Negative reviews
How should a lawyer respond to a bad online review?
The ABA says a bad review doesn't let you reveal client information. When to stay quiet, what a safe reply sounds like, and how to report reviews that break Google's rules.
By Charlotte Thompson, Co-Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
Reply briefly or not at all, and never reveal anything about the client's matter. ABA Formal Opinion 496 says a negative review alone doesn't let a lawyer disclose client information, and suggests lawyers seriously consider not responding.
If you do reply, the safe options are an invitation to talk privately, a statement that professional obligations prevent a full response, or, when it's true, that the person was never a client. Reviews that break Google's policies, like fake reviews or reviews from people who were never clients, can be reported for removal.
Every reply on our client accounts is approved by a person before it posts, and none confirms anything about a client. 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.
The rule
A bad review is not a dispute that lets you defend yourself with client information.
Lawyers can reveal client information to respond to a controversy with a client. The ABA says an online review, on its own, isn't that kind of controversy.
ABA Formal Opinion 496 looked at Model Rule 1.6(b)(5), the self-defense exception. It concluded that a negative online review alone doesn't meet it, and that even if it did, an online reply revealing information about the representation would go beyond what the rule permits.
Texas reached the same place in Opinion 662: a lawyer may not reveal confidential information merely to answer a former client's negative review, even if the information has become generally known, but may post a reply that is "proportional and restrained" and reveals nothing confidential.
Outside the US the principle holds. The SRA says solicitors may respond to reviews provided they don't disclose confidential or privileged information. Your own bar or law society's confidentiality rule is the one that applies to you; our advertising rules hub links each regulator we cover.
First, decide
Not replying is often the right call, and the ABA says so.
The opinion notes that a reply tends to draw more replies, and more activity can push the review higher. Silence lets it sink under newer reviews.
| The review | Our default | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A real client, unhappy with the outcome | No reply, or a short private invitation | Anything about the case is confidential; arguing in public helps nobody |
| A real client, unhappy with service (slow calls, billing) | A short reply inviting them to talk | It shows readers you take service seriously without discussing the matter |
| Someone who was never a client | State that they weren't a client, and report it | The ABA says you may say so when it's true; Google may remove it |
| The other side in a case, or their family | Usually no reply; report if it breaks policy | The ABA warns even a general denial can confirm you were involved |
| Spam, hate, or a fake review | Report it; don't engage | Google's policies cover fake and abusive content |
Safe wording
Three replies that reveal nothing, adapted from the ABA and the Pennsylvania sample.
None of these confirms the person was a client, mentions the matter, or argues the facts. That's the point.
- The private invitation
"We take every concern seriously. Please contact our office directly so we can talk this through." The ABA gives a similar example, and notes it only works if you actually try to resolve the concern when they call.
- The professional obligations line
The ABA's sample is "Professional obligations do not allow me to respond as I would wish." Texas Opinion 662 quotes a longer version from a Pennsylvania opinion: "A lawyer's duty to keep client confidences has few exceptions and in an abundance of caution I do not feel at liberty to respond in a point by point fashion in this forum. Suffice it to say that I do not believe that the post presents a fair and accurate picture of the events."
- Not a client
"We have no record of working with you." Only when it's true. The ABA says a lawyer owes no confidentiality duty to a non-client, but warns that a reply to the opposing party or a client's family can still reveal client information.
Google reviews every reply before it posts, usually within minutes but sometimes up to 30 days, and the reviewer is notified when you reply. Keep that in mind: your reply starts a conversation with someone already upset.
Reporting
Report reviews that break Google's policies, and say only what the policy needs.
Google removes reviews that break its content policies, such as fake reviews and conflicts of interest. It doesn't remove a genuine review just because it's negative.
Check it against Google's policy
Fake engagement, conflicts of interest (a competitor, a former employee), off-topic content, harassment and hate are the grounds. "It's unfair" isn't.
Flag it from the Business Profile
Use the report option on the review, or Google's Reviews Management Tool. Google says evaluation typically takes several days, and you can check the status in that tool.
Don't disclose client information in the report
The ABA says a removal request can state that the post isn't accurate or that you never represented the poster, if that's the case, but must not reveal information about a representation without consent.
Escalate once, with facts
If the first report is rejected and you have a clear policy reason, an appeal through the same tool is worth one try. After that, more reviews from real clients do more than another appeal.
The SRA gives the same advice for England and Wales: contact the site hosting a review you believe is fake about its procedures. On defamatory reviews it adds that legal action is available, but potential clients may be put off if a firm looks heavy-handed with a dissatisfied client.
What never to do
Never argue the facts, never offer money to remove it, never threaten the reviewer.
Each of these turns one bad review into a bigger problem, with your regulator, with Google, or with the next people who read it.
- Don't explain what really happened in the case. That's the disclosure Opinion 496 and Texas Opinion 662 say you can't make.
- Don't offer a refund in exchange for removing or changing the review. Google's policy bans incentives for removing negative reviews. The ABA allows offering to resolve a complaint, but not as a trade for the review.
- Don't threaten legal action in the reply, and don't promise outcomes in it either: a reply is still a communication about your services, covered by the rules in our ad copy guide. It reads badly to every future reader, and the SRA notes heavy-handedness can cost more than the review does.
- Don't ask staff, friends or family to post positive reviews to bury it. Google treats those as conflicts of interest, and in the US the FTC's rule targets fake reviews.
- Don't try to get genuine reviews taken down with threats or false accusations. The FTC's rule covers that kind of review suppression.
The real fix
The answer to one bad review is a steady flow of honest ones.
A single negative review on a profile with 6 reviews is the headline. On a profile with 80, it's one opinion among many, and readers treat it that way.
That's why we spend far more time on the ask than on replies. Our guide to getting more Google reviews covers the process, and our guide to the rules on asking covers what each regulator allows.
Reviews also feed Local Services Ads ranking and what AI tools say about a firm. A DUI defense solo whose Local Services Ads generated $13,500 from $600 in ad spend was competing on a listing where every competitor's rating sits next to his. Our AI search work treats review health as part of the job.
And look at what the review says. When we see the same complaint twice, usually about slow callbacks, the fix is in intake, not in the reply box. Our intake and follow-up systems start there.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
The reply mistakes we see lawyers make most, usually in the first hour after a bad review lands.
Correcting the record in public
"Actually, you missed two court dates" is client information, whether it's a [family law](/family-law-marketing) or [criminal defense](/criminal-defense-marketing) matter,, and it's exactly what the ABA and Texas opinions rule out.
Confirming the person was a client
Even "we're sorry your case didn't go as hoped" confirms a representation. Keep replies neutral.
Replying to every bad review
The ABA suggests serious consideration of not replying at all. A reply keeps the conversation going and can lift the review.
Inviting a private call, then not following up
The ABA notes the invitation only works if you genuinely try to resolve the concern. Otherwise it can bring a second, angrier post.
Fighting reviews instead of collecting them
Hours spent appealing one review would bring in far more by asking every client for theirs.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
A DUI defense solo whose Local Services Ads listing competes on rating and reviews.
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.
Should a lawyer respond to a negative Google review?
Often not. ABA Formal Opinion 496 suggests lawyers seriously consider not responding, because replies draw more attention. If you do respond, keep it short, reveal nothing about any matter, and offer to talk privately or say professional obligations prevent a fuller reply.
Can I tell my side of the story in a reply?
No. The ABA says a negative review isn't a controversy that triggers the self-defense exception to confidentiality, and Texas Opinion 662 says the same applies even if the information is generally known. Your side of the story is client information.
What can I say in a reply?
An invitation to contact the office directly, a statement like "Professional obligations do not allow me to respond as I would wish", or, if true, that the person was never a client. Keep it short and calm.
How do I get a fake review removed?
Report it from your Business Profile or through Google's Reviews Management Tool, citing the policy it breaks. Google says evaluation typically takes several days. In the report, don't reveal anything about any client's matter.
Can I offer a refund if they take the review down?
Not as a trade. Google's policy bans incentives for removing negative reviews. You can try to resolve the underlying complaint, and a happy client may change their review on their own, but the review can't be the price.
Should I sue over a defamatory review?
That's a legal question for you and your own counsel, not a marketing one. The SRA's guidance notes that potential clients may be put off by a firm that looks heavy-handed with a dissatisfied client, so weigh the visibility a lawsuit brings.
Can you handle our review replies?
Yes. We draft replies that reveal nothing, a person approves each one before it posts, and we work on the steady flow of new reviews that matters more. 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.
- American Bar Association, Formal Opinion 496: Responding to Online Criticism (copy hosted by the Colorado Bar Association)
- Texas Professional Ethics Committee, Opinion 662
- Google Business Profile Help, Manage customer reviews
- Google Business Profile Help, Report inappropriate reviews
- Google Maps Help, Maps user contributed content policy
- Solicitors Regulation Authority, Engaging with online reviews
- Federal Trade Commission, Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule: Questions and Answers
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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