Non-Genuine Review Removal
ReviewSolicitors will only allow reviews from genuine clients of the firm and potential clients who had an experience of the firm and were considering becoming a client but decided against the idea. In the latter, the review must be truthful and relevant to their experience.
If you have identified a review which breaches our guidelines, please use this process to start the removal of the non-genuine review.
When should this process be used?
You should use this process when you know that the individual leaving a review about your firm was not a client of the firm or the review indicates that they were on the other side of the matter.
A client of the firm, or a prospective client with a genuine experience of the law firm, is allowed to leave a review. This could include any of the following circumstances:
· Anybody who instructed the firm.
· Anybody who was potentially looking to become a client but was put off prior to instructing the firm – providing the review reflects their limited experience.
· A review written on behalf of somebody else who is unable to do so. For example, somebody with a disability who is unable to see or type, or a family member who is writing with the express permission of their family member who does not have access to write their review.
Whilst not an extensive list, somebody who is not classed as a client of the firm and who therefore cannot leave a review includes:
· A review left by somebody else on the other side of the transaction e.g. an opponent who your client is litigating against.
· A beneficiary named in a will.
· A review left by somebody higher up in the chain of a property transaction.
· A spouse who wants to leave a review on behalf of their partner, unless their partner is unable to do so, and gives their express permission.
You can also use this process to highlight reviews which cannot be true. An example could include where a review has been left for a service area that your firm does not practice or where the reviewer has named a solicitor who works for another law firm.
What can I not use this process for?
You are not allowed to use this process for removing a review on the basis of your firm not recognising the reviewer.
ReviewSolicitors will only provide first names on a public review. We appreciate that it can sometimes be difficult to associate a review with just a first name. If you are unable to locate a file matter which relates to the reviewer, you cannot use this process. Some reviewers will use a middle name, display name or the name of ‘anonymous’. ReviewSolicitors recommends responding to the review in order to engage with the reviewer.
Alternatively, if your firm does not recognise the reviewer, you have the option to use the “Request reviewer’s details” process on the “My Reviews” section of your dashboard. It will be at the reviewer’s discretion whether or not they are happy to share their details with you.
For the avoidance of doubt, challenging a review just because you cannot associate the review to a client is not allowed.
Please note that ReviewSolicitors shares data with the SRA and it is important that your firm does not inappropriately use our Non-Genuine review removal process. A warning notice will be applied to law firms abusing this process in any way.
To start our non-genuine review process, please claim your firm’s listing here by completing the form on the right hand side of the page.
Should you already have access to your firms listing, please visit the "My reviews" section of your solicitor dashboard and click on the "report to admin" section. You can then choose to start this process by simply clicking on the "non-genuine review removal" button.
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