Google reviews for law firms (with Clio)
The short answer
A law firm can ask clients for Google reviews once the matter is closed. Send the same short request to every client, offer nothing in return, and keep case details out of it. Ask your own bar or law society what it allows before you send the first one.
By Reputant · Updated October 30, 2026 · 6 min read
Are lawyers allowed to ask clients for Google reviews?
Your own regulator decides that. Ask your own bar or law society what it allows: whether a review you ask for counts as advertising, and whether it has limits on what a review may say.
This guide is general information and not legal advice. Your bar or law society, or your own counsel, has the final say for your firm.
How do I protect client confidentiality when I answer reviews?
The Florida Bar's news article on replying to negative reviews describes a lawyer whose reply came close to breaking confidentiality. It says the rule letting a lawyer disclose information to respond to allegations in a proceeding does not cover an online review, because a review is not a proceeding.
The article suggests a reply that says confidentiality rules prevent the lawyer from responding further, or one that expresses regret that the client is unhappy and offers to resolve the concern. It also lists not responding at all as an option. That is one state's guidance, so check what your own regulator says.
As a precaution of our own, keep the request itself clean. Do not put case names, file numbers or outcomes in the message, because texts and emails can be forwarded or read on a shared device.
- Leave the matter type, file number and outcome out of every request.
- Ask clients not to put confidential details in a public review. The examples below say so.
- In any reply, leave out the matter, the outcome and the type of case.
- Do not respond to a critical review by describing what the client did or what the file contained.
How does a Clio review request work?
Clio is practice-management software that tracks a firm's matters. Reputant connects to it with your Clio login and registers a webhook for you. A webhook is a short message one program sends another the moment something happens.
Reputant's Clio connection reacts to three events: a matter closed, a matter created, or a contact created. For reviews, our suggestion is to use the closed matter, since the work is done and the client can look back on the whole experience.
When the event arrives, Reputant sends that client your campaign's message. A campaign is either a text or an email, so to send both for the same event, set up one campaign of each. Do not decide client by client who seems satisfied: Google's content policy says businesses may not selectively solicit positive reviews from customers.
One thing to decide with your partners: whether every closed matter should trigger a request, and whether the campaign sends by text or by email.
How do I set this up for my firm?
Have the partner conversation first, then set it up.
- Check your regulator's advertising rules and agree the wording of the request with your partners or compliance lead.
- Create your direct review link with the review link tool, so clients land on your firm's review box.
- Connect Clio with your Clio login. Reputant registers the webhook for you.
- Write the request once, using the template below, and choose text or email for the campaign.
- Close a test matter for a colleague and confirm the message arrives and the link opens your review box.
This is what comes back. Paste your Place ID to get yours.
Google review link
https://search.google.com/local/writereview?placeid=ChIJ-your-place-id
A QR code for the same link. Downloading it is part of Reputant.
What should a law firm review request say?
Our suggestion is a formal, warm tone that says thank you, makes clear the review is optional, and asks the client not to share confidential details. The examples are examples only. They are not legal wording and do not show that a message meets any rule, so have your partners or counsel approve the final text. More wording is in our review request templates.
Example email (not legal wording), matter closed
Subject: Your matter is now closed Hi {name}, Your matter with {business} is now complete. Thank you for the trust you placed in us. If you feel we served you well, a short Google review would help others looking for the same kind of help. A review is entirely optional. {link} Please do not include confidential details about your matter in a public review. Sincerely, {business}
Example text (not legal wording)
Hi {name}, thank you for working with {business}. If you wish, you can share a short Google review: {link}. Please keep details of your matter private.
Does Canadian anti-spam law affect these requests?
It can. Canada's anti-spam law, CASL, prohibits sending a commercial electronic message without the recipient's consent, and whether a review request counts as one depends on its content. As a suggestion, record at intake that the firm may email clients about their experience after the matter ends. Our guide to CASL and review requests goes through it. US texting rules are separate and not covered here.
What do I do when reviews start coming in?
Reputant pulls Google reviews and Facebook recommendations into one feed and lets you ask for a suggested reply on any of them, which you edit before it posts. For a law firm, treat the suggestion as a starting point and remove anything that hints at the matter.
Read how to respond to negative reviews for the general approach, then apply your regulator's limits on top. The wider routine for earning reviews is in our guide on how to get more Google reviews.