Quote Originally Posted by Galician View Post
Since Esq. is the accepted designation for attorneys here, I would think that in this country it would be perfectly acceptable for them to use that.
On a business card, yes. On a social card, no.

The professional exceptions for social cards are Reverend, Father, & Rabbi preceding the name. Using Esq. after one's name (despite it's professional use by lawyers) implies one is an armiger (ie: possesses a personal coat of arms). While it is accepted practice in the United States that a lawyer will append Esq. after his name on a business card, it is gauche, in the extreme, to advertise, or put forward, one's trade, profession, or academic standing on a social card.