Google Reviews for Law Firms: How to Get Them Safely

Why do reviews matter for a law firm?

Reviews affect how clients see your firm and how Google sees your profile. Google lists review count and ratings among the factors that make a business more prominent in local results, alongside relevance and distance. It says there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. A thoughtful set of reviews also helps a worried person decide whether to call. Legal work is unusual because clients may be anxious, the work may be sensitive and the best outcome may still disappoint. That means reviews should be read as feedback about service, communication and care, not as promises about results. The SRA has said that responding to online reviews can help a firm maintain, develop and protect its reputation, and that firms should not be afraid of negative feedback. Treat your reviews as a source of information as well as marketing: they tell you what clients value and where the firm could improve its communication.

How do you ask for reviews safely?

Make it easy and fair. Google says you may ask customers to review you by sharing a Google link or a QR code. It also says you must not offer incentives, must not discourage negative reviews, and must not selectively ask only satisfied customers. Staff should not pressure customers to review on the premises, and you cannot set quotas or require particular content, such as mentioning a named person. So choose a simple rule based on the stage of the matter, not on how happy you think the client is. For example, invite every client by email or text when the matter ends, using one standard message. Ask your COLP which matters, if any, you should not contact because it would be inappropriate, and write down the rule. Keep the message short and honest, and thank people whether they respond or not. Record when each invitation was sent.

• Use one standard invitation
• Send it to everyone covered by your rule
• Offer no gifts, discounts or entries
• Do not suggest what to write

What are the legal limits on incentives and fake reviews?

Consumer law now backs up Google's policy. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 bans submitting or commissioning fake reviews and concealed incentivised reviews, and publishing reviews in a misleading way. The CMA's guidance, issued on 4 April 2025, says that incentivising someone counts as commissioning by any means. It says reviews may be incentivised only if that fact is clearly disclosed, and the review must still reflect a genuine experience. It gives an example of a prohibited practice: contacting a customer who has left a negative review and offering a refund or gift card if they change it. Google's rules are stricter than the law in one respect: it removes reviews prompted by incentives and does not let merchants offer them. So the practical rule for a law firm is simple. Do not pay for, trade for or reward reviews, and do not ask a supplier to do so for you.

How should you reply to reviews?

Reply to all of them, promptly and politely. Google says replies are public and should be brief, relevant and not promotional. For negative reviews, it suggests being honest, apologising where appropriate, personalising the reply, not sharing private details, responding promptly and inviting complex issues to be dealt with privately. The SRA's guidance, reported by Legal Futures in October 2018, said firms should never leave a negative review unanswered. It said they should thank the client, explain how the issue will be addressed and avoid defensive replies, such as telling the client they are wrong. It also said that professional privilege and client confidentiality duties do not stop a firm replying, but the reply must not disclose confidential or privileged information. If a review reveals such details, acknowledge it and contact the client directly. The article is several years old, so check the current SRA position with your COLP. Agree a template for common situations, but personalise each reply.

How should you use reviews on your website?

Showing reviews on your own site is advertising, so the advertising rules apply. The ASA says you must hold documentary evidence that a testimonial is genuine, hold contact details for the source and have permission to use it. The CMA says a trader may infringe the law if it suppresses genuine reviews, selectively promotes positive ones or highlights positive reviews that do not reflect reviewers' experience overall. So show a fair picture. Link to your full Google profile rather than hand-picking five-star quotes. For no win, no fee and similar claims, the SRA expects testimonials not to create unrealistic expectations about success, speed, simplicity or financial risk. Remove or avoid any review that does so, and do not edit one to make it sound better. If a review includes a claim you could not make yourself, treat it with care. Our guide to the SRA website checklist lists related items.

What about sensitive matters?

Some clients will not want to leave a public review, and that is their right. Matters involving family breakdown, criminal charges, immigration, bereavement or medical harm can be deeply personal, and a public review may reveal more than the client intended. Do not pressure anyone to post. Make the invitation low-key, make clear that there is no obligation, and accept silence without chasing. Remind your team never to confirm in a public reply that a person was a client if that would reveal something confidential. Keep any detail of the matter out of the reply. The SRA's guidance says a reply must not disclose confidential or privileged information. A short, general reply that thanks the reviewer, offers to talk offline and gives a contact point is usually safer than a detailed one. Agree this approach with your COLP, write it into your procedure and train anyone who posts replies.

What should you do if a review is fake or unfair?

Do not retaliate or argue in public. First decide whether the review breaks Google's content policies. For example, it may come from someone who was never a client, from a competitor or former employee, or it may be abusive. If it does, Google lets you flag it for review. If it is a genuine but unfair view, reply politely and leave it. The CMA's guidance says traders should not limit access to genuine negative reviews by editing, withholding or removing them, so do not pressure the reviewer to take it down. Never offer anything in return for a change. Keep a record of what you did and why. Note the date you flagged the review, the reason you gave and Google's response. That lets you show a consistent approach if anyone asks. Our review management service and guide to the Google Business Profile show how we handle this with clients.

Next step

If you would like help setting up a safe review process, book a free audit. We will check your profile, your invitation process and your replies.