Google reviews for law firms
How can a law firm get more Google reviews without breaking the rules?
Ask every client, at the same two moments, with a direct link. The system we set up for firms, and the Google, FTC and bar rules that decide what's allowed.
By Charlotte Thompson, Co-Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
Ask every client for a Google review at the same moments, usually after the first consultation and when the matter closes, with a direct review link or QR code. Never filter out unhappy clients first, never offer anything in return, and never tell anyone what to write.
Firms that collect reviews steadily aren't more charming than the ones that don't. They just wired the ask into their routine, so it happens on every matter instead of when someone remembers. Google's own policy sets the limits, and in the US the FTC and your bar add to them.
Charlotte sets up Google review campaigns with our client firms during onboarding, so this is the process we run. We work with law firms across the US and Canada, and also in Australia and the UK.
Why they matter
Reviews decide whether people call you, where you rank, and what AI tools say about you.
A law firm's Google reviews do three jobs at once. That's why a steady flow matters more than a burst every couple of years.
- They're what people read before they call
Your rating, your review count and the newest few reviews sit next to your Business Profile in Search and Maps. On a profile with 80 reviews, one more is noise. On a profile with 6, the next one is the headline.
- They feed Local Services Ads ranking
Google names your rating and number of reviews in how it ranks Local Services Ads, and recommends at least 5. Our guide on reviews and Local Services Ads covers the ad side in detail.
- They feed AI answers
When ChatGPT, Gemini or Google's AI names lawyers in a city, the local results and reviews behind them are part of what it reads. Our guide to reviews and AI search explains how.
The rules
Google's policy is the strictest rule in most places, so build the process around it.
Some bars allow a small thank-you gift for a review. Google doesn't allow any incentive at all, and Google decides what stays on your profile.
| Who | What it says | What it means for a firm |
|---|---|---|
| No incentives; no discouraging negative reviews or "selectively" asking for positive ones; no pressuring people on the premises; no requesting specific content; no reviews from employees | Ask everyone, offer nothing, don't script it, and keep staff and family off your profile | |
| Google penalties | Possible restrictions include no new reviews for a set period, existing reviews unpublished, and a public warning that fake reviews were removed | A shortcut can cost years of reviews in one move |
| FTC (US) | Incentives can't be conditioned on a positive review; undisclosed incentives and asking only happy customers could violate the FTC Act | Gating is a federal risk, not just a Google one |
| New York (NYSBA Op. 1286) | A lawyer may ask a former client for a Google review and may offer a nominal gift, if the lawyer doesn't draft it or tie the gift to its content | The bar allows it, but Google's no-incentive rule still applies |
| Texas (Op. 685) | Lawyers may encourage clients to leave positive reviews, but not false, misleading or unfounded ones, and should take steps to correct false ones | Ask freely, never coach the content |
| Yelp | Businesses shouldn't ask customers for Yelp reviews | Point the ask at Google, not Yelp |
The jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction detail, including Canada, the UK and Australia, is in our guide to bar and law society rules on asking for reviews. The short version: nobody bans asking, several restrict how, and Google's policy is the floor everywhere.
Set it up once
Build the ask into intake and file closing, so it happens on every matter.
The firms with hundreds of reviews have a step in their process, not a burst of effort. This is the setup we put in during onboarding.
Make the direct review link and a QR code
Google lets you ask with a link or a QR code that opens the review box for your profile. We make both for every client firm, then open the link to check it lands on the right listing, with the right name and address. A link to a duplicate or old listing sends reviews to the wrong place.
Pick the moments
Two work for most practices: after the first consultation, while the experience is fresh, and when the matter closes. For long matters, a mid-point milestone works too. Write the moments into the intake checklist.
Ask everyone at those moments
Not just the clients you think are happy. Google bans selective asking, and the FTC says it could break federal law. In practice, asking everyone also brings more reviews.
Send it from the CRM, by text and email
A short message with the link, sent when the matter moves to the right stage in your CRM, means nobody has to remember. One reminder a few days later is plenty.
Ask in person too
A lawyer saying "it would really help us if you shared your experience on Google" at the end of a good call does more than any template. Hand over the QR code or text the link right then. Don't ask them to do it on the spot in your office.
Reply to every review
Thank people for positive reviews without confirming anything about their matter. For negative ones, follow the ABA's guidance in our guide to responding to bad reviews.
Check the count monthly
If the number hasn't moved, the ask isn't going out. Look at the trigger in the CRM before you look at the wording.
What to say
Ask plainly, say why it helps, and leave the words to them.
Google bans asking for specific content, and Texas Opinion 685 bars encouraging false or unfounded statements. A plain ask is both compliant and more effective.
- Text after a consultation: "Thanks for meeting with us today. If you have a minute, a Google review helps other people find us: [link]. Thank you."
- Email at closing: "It's been a privilege to help. If you're comfortable sharing your experience, here's the link to our Google profile: [link]. Your honest feedback helps people in the same spot decide who to call."
- In person: "If we've helped, a Google review would mean a lot. I'll text you the link."
Don't suggest phrases, don't ask for five stars, and don't offer to write it for them. NYSBA Opinion 1286 says the lawyer must not draft the review. Clients who describe the work in their own words ("they handled my father's probate") write reviews that read as real and tell AI tools what you do.
A note for some practices: in criminal defense, immigration and family law, many clients would rather not be publicly linked to a lawyer. Ask anyway, the same way, and let them decide. Some will leave a review with only a first name or initials, which is their choice.
Where to ask
Google first, then the directories that matter in your practice, and never Yelp.
Spreading the ask across five sites leaves each one thin. Most of the effect comes from Google, so it gets most of the asks.
| Site | Why | How we handle it |
|---|---|---|
| Shows on Search, Maps and Local Services Ads; read by Google's AI | The default ask, every client | |
| Avvo, Justia and similar legal directories | AI tools often cite them for lawyer questions | An occasional second ask, once Google is steady |
| Facebook recommendations | Seen by people checking you out on social | Only if the firm's page is active |
| Yelp | Its own rules tell businesses not to ask | Never ask. Reply to what appears there |
Our guide on where AI tools find lawyers covers which directories matter for AI answers.
What we see
The difference between firms is almost never the clients. It's whether the ask is automatic.
In our client work, firms that move the review count are the ones where the request goes out on every matter without anyone deciding to send it.
We see it most clearly with new firms. A business law firm we work with started with a thin presence, and six months of steady credibility work, reviews included, ended with prospects and referral partners approaching them first. On the ad side, a DUI defense solo whose Local Services Ads generated $13,500 from $600 in ad spend was competing on a listing where rating and review count are on display next to every competitor.
Steady also beats sudden. Google's policy watches for unusual volumes or patterns of reviews, so a firm that asks every client every month builds a profile that looks like what it is: a busy practice.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
These are the review mistakes we see most when a firm comes to us.
Asking only the happy clients
It feels harmless and it's exactly what Google's policy bans. It's also a federal risk in the US, according to the FTC's own Q&A.
A gift card for a review
Even where your bar allows a nominal gift, Google bans incentives, and Google's penalties include unpublishing your existing reviews.
Staff and family reviews
Google treats current or former employment and family relationships as conflicts of interest. Those reviews come down and can bring restrictions.
A tablet in the lobby
Google says not to pressure people into reviewing while they're on your premises. Send the link instead.
Asking once a year in a big push
A burst of reviews followed by silence looks odd and leaves the profile stale for months. A steady trickle from every matter does better.
The wrong listing
Firms with an old duplicate profile sometimes send clients to the wrong one for years. Open your own link and check.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
A business firm whose steady reputation work changed who reaches out first, and a DUI solo competing on a Local Services Ads listing where reviews sit next to every competitor.
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.
Can a law firm ask clients for Google reviews?
Yes. Google provides a review link and QR code for exactly that, and US bar opinions such as NYSBA 1286 and Texas 685 allow lawyers to ask. The limits are how: no incentives, no asking only happy clients, no scripting what they say, and nothing false.
Can I offer a small gift for a review?
Some bars allow a nominal gift not tied to what the review says, but Google's policy bans incentives for reviews outright, and Google controls your profile. So the answer for Google reviews is no.
When is the right time to ask?
After the first consultation and when the matter closes work for most practices. Put both moments into your intake process so the ask goes out every time, by text or email with the direct link, plus a personal ask from the lawyer when it fits.
How many Google reviews does a law firm need?
There's no magic number. Google recommends at least 5 for Local Services Ads. Beyond that, compare yourself with the firms that show next to you in Maps for your main practice and city, and keep the flow steady so the newest review is recent.
Can my staff or family leave reviews?
No. Google's policy treats current or former employees and family as a conflict of interest, and those reviews get removed. Ask clients only.
Should we ask for Yelp reviews too?
No. Yelp tells businesses not to ask for reviews. Put your asks into Google and, once that's steady, the legal directories that matter in your practice.
What if a client is worried about privacy?
Respect it. Many clients in criminal, family and immigration matters prefer not to be linked to a lawyer publicly. Ask the same way you ask everyone and let them decide, and never mention their matter when you reply.
Can you set this up for our firm?
Yes. We make the link and QR code, wire the ask into your intake and follow-up, and check the numbers with you. Schedule a consultation to talk it through.
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.
- Google Maps Help, Maps user contributed content policy
- Google Business Profile Help, Read and reply to reviews / get more reviews
- Google Business Profile Help, Business Profile restrictions for policy violations
- Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers
- New York State Bar Association, Ethics Opinion 1286
- Texas Professional Ethics Committee, Opinion 685
- Yelp Support Center, Don't Ask for Reviews
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.
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