncivil comments rather than responding in a way that compounds the problem. Please message the mods if you are confused by this rule or feel your comment has been wrongfully removed.
Do not seek to form any financial relationships.: Do not seek to undertake or obtain paid legal representation of anyone here. Do not seek or make a specific referral for paid services. If a lawyer is licensed in the jurisdiction of a user and wishes to provide pro bono legal assistance, such an offer is not in violation of this rule so long as all communications deserving of attorney-client privilege are conducted privately.
Do not bicker.: Answers may be less definitive and more controversial than on other "ask a professional" subs. Lawyers answering questions may disagree with each other. Do not bicker about who is right. If two lawyers disagree about an answer they should do their best to explain both sides of the issue to the OP. Once that is accomplished, further argument is not appropriate in this community. If you are not a flaired user, you may ask genuine follow-up questions. This is not, however, an open debate forum.
Provide sources where appropriate.: This is a general rule, but especially important if you are correcting another lawyer's response. Do not simply say they are wrong, but provide a basis and sources where appropriate.
No low effort answers.: Do not simply link to an article or other source or give a conclusive statement without supporting information. Explain your answer, even if only a brief explanation is required.
Posts should contain questions about the law.: Your post has been removed because it does not relate to a legal issue or contain a question which lawyers are especially qualified to answer. Ideal questions are not just related to law but are **true legal questions.** Example: "If an officer sticks his head through a car window that was already open and sees contraband, does that qualify as a search?" That is a true legal question. "If you could reverse one Supreme Court case, which would it be and why?" That is a law-related question.
Posts must contain a question: Your post has been removed because it does not contain a question. News stories may be posted for general discussion at /r/Law, /r/politics, or other appropriate subreddits. Please message the mods if you are confused by this rule or feel your post has been wrongfully removed.

Works well

A general legal question about how a specific law works in your industry, phrased as a true legal question rather than a personal situation.
A question about a legal concept that affects many businesses, asked without referencing your own company or product.
If you are a verified lawyer with flair, a well-sourced answer that explains both sides of a legal issue and cites appropriate authorities.

Avoid

Posting a question about your specific personal legal situation, because the community treats that as soliciting legal advice and removes it.
Answering questions or posting top-level comments if you are not a verified lawyer with flair.
Sharing a news story or article without a clear legal question attached.
Seeking paid legal work or making referrals for paid services in posts or comments.
Posting low effort answers that just link to a source without explanation.
Bickering with lawyers who disagree with each other instead of letting them explain both sides.

What r/Ask_Lawyers Is For

This community is a place to post questions about legal issues and get answers from lawyers. The public description is straightforward: you bring a legal question, and verified lawyers with flair provide general information. Non-lawyers are limited to asking questions only. The community draws a hard line between general legal information and specific legal advice, and it expects every post to contain a genuine legal question that lawyers are especially qualified to answer.

Rules That Matter Before Posting

The rule called Only verified lawyers may post answers in comments. is the biggest gatekeeper here. If you are not a verified lawyer with flair, you are limited to asking questions only. The rule Do not solicit legal advice. means your question must stay general and never ask what to do about your specific situation. The rule Do not seek to form any financial relationships. blocks any attempt to drum up paid work or referrals. The rule Posts must contain a question. means you cannot just share a news story or start a discussion thread. The rule Posts should contain questions about the law. adds that your question must be a true legal question, not just something law-related.

What To Post

If you are a founder doing respectful Reddit marketing here, your options are very narrow. You can only ask questions, and only general ones about how the law works. A good post would be a true legal question relevant to your industry, phrased so it helps others understand the legal landscape without asking what you personally should do. For example, if you build legal tech software, you could ask a general question about how a specific area of law treats a concept your product touches. You must not tie it to your own situation or promote your product. If you are a licensed lawyer, you could message the moderators to get verified flair and then answer questions, which would build trust over time, but you still cannot solicit paid work.

What To Avoid

Do not try to answer questions if you are not a verified lawyer. Repeated violations of that rule can lead to a temporary or permanent ban. Do not ask for legal advice about your specific situation, because the community considers that unethical for attorneys to provide. Do not post news stories without a question, because those get removed. Do not seek paid legal representation or make referrals for paid services. Do not post low effort answers that just drop a link without explanation. Do not bicker if lawyers disagree with each other, because the community wants both sides explained, not argued.

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Common questions about r/Ask_Lawyers

Can I post a comment answering a legal question if I am a lawyer but not verified?

No, you cannot. Only verified lawyers with flair may post top-level comments or answer questions. You would need to message the moderators to request verification first.

Can I share a legal news article for discussion?

No. The rules say posts must contain a question, and news stories belong in other subreddits like r/Law or r/politics.

Can I offer my legal services to someone who posts here?

No. The rule against forming financial relationships prohibits seeking paid legal representation or making specific referrals for paid services. Pro bono offers are allowed only if attorney-client communications are kept private.

What counts as a true legal question versus a law-related question?

The community wants true legal questions, meaning questions about how the law works, not questions about what you should do in your personal case.

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