Reviews and Reputation
Client reviews are one of the strongest trust signals on eSolicitors. Lawyers with more reviews and higher ratings receive better search placement, higher AI matching scores, and more consultation bookings.
How Reviews Work
After an order reaches completion, the client is invited to leave a review. Reviews are visible on your public profile and include:
- An overall rating (1 to 5 stars)
- Written feedback
- The practice area (not the specific matter details, for confidentiality)
- The month and year of the review
Reviews are not anonymised entirely -- clients may choose to show their first name and initial only, or their full display name.
When Reviews Are Requested
The platform automatically sends a review invitation to the client:
- When the final milestone is approved and the order is marked complete
- 7 days later if no review has been submitted yet
The review invitation includes a direct link to the review form. The client does not need to navigate back to find it.
Requesting Reviews Manually
You can also request a review at any time from a completed order:
- Go to Lawyer Portal > Orders
- Open a completed order
- Click Request Review
This sends a new invitation email to the client. You can request once per completed order.
Best practice: Ask your client directly during or after the final handover call, then trigger the platform invitation. A personal mention followed by the platform invitation consistently produces the best response rate.
How Reviews Affect Ranking
Reviews affect your position in two ways:
Search results: Higher-rated lawyers appear above lower-rated lawyers when other factors are equal. The platform weights both the average score and the volume of reviews. A lawyer with 4.8 stars from 20 reviews ranks higher than a lawyer with 4.8 stars from 2 reviews.
AI matching: Your review score is one of the factors the matching wizard uses when recommending you to a client. Lawyers with no reviews are ranked below those with a positive track record.
Responding to Reviews
You can respond to any review left on your profile:
- Go to Lawyer Portal > My Profile > Reviews
- Find the review you want to respond to
- Click Reply
- Write your response (max 500 characters)
Your response appears publicly below the client review.
Tips for responding:
- Thank the client for taking the time
- If the review is negative, acknowledge the concern professionally without disclosing confidential details
- Never argue with a client in a review response -- it looks unprofessional to other potential clients
- Responses are permanent once submitted
Flagging a Review
If you believe a review is false, defamatory, or violates the platform's review policy, you can flag it for admin review:
- Open the review
- Click Flag Review
- Select a reason and provide a brief explanation
Admin will assess the flag within 5 business days. Reviews are removed only if they clearly violate policy (fabricated, abusive, or from a non-client). Negative but genuine reviews are not removed.
Building Your Review Profile
New lawyers often find that getting the first few reviews is the hardest step. Practical approaches:
- Complete your first 2 or 3 matters thoroughly and ask those clients directly to leave a review -- early reviews carry significant weight when you have few
- Set expectations early in the matter -- let clients know that a review at the end is genuinely helpful
- Use the personal request feature -- send the platform invitation shortly after the client's matter closes while the experience is fresh
Review Display on Your Profile
Reviews appear on the Reviews section of your public profile, visible to anyone browsing eSolicitors. Clients can sort reviews by most recent or highest rated.
Your overall rating (the average score) appears:
- On your profile card in search results
- In the header of your full profile page
- In any AI matching recommendation card
Related: Your Lawyer Profile -- how to build a profile that converts browsers into clients