Why we do not publish selected quotes
There is a simple test for any review you read on a firm's own website: could you check it?
Usually not. You cannot contact the person, you cannot see what else they said, and you cannot know how many reviews were left out to arrive at the three on display. A page of five-star quotes tells you what a marketing department chose, not what clients experienced.
There is also a legal dimension that has changed recently and is not widely understood. Since 6 April 2025, writing, commissioning or publishing fake consumer reviews is a banned practice under Schedule 20 of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, enforceable by the Competition and Markets Authority directly against the trader. For a firm regulated by the SRA, a fabricated review would also be a breach of the Principles.
We mention that not to sound worthy but because it is worth knowing when you are comparing firms. If a solicitor's website shows glowing testimonials with no verifiable source, that is a reasonable thing to ask them about.
How to judge a firm you have never met
Reviews are one signal and not the strongest. Here is what we would suggest looking at, including for us.
- Check they are regulated Search the SRA register. It takes thirty seconds and it tells you the firm exists, is authorised, and carries compulsory insurance. We are number 8012196.
- Read reviews at source On a platform the firm cannot edit. Read the middling ones as well as the best ones — how a firm responds to criticism is more informative than praise.
- Ask what it will cost, and get it in writing Before instructing. A firm that will not put costs in writing before starting is telling you something.
- Ask who will actually handle it The person you speak to first is not always the person doing the work. It is a fair question and the answer should be straightforward.
- Notice whether they tell you no A firm that says every enquiry is a strong case is not assessing them. Being told you do not have a claim is a good sign about the adviser, even when it is not what you wanted.
- Be wary of guarantees No solicitor can guarantee an outcome, and no immigration adviser can lawfully offer No Win, No Fee. Either claim tells you to look elsewhere.
If we have acted for you
Leaving a review takes a couple of minutes and it genuinely helps the next person, who is usually reading these at a difficult moment in their own life.
We do not offer incentives for reviews, we do not ask people to leave them before their matter has concluded, and we do not ask only the clients we expect to be pleased. Incentivised or filtered reviews are the thing the CMA rules exist to stop, and a firm that does it is not giving you honest information about itself.
If something went wrong, we would rather hear it directly first — our complaints procedure is published, it costs nothing to use, and raising a concern will never affect how your matter is handled. If we cannot put it right, the Legal Ombudsman is independent and free to you.