Review rules by jurisdiction
What do bar and law society rules say about asking clients for reviews?
New York and Texas say yes with conditions, Quebec says don't solicit testimonials online, the SRA encourages it. The rules on asking, place by place.
By Charlotte Thompson, Co-Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
In most places a lawyer may ask clients for online reviews, as long as the request doesn't lead to false or misleading reviews, the lawyer doesn't write them, and nothing confidential is used or revealed. New York and Texas have opinions saying so, and the SRA in England and Wales actively encourages it.
The exceptions are in the details. New York allows a nominal gift that Google itself bans. Quebec's Barreau tells lawyers not to solicit testimonials on social media or a professional web page. And the moment you repost a review in your own marketing, your jurisdiction's testimonial rules apply to it.
Charlotte sets up review campaigns for our client firms, so this is the rule check we run first. This is a plain summary for marketing planning, not legal advice. Check the current rule with your bar or law society. We work with law firms across the US and Canada, and also in Australia and the UK.
Three layers of rules
Your bar's rules, consumer law and the platform's policy all apply, and the strictest one wins.
A review request has to pass all three. In practice, Google's policy is usually the tightest on incentives, and your regulator is the tightest on content.
- Your bar or law society
Professional conduct rules on truthful communications, confidentiality and testimonials. Some regulators have opinions on review requests specifically; most rely on the general rules.
- Consumer protection law
In the US, the FTC's rule on consumer reviews; in the UK, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act; in Australia, the Australian Consumer Law, which the ACCC enforces against fake or misleading reviews.
- The platform
Google's policy bans incentives, selective asking and requests for specific content. Yelp tells businesses not to ask at all. Our guide on getting more Google reviews covers those rules and the process.
By jurisdiction
What each regulator says about asking for reviews.
These are the positions we could confirm on official pages. Where a regulator has no specific guidance, the general rules on truthfulness and confidentiality still apply.
| Jurisdiction | What the regulator says | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| New York | NYSBA Op. 1286: a lawyer may ask a former client for a Google review and offer a nominal gift, if the lawyer doesn't draft it or tie the gift to its content. Op. 1052 allowed a $50 bill credit for rating on a site like Avvo, not contingent on content | Ask freely; skip the gift anyway, because Google bans it |
| Texas | Op. 685: lawyers may encourage current and former clients to leave positive reviews, but not false, misleading or unfounded ones, and should take reasonable steps to correct false ones | Ask, never coach, and fix a review that overstates what you did |
| Florida | Testimonials the lawyer uses in advertising must meet Rule 4-7.13(b)(9), including that nothing of value was given for them | Keep review asks free of any reward, especially if you'll ever quote them |
| British Columbia | Testimonials in marketing must be true and verifiable. An unsolicited Google or Yelp review the lawyer doesn't reproduce is unlikely to be marketing | Asking is fine; reposting brings the review under the marketing rules |
| Quebec | The Barreau's notice says not to solicit testimonials on social media or a professional web page, and to remove ones that appear | Check with the Barreau before running any review campaign |
| England and Wales | The SRA says encouraging clients to leave a review, for example with a link, is good practice, and replies must not disclose confidential information | Ask, reply professionally, and never reveal the matter |
| UK consumer law | The DMCC Act bans fake reviews and reviews that conceal an incentive | No incentives, no reviews from staff or friends |
| Australia | The ACCC says creating or arranging fake or misleading reviews is against the law, and suppressing or removing genuine negative reviews may mislead | Ask genuine clients; never filter out the unhappy ones |
A request that passes everywhere
Ask every client the same way, offer nothing, and let them write it.
One request design satisfies Google, the FTC and the bar opinions above at once. Asking everyone also means more requests go out, which on its own means more reviews.
Ask everyone at a fixed moment
After the first consultation and at closing work for most practices. Asking everyone avoids the selective asking Google bans and the FTC warns about.
Send a direct link, no rating screen
The link should go straight to the review box. A "how did we do?" step that only forwards happy clients to Google is gating.
Offer nothing in return
Not a discount, not a bill credit, not a raffle. New York's opinions allow nominal gifts, but Google's policy doesn't, and Florida's testimonial conditions bar anything of value if you ever use the review in an ad.
Don't suggest the words
No templates, no "mention that we won". NYSBA Op. 1286 says the lawyer must not draft it, Texas Op. 685 bars encouraging unfounded statements, and Google bans requesting specific content.
Keep confidential information out of the ask
The request itself shouldn't mention the matter in a way others could see, such as a group email or a public comment. Send it to the client privately.
Correct what's wrong
If a client's glowing review says something untrue, like a result you didn't get, Texas Op. 685 says to take reasonable steps to have it corrected. Ask the client, kindly, to edit it.
Asking vs using
Asking for a review and using a review are two different rules.
A review that sits on Google is the client's. A review you quote on your website, in an ad or on social media is your testimonial, and the stricter testimonial rules apply.
British Columbia's advisory draws the line clearly: an unsolicited Google review the lawyer doesn't reproduce is unlikely to be a marketing activity, but once it's reproduced or referred to in marketing, every statement in it must be true and verifiable, and praise like "great advice" can't be verified.
Florida's conditions apply to testimonials in the lawyer's advertising: the person must be qualified to judge, describe their own experience, and give consent, the lawyer must not write it, and nothing of value can be given. Our guide to using testimonials covers every jurisdiction, and our guide to social media rules covers reposting on social.
Confidentiality
The request and your replies must not reveal anything about the client's matter.
The duty of confidentiality doesn't pause for marketing. It matters most when you reply to reviews, which is where lawyers most often slip.
- NYSBA Op. 1286 adds that a lawyer may not use a former client's confidential information to the former client's disadvantage, which rules out pressure tied to what you know about them.
- The SRA says replying to reviews is fine provided you don't disclose confidential or privileged information.
- ABA Formal Opinion 496 says a negative review alone doesn't let a lawyer reveal client information in reply. Our guide to responding to bad reviews has safe reply wording.
- Even a thank-you can confirm someone was a client. Keep replies to thanks and a general line about your firm.
How we run it
We check the rules first, then set up the request.
When we set up review requests for a firm, the rule check comes before the message: jurisdiction, practice area and how the firm wants to treat client privacy.
In practice that means a direct Google link and QR code for every firm, one plain message at fixed points in the matter, no rating screen, no rewards, Google first and never Yelp, and every reply to a review approved by a person before it posts. For a newer business law firm, that steady approach was part of a six-month build that ended with people approaching the firm first.
Reviews also matter beyond the profile. Google names rating and review count in how it ranks Local Services Ads, and the local results AI tools read draw on them too, which is why reviews are part of our AI search work.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
The rule mistakes we see most when firms start asking for reviews.
Reading a bar opinion as permission for Google
New York's opinions allow a nominal gift. Google's policy doesn't, and Google decides what stays on your profile.
Sending clients a template review
It breaks Google's policy on requested content, and NYSBA Op. 1286 says the lawyer must not draft the review.
Gating through a satisfaction survey
Forwarding only happy clients is selective asking under Google's policy and, per the FTC, could violate federal law. Australia's ACCC warns about suppressing genuine negative reviews too.
Quoting reviews on the website without checking them
Once a review is in your marketing, testimonial rules apply. Unverifiable praise and emotional appeals are what BC and Ontario warn about.
Running a campaign in Quebec without checking
The Barreau's notice tells lawyers not to solicit testimonials online. Clear it first.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
A business law firm where steady, rule-safe reputation work changed who reaches out first.
Identifying details are anonymized to protect our clients. Individual result, not a promise or prediction of any specific outcome for your firm.
FAQ
Questions lawyers ask us.
Straight answers to the questions that come up most.
Is it ethical for a lawyer to ask for Google reviews?
Generally yes. NYSBA Opinion 1286 and Texas Opinion 685 both allow it, and the SRA encourages it in England and Wales. The conditions: no false or misleading reviews, the lawyer doesn't write them, and nothing confidential is revealed. Quebec is the exception to check first.
Can I offer a client a discount for leaving a review?
New York's opinions allow a nominal gift or credit if it isn't tied to what the review says. But Google's policy bans any incentive for reviews, and Florida's testimonial conditions bar anything of value if you use the review in an ad. Our advice is to offer nothing.
Can I ask only the clients who had a good result?
No. Google's policy bans selectively asking for positive reviews, the FTC says it could violate the FTC Act, and Australia's ACCC warns against suppressing genuine negative reviews. Ask everyone at the same point in the matter.
Can I write the review for a busy client to approve?
No. NYSBA Opinion 1286 says the lawyer must not draft the review, Google bans requesting specific content, and in the UK commissioning someone to write a fake review is a banned practice under the DMCC Act.
Can I put my Google reviews on my website?
Often yes, but then they're testimonials in your marketing, and your jurisdiction's testimonial rules apply. In BC, every statement must be true and verifiable once you reproduce it. Our testimonials guide covers each jurisdiction.
Do the same rules apply in Canada?
Each law society sets its own. BC treats a reposted review as marketing, Ontario's commentary warns about emotional testimonials, and Quebec's Barreau says not to solicit testimonials online. Our guide to marketing a law firm in Canada covers the wider differences.
What should I do about a client's review that exaggerates?
Texas Opinion 685 says a lawyer who learns of a false, misleading or unfounded favorable review should take reasonable steps to have it corrected or removed. A polite request to the client to edit it is usually enough. If you'd like help setting up a compliant review process, schedule a consultation.
Where we do this
The services this guide touches.
What this looks like when we run it for a firm, with a demo for your practice on each page.
Sources
Where these facts come from.
Official pages we read when writing this page. Platforms and rules change, so check the current version before you act on any of it. This is marketing guidance, not legal advice.
- New York State Bar Association, Ethics Opinion 1286
- New York State Bar Association, Ethics Opinion 1052
- Texas Professional Ethics Committee, Opinion 685
- The Florida Bar, Handbook on Lawyer Advertising (13th ed., December 2025)
- Law Society of British Columbia, Ethics Advisory: Marketing activities
- Barreau du Québec, notice to members on social media conduct
- Solicitors Regulation Authority, Engaging with online reviews
- legislation.gov.uk, Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, Schedule 20, paragraph 13
- Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Online reviews
- Google Maps Help, Maps user contributed content policy
Written by
Co-founder of Ad Hoc Digital. Leads social media and content, runs onboarding for new client firms, and is on the regular check-in calls with clients.
More about CharlotteWant a second pair of eyes on this?
Book a free 30-minute call. Tell us how cases come in today, and we'll tell you straight what we'd change, and whether we can help.