Effective Date: September 11, 2025
Last Updated: September 11, 2025
These rules explain how reviews and other user generated content work on BestLawyersInUnitedStates.com. They protect users and attorneys, and they help keep the directory useful and trustworthy. Read this page with our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy, and Editorial and Ranking Methodology.
1) Purpose
Reviews help people choose a lawyer with better information. We want honest, respectful, and verifiable experiences that focus on service quality, professionalism, and outcomes that can be shared without revealing confidential details.
2) Who may post a review
- Clients or former clients who personally hired the attorney or firm
- Individuals who had a documented consultation or case evaluation
- Professional peers may leave endorsements if they disclose the relationship
3) What a valid review includes
- A firsthand experience in your own words
- Relevant details about responsiveness, clarity, fees, and professionalism
- Facts you are comfortable sharing publicly without breaching confidentiality
- Balanced feedback that is fair and specific
4) What is not allowed
- Hate speech, harassment, threats, or personal attacks
- Defamatory, false, or misleading statements presented as fact
- Requests for or offers of compensation in exchange for reviews
- Reviews about the wrong person or firm, or copy pasted content
- Private information such as medical data, financial account numbers, or minors’ details
- Sensitive case specifics or privileged communications
- Links to malware, phishing, or irrelevant promotions
- Coordinated review campaigns or review swapping
See prohibited conduct in the Terms of Use.
5) Conflicts of interest
You may not review your own firm, competitors for the purpose of manipulation, or any attorney where you have a financial interest that could bias your review. Paid reviews are not permitted. Disclose professional relationships if you post an endorsement.
6) Evidence and privacy rules
You may upload or reference non confidential evidence that supports your experience, such as dated emails or invoices, but never share privileged or court sealed information. If in doubt, leave it out and focus on service quality and your overall experience.
7) Star ratings and summaries
Star ratings are designed to reflect your overall satisfaction, not legal outcomes. A brief headline that fairly summarizes your experience helps other readers. Avoid sensational language or legal conclusions.
8) Moderation workflow
- Automated checks screen for spam, profanity, and risky disclosures
- Human moderators review reports and edge cases
- We may contact you for clarification before publishing or after flags
- Reviews can be edited for minor formatting while keeping meaning intact
- Serious violations may lead to removal or account action
9) Removal reasons
We may remove content that violates these rules, the law, or the rights of others. Common reasons include defamation, privacy violations, spam, conflicts of interest, impersonation, or off topic content. Copyright issues are handled under our DMCA Notice and Takedown Policy.
10) Right of reply for attorneys
Attorneys and firms can post a professional reply under a review. Replies must respect privacy and court rules, avoid sharing client details, and address concerns factually. Attempts to reveal a reviewer’s identity are not allowed.
11) Repeat violations
Accounts that repeatedly break these rules may be suspended or terminated under the Terms of Use. Serious abuse may be escalated to legal authorities.
12) Ownership and license
You own your content. By posting, you grant us a non exclusive, worldwide, royalty free license to host, display, and distribute your review in connection with the Site. This helps us show your review on profile pages and in search results.
13) Reporting a review
If a review appears inaccurate or violates these rules, use the report link next to the review or contact us via the Contact Page. Include the profile URL, review headline, and your reason. For ranking concerns, see the Editorial and Ranking Methodology.
14) Appeals
If your review was removed and you believe the decision was incorrect, reply to the decision email with “Appeal” in the subject line, add context, and include any non confidential evidence. We will re evaluate and respond in a reasonable timeframe.
15) Data retention
We keep reviews as long as a profile is active unless removal is requested and approved under these rules or the law. Aggregated statistics may remain after removal, without personal identifiers.
16) Changes to these guidelines
We may update these rules as laws and platform features change. The date at the top shows when the latest version took effect.