How Lawyers Get Google Reviews Ethically (and Reply Without Risk)

Ask a room of lawyers about Google reviews and you'll hear two complaints. The first: "Our clients love us, but almost none of them leave reviews." The second: "We got one unfair one-star review and I wasn't sure I was allowed to say anything."

Both have practical answers. Lawyers can ask clients for reviews, and plenty of firms do it well. But the rules are tighter than for a restaurant or a plumber. Professional conduct rules limit what you can give in return, and your duty of confidentiality limits what you can say in reply, even to a review that's flatly wrong.

This guide covers both sides: how to build a steady, ethical review habit, and how to respond (or not) in a way that protects your clients and your license. It's part of our complete marketing system for law firms.

Why reviews matter so much for law firms

People hiring a lawyer are often anxious and can't judge legal skill directly. Reviews are one of the few signals they can read, and they read them closely, especially the recent ones and the negative ones.

Reviews also influence where you appear. Google says on its local ranking help page that review count and rating are factored into local ranking, as part of a business's prominence. For Local Services Ads, reviews are also among the factors Google considers. So reviews help you get seen and help you get chosen.

The rules that apply to law firm reviews

Three sets of rules overlap.

The FTC's rule took effect October 21, 2024. The FTC's Q&A on the rule explains that it covers fake reviews, buying positive or negative reviews, reviews by insiders without clear disclosure, and suppressing reviews through threats or intimidation. Google's fake engagement policy bans offering incentives for reviews and discouraging negative reviews or selectively asking for positive ones, a practice often called "review gating."

What this rules out

• Offering a discount, gift card, coffee voucher or raffle entry in exchange for a review.
• Sending a satisfaction survey and only giving the review link to clients who rated you highly.
• Having staff, friends or family post reviews without disclosing their connection.
• Writing a review for a client to "approve," or editing what they wrote.
• Asking clients to remove negative reviews in exchange for anything of value, including a fee reduction.
• Putting clauses in engagement letters that bar clients from posting honest reviews.

When to ask a client for a review

Timing does more than wording. Ask at a moment when the client feels the value of your work and the relationship is in a good place.

Some practice-specific notes:

• Personal injury. Ask after the settlement funds are disbursed and the client has their money, not while they're waiting.
• Family law. Be sensitive. Many clients don't want their divorce or custody matter linked to their name in public. Make it easy to decline, and never push.
• Criminal defense. Many clients won't want to post publicly. Some will, especially after a dismissal. Ask gently and accept a no.
• Estate planning and business law. Usually straightforward. Ask at signing or delivery of documents.

Our family law and estate planning marketing guide covers tone for sensitive practice areas in more depth.

Ask everyone, not just your favorites

Google's policy against selectively soliciting positive reviews means you shouldn't pick only the clients you expect to be happy. The simplest fix is to make the ask part of your closing checklist for every concluded matter. It's also the honest approach: a profile with a natural mix of reviews is more believable than a wall of identical five-star praise.

Templates for asking

Keep the ask short, personal and free of pressure. Get your direct review link from your Google Business Profile (our guide to getting more Google reviews shows where to find it).

In person or on the phone at matter close:

Follow-up email (same day):

Subject: Thank you, and a small request

Hi Jordan,

Thank you for trusting our firm with your matter. It was a pleasure working with you.

If you're comfortable sharing your experience, a short Google review helps other people find a lawyer when they need one. Here's the direct link: [your review link]

Please don't include anything you'd prefer to keep private. And if you'd rather not, that's completely fine.

Best, [Attorney name]

One reminder (one week later):

Hi Jordan, just a quick follow-up on my note last week. If you'd like to leave a review, here's the link again: [your review link]. Either way, thank you again.

Notice the line about privacy. Clients sometimes share more about their case than they'd want public. Reminding them helps protect them and you.

If you use an email tool to send these, send from a real attorney's mailbox rather than a no-reply address. Growvia's follow-up sequences send from your own Gmail or Outlook account and can be triggered when a matter is marked closed in your leads pipeline. Its competitor tracker also shows how your review count and review velocity compare with nearby firms, so you can tell whether you're keeping pace.

Replying to positive reviews

A short thank-you is fine and shows prospects you're engaged. Keep it general. Don't confirm the type of matter, outcome or any detail, even if the client mentioned it.

Good: "Thank you for taking the time to leave this review, Jordan. We appreciate it."

Risky: "Thanks, Jordan! We were thrilled to get your DUI charges dismissed after that tough hearing in March."

The second reply confirms the representation and discloses information about it. Even if the client mentioned the dismissal in their review, your duty of confidentiality is broader than attorney-client privilege and generally covers information that's already public. Write every reply as if the client's future employer will read it.

Replying to negative reviews: what ABA Formal Opinion 496 says

In January 2021, the ABA's Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued Formal Opinion 496 on responding to online criticism. Its main points:

• Confidentiality applies. Rule 1.6 covers all information relating to the representation, whatever the source, including information in public records.
• A negative review isn't a "controversy." The self-defense exception in Rule 1.6(b)(5) lets lawyers reveal information to establish a claim or defense in a controversy with a client. The opinion concludes that an online review alone doesn't trigger it, and that a public response isn't reasonably necessary to answer informal criticism.
• Consider not responding. The opinion notes that more activity on a post can push it higher in search results.
• If you respond, keep it general. It offers examples such as "Please contact me by telephone so that we can discuss your concerns" and, for a client or former client, "Professional obligations do not allow me to respond as I would wish."
• You can ask the client for informed consent to respond with details, and discuss the proposed response with them first. In practice, that consent is rarely given for negative reviews.
• You may ask the website to remove a review, but your request can't disclose confidential information either.
• Non-clients. If the poster was never a client, you may say so, but be careful. If the post relates to a real representation (for example, a client's opponent), even saying the events are inaccurately portrayed could reveal confidential information.

State bars have reached similar conclusions. North Carolina's 2020 Formal Ethics Opinion 1, New Jersey's Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics Opinion 738 (2020) and Florida Bar Ethics Opinion 20-01 all say lawyers can't reveal confidential information to rebut a negative review. Florida's opinion allows a general statement that the post doesn't present a fair and accurate picture of events, while the ABA cautions that such statements can themselves reveal involvement in some situations. Check your own state's guidance.

Reply templates for difficult reviews

Use this decision table to pick a response.

Before posting any reply, ask three questions: Does this confirm that the person was a client? Does it reveal anything about a matter? Would I be comfortable if a disciplinary counsel read it? If any answer worries you, shorten it or don't post.

Reporting fake and policy-violating reviews

Google lets businesses flag reviews that break its policies, such as spam, off-topic content, conflicts of interest (a competitor or an opposing party), harassment or hate speech. A review isn't removable just because it's negative or unfair. Flag through your Google Business Profile, keep a record and be patient. The general steps are covered in our negative review response guide, and our Google Business Profile optimization guide covers the profile settings.

Reviews on legal directories and testimonials on your site

Avvo, Justia, Martindale-Hubbell and similar sites host their own client reviews. The same principles apply: no incentives, no gating, no confidential details in replies.

Reusing reviews as testimonials on your website or in ads is a separate question. Many states regulate testimonials, sometimes requiring disclaimers or barring certain claims about results, and some filing states treat ads containing testimonials as filable. Check our lawyer advertising rules by state guide before putting a review quote on a landing page.

Build the habit into your process

The firms with the most reviews aren't usually doing anything clever. They just ask every time.

Intake is where the relationship starts, and closing is where the review comes from. If you haven't set up a strong intake process, our law firm intake guide covers it. For how reviews fit with SEO, ads and AI search, return to the all-in-one marketing guide for lawyers.

Frequently asked questions

Is it ethical for a lawyer to ask clients for Google reviews?

Generally yes. Asking is allowed in most states as long as you don't offer anything of value in return, don't ask only the clients you expect to be happy, and don't write or edit the review. Check your state bar's rules and opinions.

Can a law firm offer a discount or gift card for a review?

No. Giving something of value for a review runs into Rule 7.2's limits on paying for recommendations, Google's ban on incentivized reviews and the FTC's rules on buying reviews.

How should a lawyer respond to a negative online review?

Often the best response is none. If you do reply, keep it general and don't reveal anything about the representation. ABA Formal Opinion 496 suggests wording such as "Professional obligations do not allow me to respond as I would wish."

Can a lawyer reveal information to defend against a false review?

Generally no. ABA Formal Opinion 496 and several state opinions conclude that a negative review alone doesn't trigger the self-defense exception to confidentiality, even if the information is in public records. You can seek the client's informed consent, but you shouldn't disclose without it.

Can lawyers reply "thank you" to positive reviews?

Yes, a short, general thank-you is fine. Don't mention the type of matter, the outcome or any other details, even if the client included them in their review.