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Call now - Negative online reviews are an unavoidable aspect of practicing law.
Even the most diligent solicitors can face unjustified client criticism due to frustration, disappointment, or misunderstanding.
While unfair, your response to negative comments can shape your reputation more than the review itself. Managing these situations professionally can showcase your firm’s commitment to client care and turn a potential risk into an opportunity to build trust.
Who are you replying to?
When responding to reviews, remember your primary audience is everyone reading the review, including potential clients evaluating your firm – often thousands of people. The reviewer is secondary.
Adopting this perspective ensures your reply remains professional, measured, and focused on protecting your firm’s reputation.
Should solicitors respond to negative reviews?
Yes. Responding shows accountability and client care. Ignoring reviews suggests indifference.
Before replying:
- Protect client confidentiality
- Keep responses brief; take detailed discussions offline
- Stay calm and professional, avoiding defensiveness
- View the review as an opportunity to demonstrate constructive concern management
Should solicitors respond to positive reviews?
Yes – acknowledging them shows appreciations, encourages others to share, and fosters client loyalty.
What if the review is false or misleading?
Remain calm, if it’s clearly false or defamatory, request its removal via the platform’s reporting process with evidence if needed.
Often, the review stays online, so your response influences others. State if you don’t recognise the events, avoid sharing client details, and invite the reviewer to contact the firm directly. Maintain a professional tone to show your commitment to resolving issues fairly.
What if the review is fair but makes your firm look bad?
If a fair review harms your firm’s image, acknowledge the concerns and, if appropriate, outline the steps taken. This demonstrates seriousness about feedback. When responding, consider whether an apology is warranted, and consider inviting offline discussion or noting resolution. Your reply may be reviewed by regulators if a complaint is filed. Handing fair criticism professionally reassures clients of your commitment to improvement.
Learn from the feedback
Both positive and negative reviews reveal how your firm is perceived, highlighting strengths to build on and patterns indicating areas for improvement. Acting on this feedback is a smart move to boos client service and reputation.
Can you ask a client to remove or amend a review?
Whenever possible, contact the client directly by phone or in person to discuss the review, especially if it was due to frustration or misunderstanding.
Maintain calm, professional tone – acknowledge their concerns and explain how you’ve addressed them.
Avoid pressuring; instead, politely ask if they might consider changing or removing the review if the feel the issue is resolved.
Remember, clients are often less confrontational verbally than online. A respectful conversation can demonstrate that their feedback impacts a real person and may encourage them to revise their review.
Using legal threats to remove a review
Using legal threats to remove a review can be effective against clear defamation, but it’s risky. It may escalate the situation and lead to increased attention if the client resists.
Is never asking for a review a safer approach?
Unhappy clients often leave negative feedback, while satisfied ones rarely do unless prompted. By requesting reviews, you increase the likelihood of positive feedback and mitigate the impact of negative comments.
Don’t let negative reviews deter you from social proof
Modern consumers expect some negatives and judge you by how you address them – fairly and promptly. A few negatives won’t outweigh your positive track record. If patterns of dissatisfaction emerge, they offer an opportunity to act quickly and prevent reputation damage.
