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Client Review Ratings FAQ

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Client Review Ratings are an important part of the Lawyers.comsm experience: What experiences have others had? What was your experience with the attorney you worked with? Would you recommend him or her to your friends and family in a similar situation?

Here are some questions and answers you may have about Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review Ratings.


Q: Are Client Reviews anonymous?

  • Yes. Client Reviews are anonymous and reviewers' identities are not published. This allows participants to provide candid assessments of their firms or lawyers. However, Martindale-Hubbell will display a demographic summary of people who have completed Client Reviews for each firm and lawyer. The survey will also ask for identifying information from the reviewer, which Martindale-Hubbell will keep completely confidential.

Q: Can I complete part of the survey then return later to finish?

  • No. The survey needs to be completed and submitted in one session. For security reasons, if the browser is closed before the survey is submitted, your responses will be lost.

Q: Do law firms/lawyers have the option of viewing Client Review Ratings before they are published on LexisNexis® online sites?

  • No. All client reviews will be posted automatically. The lawyer has a one-time opportunity to respond to any Client Review Rating comment. In addition, the lawyer has the option of suppressing a Client Review Ratings, but if that is done, all of that lawyer's reviews are removed from display and they will be suppressed for a minimum of two years.

Q: Does the law firm pay to participate in Client Review?

  • There is no cost to the lawyer/law firm or client to participate in Client Review. Any practicing law firm or lawyer is eligible however, if a firm subscribes to Lawyers.com, more detailed information is presented on their Lawyer/Firm Profiles on Lawyers.com.

Q: How current are the Client Reviews that are published?

  • Client Reviews over 24 months old will be archived but can still be accessed for review online, and will continue to count toward the overall firm rating.

Q: How is a Client Review Rating determined?

  • For each of the 4 main questions (Communication Ability, Responsiveness, Quality of Service and Value for Money) a 1 to 5 point scale is utilized with 1 corresponding to "Rated," or low, and 5 corresponding to a "Preeminent," or high, evaluation.

    The overall rating is an average of the review responses. Martindale-Hubbell does not adjust the overall rating based upon any additional proprietary calculation. The rating is comprised solely upon completed, validated Client Reviews. See a sample rating.

Q: I have more questions about the Client Review process; whom do I contact?

Q: If a lawyer leaves a firm, does the rating remain or does it move with her?

  • Yes, an individual attorney's rating follows her if she leaves her current firm.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of Client Reviews that a firm/lawyer can have?

  • There is no maximum limit to the number of Client Reviews to be used for the rating. The greater the number of reviews, the more value other consumers and lawyers will gain from the information.

Q: What are Average Client Review Ratings on Lawyers.com?

  • Average ratings, which averages the firm and lawyer client review ratings of all lawyers across the firm into a single metric - enhance ratings at the firm level and help firms with rated lawyers differentiate themselves from their competitors. Average Client Review Ratings appear in search results and on law firm profiles on Lawyers.com.

Q: What if Client Reviews are not published for a specific firm or lawyer?

  • Martindale-Hubbell does not undertake to develop Client Reviews for all firms and lawyers. Therefore, the fact that a firm or lawyer has no reviews published should not be considered unfavorable.

Q: What is Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review?

  • Martindale-Hubbell Client Review is a service that consumers and lawyers can use and benefit from client feedback on a lawyer or firm. A Client Review takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and gathers insight on key attributes of a lawyer's and/or firm's services and relationship qualities that help potential clients in their decision-making process. There is no cost to participate in Client Review.

Q: What types of questions are asked for Client Review?

  • For each of the 4 main questions (Communication Ability, Responsiveness, Quality of Service and Value for Money) a 1 to 5 point scale is utilized with 1 corresponding to "Rated," or low, and 5 corresponding to a "Preeminent," or high, evaluation.

    The overall rating is an average of the review responses. Martindale-Hubbell does not adjust the overall rating based upon any additional proprietary calculation. The rating is comprised solely upon completed, validated Client Reviews.

Q: Where will Client Reviews display?

  • On www.lawyers.comSM and www.martindale.com®, as well as on an attorney's web site or LinkedIn profile. Client Review response data will help others in their research and selection of a lawyer. This input, along with that from other clients, helps build a database of Clients Reviews so consumers can make more informed hiring decisions.

Q: Who can complete a Client Review?

  • Client Reviews can be completed by clients of lawyers who can be identified in several different ways. They can be nominated by a law firm as a current or former client with specific experience with the law firm; Martindale-Hubbell can contact a client to review a law firm; or the client can choose to access Client Review via a link beside each lawyer or firm profile on Lawyers.com. Clients must verify that they were a client of the lawyer or law firm under review. Only one review for a specific lawyer or law firm can be made within a 12-month period and should be on closed matters, not pending.

Q: Whom do I contact if I have a question about pending reviews?

  • To review the status of pending reviews send a detailed e-mail to Client Review.

Q: Why are reviewers "Anonymous'?

  • It is important that Martindale-Hubbell protect lawyer-client privilege, as well as protect the identity of nominated clients so they can express direct and honest feedback.

Q: Why can't I rate a lawyer or law firm if I am related to that lawyer or to any member of that firm?

  • In situations where you are also a family member of the lawyer under review, that could present a conflict of interest and affect the objectivity of the ratings. Therefore, family members are disqualified from participating in Client Review in such cases.

Q: Why display Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review Ratings on Lawyers.com?

  • Adding Client Review Ratings to Lawyers.com brings ratings to the consumer and small business markets and gives rated lawyers and law firms an opportunity to differentiate themselves from their competition in new ways.

Q: Why should I provide my name and other information if they aren't going to be made public?

  • Before a review is sent to an attorney, LexisNexis validates that you are who you say you are through public record identification. Someone may also try to spam the system and create multiple reviews or vandalize the site.

Q: Why would firms engage in Client Review?

  • Client Review provides valuable feedback directly from clients - those with first-hand experience of the firm and their lawyers. This feedback can be shared with prospects to promote lawyer and law firm expertise and to add depth to existing Lawyers.com profiles.

    Client Reviews are fast becoming an industry requirement and is being fueled by market demand. Users want more comprehensive data on lawyer and firm capabilities, which includes feedback from other clients.