Client review request tool

Never offer anything of value for a review. Asking a client for a review is permitted in nearly every US jurisdiction, but offering payment, discounts, or gifts in exchange for a review, positive or otherwise, is a rule violation in most places. This tool generates neutral requests only, with no incentive language. See our full disclaimer.

Message details

Client's first name

Your first name or firm name

Your Google review link (optional, will use a placeholder if left blank)

Message format

Your review request message

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A legal marketing consultant can help you build an automated, ethics-compliant review request process into your intake and case closing workflow.

What are the actual ethics rules on asking clients for reviews?

Asking a current or former client to leave a review is permitted in nearly every US jurisdiction, and Rule 7.3 of the ABA Model Rules specifically excludes former clients from the general ban on soliciting business. The rules that matter most in practice: never offer anything of value, including payment, a gift, or a bill credit, in exchange for a review, since this is treated as compensating for a recommendation under Rule 7.2 in most jurisdictions. Never draft the review yourself or tell the client what to write. Never condition anything on the review being positive. And never disclose confidential client information when responding to any review, positive or negative, since ABA Formal Opinion 496 confirms that discussing case specifics in a public response can violate confidentiality even if the client brought it up first.

Timing also matters for both compliance and effectiveness. Requesting a review on the same day as a final invoice is broadly discouraged, since it can create pressure that undermines the neutrality of the request. Spacing the request out, even by just a few days after the matter concludes and the final bill is sent, keeps the request cleaner and generally performs better. Once you've sent your review request, our local SEO checklist covers the broader review management process, including how to respond once reviews start coming in.

Can a client be given a small gift or discount for leaving a review?

This is genuinely disputed territory. At least 1 state bar ethics opinion has permitted a modest bill credit for leaving a review, provided the credit isn't conditioned on the review's content and is disclosed appropriately, but most current guidance treats any incentive as a meaningful compliance risk best avoided entirely. The safest and most broadly compliant approach across every jurisdiction is a neutral request with no incentive attached at all, which is the approach this tool generates.

Should the same review request go to every client, or does timing and case outcome matter?

Sending a review request only after a matter has concluded, and generally regardless of outcome, is the most defensible approach, since selectively asking only satisfied clients while skipping dissatisfied ones can create a misleadingly skewed public review profile over time. Some firms do use judgment about timing for particularly difficult or contentious matters, but a systematic, consistent request process across all closed matters, tracked through our legal time tracker, is generally considered the most sustainable and ethical long-term approach.

Does it matter whether the request goes out by email or text message?

Both are commonly used and both are generally permissible, though completion rates for text message requests are often reported as meaningfully higher than email, likely due to the immediacy and higher open rates typical of SMS. Whichever channel is used, the same underlying rules apply: no incentive, no drafting the review, and no pressure tactics. Timing this alongside our legal invoice generator helps ensure the request goes out a few days after, not the same day as, the final bill.

Frequently asked questions about attorney review requests

This is generally discouraged and can itself raise ethics concerns if it looks like pressure or an attempt to manipulate the public record. The more defensible path is responding professionally and, where appropriate, inviting the reviewer to discuss the matter privately, rather than directly asking for removal or edits.

Generally yes, provided the same substantive rules are followed, since the underlying prohibition is against the conduct itself, such as incentivizing or drafting reviews, regardless of who on the team sends the message. Firms delegating this task should still train staff on the same compliance boundaries that apply to the attorney directly.

The safest response is declining to suggest specific language and instead telling the client to share their own honest experience in their own words. Drafting or heavily suggesting review content crosses into the kind of conduct most ethics guidance specifically prohibits, even if well-intentioned.

Yes, in an important way beyond bar ethics rules. Some review platforms have their own business account guidelines that separately restrict solicitation regardless of what bar rules allow, so confirm the specific platform's own policy in addition to your state bar's rules before actively requesting reviews there.

Most firms send 1 initial request and at most 1 polite follow-up if there's no response, rather than repeated requests, which risks feeling like pressure or harassment rather than a genuine, low-key ask. If a client doesn't respond after a reasonable follow-up, it's generally best to let it go rather than continuing to ask.