A  Connecticut lawyer has filed hundreds of ethics complaints across the country, setting the stage for a possible major change in how legal services are marketed over the Internet.

Zenas Zelotes, a Norwich  resident and bankruptcy lawyer, said he has filed more than 550 complaints in 47 states, claiming improper referrals are being made through Internet sites run by Total Attorneys Inc. of Chicago. Referrals obtained through sites such as totaldivorce.com and totaldui.com breach rules against for-profit lawyer referral services, Zelotes claims.

Kevin Chern...president of Total Attorneys reponds to the lawsuits.

Chern says this is a cooperative advertising arrangement permitted under the rules, and attorneys are paying him for the cost of licensing the website and marketing costs.

This is a "natural extension of marketing models that are ubiquitous across the Internet," Chern said.

Hawaii Rules

The first to rule on the complaint, Hawaii’s Office of Disciplinary Counsel completed a full inquiry and determined that there is no basis upon which to take any action in the case. Hawaii also stated in its letter that the complaint raised serious First Amendment free commercial speech and other legal issues.

“The ruling in Hawaii affirms our belief that the advertising model used by Total Attorneys is within the bounds of ethical and professional conduct,” said Chern. “In Connecticut, as in most states, the Rules of Professional Conduct do not expressly address modern technology. That said, the Hawaii finding demonstrates that reasonable attorney regulators can certainly apply antiquated Rules to contemporary technology in a way that fulfills their mission to protect consumers and that retains the spirit of those Rules.”