SRA Pilot: how ReviewSolicitors helps you remove defamatory content

At ReviewSolicitors, we put client care at the forefront of everything we do. We want to be here for your firm at every step of its review collection journey - including the times when the review you have been left with is not speaking so favourably.

Every firm will receive some negative reviews; this is just a fact of life. Where ReviewSolicitors draws the line is defamatory content. This is why we have a rigorous process in place for the reporting of defamatory content. If you have had the pleasure of reporting a Google review, you will be aware that getting in contact with the platform quickly descends into a horrific maze of forms and processes with no resolution in sight.

ReviewSolicitors wishes to make the process quite the opposite experience for its clients. Our system is incredibly user-friendly, is completely transparent to both parties concerned, and boasts a systematic agenda for the management of potentially defamatory material. 

Here’s what you need to know:

A review should only be reported as defamatory if the reviewer’s comments are not a true representation of fact. In the case where a review is negative but not necessarily defamatory, ReviewSolcitors always advise you to reply to the review, avoid emotive language, and make yourself available to resolve the issue via email or telephone - with the right response, negative reviews can often be reversed. 

ReviewSolicitors does not get involved in the content of the review. A law firm will have a good understanding of the difference between content that is unflattering and that which is defamatory. 

If you do feel that the review you have been left is defamatory, or that your reviewer was not a client of the firm, you should…

  • Locate the relevant review on the ‘My Reviews’ section of your dashboard. 
  • You should then select the ‘Report to admin’ button under the name of the reviewer. 
  • Select ‘Start the defamatory review process’ or ‘We do not believe this person is a client of our firm’.
  • You will then be asked to enter some details regarding your complaint, including the particular words that you believe to be defamatory and the reasons as to why they are untrue.

ReviewSolicitors will then remove this review from your profile for up to 14 days while we carry out the defamatory reviews process. We will also contact the poster of the review and ask them to confirm a name, address and whether they stand by the review. 

ReviewSolicitors always seeks to protect the integrity of both the law firms that collect reviews via the platform, as well as the clients that wish to leave their feedback. Our process for dealing with defamatory content, or content not left by genuine clients, is robust, transparent, and in place to best serve all those that interact with the site.

If you’re keen to begin your review collection journey, claim your firm’s listing here.