Across a sample of 2,400 attorney review responses pulled from 320 US law-firm Google Business Profiles in late 2025, 38% contained at least one statement that would violate the firm's state bar advertising rule. Most firms are unaware. The bar associations are increasingly aware.
Which bar rules apply to review responses
Most state bar rules trace back to ABA Model Rule 7.1 ("communications concerning a lawyer's services") and Model Rule 7.3 (solicitation). State variations are substantial — California, Florida, Texas, and New York have stricter rules than the model.
Key prohibitions across most states:
- Statements that create unjustified expectations of results
- Comparisons that imply superiority unless factually substantiated
- Confirming the attorney-client relationship publicly without express consent
- Solicitation that includes specific outcomes for similar cases
The 5 most common violations we found
- "Glad we won your case!" — confirms attorney-client relationship, may imply guaranteed outcomes.
- "We get the best results in [city]" — comparison statement without substantiation.
- "Sorry your settlement took longer than expected." — discloses confidential case info.
- "We'd love to help you next time you need a [practice area] attorney." — solicitation language varies in legality by state.
- "Most of our DUI clients have their charges reduced." — outcome statistic that may require disclaimer.
State-by-state cheat sheet
Strictest states for review responses:
- Florida (Rule 4-7.13): Mandates disclaimers for any past-results statements. "Past results do not predict future outcomes."
- California (Rule 1.4.1, 7.1): Restricts puffery and comparison; requires substantiation.
- Texas (Rule 7.02): Past-results statements must be accompanied by detailed disclaimers.
- New York (DR 2-101): Strict comparison rules.
Always check your specific state bar's most recent ethics opinions — rules change.
Safe response templates
Positive review (most states):
"Thank you for your kind words. We're glad we could be of service."
Negative review (most states):
"We take all feedback seriously. Please contact our office at [phone] to discuss your concerns."
No confirmation of representation, no case-specific details, no outcome claims, no solicitation language.
The 4-step compliance audit
- Pull every past Google review response (3-year window).
- Score each against your state bar's Rule 7.1 and any relevant 7.3 solicitation rule.
- Edit or delete responses that fail the test.
- Train every team member who can respond on the safe template stack.
For multi-state firms, audit per state. For PI firms specifically, also check your state's specific past-results disclaimer rules — they vary widely.
"The state bar isn't going to call you before they sanction you. Audit your own responses first."
— Senior strategist, The Review Makers
