Prospective clients read reviews before they call, and reviews are one of the signals Google uses in local results. Lawyers have extra things to think about: confidentiality, advertising rules, and the fact that a client may not want to publicize that they needed a lawyer at all. A simple, respectful process covers each of these.
Start with the rules
Attorney advertising and testimonial rules differ by state, and some bars have issued guidance on online reviews. Read your state bar’s rules and ethics opinions, or ask your bar’s ethics hotline, before you build a process. Google also has its own policies: it prohibits reviews offered in exchange for a reward and does not allow “review gating,” where you only ask happy clients to review you. Following both is the safe path.
A process that works
- Ask at the right moment. The best time is when the client has just had a good outcome or a clear milestone, not months later.
- Ask everyone, not just the happy ones. A short, neutral message sent to all clients keeps you within Google’s rules.
- Make it easy. Use your Google review link in an email or text. One tap to the review box beats a paragraph of instructions.
- Keep the pressure low. Clients can say no. Don’t offer anything in return and don’t write the review for them.
- Ask every week. Five reviews spread across a year look more natural and convincing than fifty in one week.
Replying to reviews
Reply to all of them, positive and negative, usually within a few days. Keep replies short and warm. For a negative review, the most important rule is confidentiality: do not confirm that the person was a client and do not discuss any detail of their matter, even if they have already posted details themselves. A calm reply such as “We take feedback seriously. Please contact our office so we can talk privately” protects you and shows prospects how you handle problems.
What to avoid
- Paying for, or buying, reviews of any kind.
- Asking only people you expect to be positive.
- Reviews written by staff or relatives.
- Responding in anger or sharing case details.
- Posting client testimonials in a way your state’s advertising rules don’t allow.
Show your reviews on your website
Beyond Google, a site can show reviews from legal directories such as Avvo, where clients also leave feedback and peers leave endorsements. Check that how you present them is accurate and permitted where you practice. We built this for a Miami firm: see the Haber P.A. case study.
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