On Line Attorney Reviews - Don't Take them At Face Value

Fake or not? In working on my own website, I can tell you it's really hard to get any client to take the time to post an online review. How is it then, that certain websites of local small firms and even individual lawers get dozens of reviews? And more surprisingly, all favorable? Particularly when huge concerns and websites like JC Penny are lucky to get even a few.

I have a strong suspicion that many are paid for. Either knowingly by the attorney or firm, or unbeknownst to the firm or lawyer by the firm's search engine optimization (SEO) professional. And more alarmingly, some reviews are probably done by the attorney or attorney staff themselves.

How can you spot fake attorney reviews. Here are a couple of tips.

Tips for Spotting fake legal reviews.

• The site has a negative review on a lawyer followed by a half dozen positive reviews, all with similar verbiage attacking the negative review. Obviosuly fake positive reviews done to counter an actual negative review.
• Positive eviews clusterred by date. Five one week. Then nothing for a month. Then three within a week.

Here is an article on spotting fake reviews. Fake reviews

I've seen glowing 5 star reviews about attorneys that would, in my opinion, have a hard time getting a 2 star review. I even heard that one attorney admitted that after he received a negative on line review, he paid for fake reviews. I know of another lawyer who sets up numerous mirror websites, linking them all to the firms main site in order to drive traffic and google organic searches. Very effective marketing, but it's against the "ethical guidelines" that google has, and if an attorney is willing to violate generally accepted net neutrality guidelines, why would you trust that attorney with your confidences.

You need to remember that none of the reviewing site, Yelp, CitySearch, Inside pages, Yahoo, requires verification of the review or that the reviewer ever used the attorney services.

While it's natural to consider recommendations, consider that anyone can put anything on the internet. If you do want to consider reviews by annonymous strangers, to the extent you can you should check on the reviewer also. If the reviewer reviewed attorneys in other states its almost a certainty that the reviewer is an SEO expert who the law Firm or lawyer hired to drive traffic to their site.

In any event. Here's the take away. Do you trust an attorney who is willing to either condone or actually participate in fake on line reviews? I think not.

Comments

[Jay L.]

An interesting assumption, sir, but what do you have to say about the rampant defamation prevalent on these online ratings sites? As attorneys, we both know that Slander or Libel per se arises when an untrue, damaging statement is made which has anything to do with a person's business practices. If a disgruntled former client decides to smear you online, knowing that Google or Yelp will do nothing to remove the post, all in the name of "free speech" and non-censorship, then the only thing you can do is offset the smear with positive comments! It seems that internet "review" sites are single-handedly destroying 500 years of tort law that usually protects professionals from people who want to injure you because you had the audacity to expect them to pay their bill.

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[stock item]

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[Fred Fournier]

Well I for one have been posting on every lawyer review website I can find about the thief in lawyers clothing that I got involved with. And I have no problem posting my full name and contact information, which I will do at the end of this post. At the sites that did not limit the length of my review, I posted the one you'll see below. For the other sites, i edited it to fit. My name is Fred Fournier! And this individuals name is Keven Prendergast. He steals, I mean practices in Friendswood TX which is a small community south of Houston......
"THE worst experience I have ever had with anyone. Mr.Prendergast failed to do everything he said he would do, and did absolutely nothing that I asked of him. For example. I was to receive itemized statements from him and advance notice prior charges placed on my credit card. This did not happen. I never received any statements, much less itemized, or advance notice for any of the three charges placed on my credit card totaling $6000.00. I was also to receive copies of all communication between him and my wife's attorney. This also did not occur. In fact I never received anything, not one piece of paper from him regarding my case. Yes, I mean nothing. During this process, I felt it became necessary to have a restraining order placed on someone. (not my wife) He agreed and said he would get right on it. Days later I had heard nothing from him about this. All attempts on my part to contact him failed. It is very rare that he answers his phone, so you are left with leaving a voice mail, if you can that is. Most of the time his mailbox is full. So attempts to call failed. I was able to leave one voice mail but this was never responded to. Neither were any of the numerous emails I sent him. He simply stopped communicating with me and blocked my number. The order was never filed. The worst thing however is his refusal to respond to demands that he return to me over $70,000 he is suppose to be holding in an IOLTA account. My wife and I have reconciled. This money was to be held by him until final disposition of the case. However now there is no case but he will not communicate with me about returning this money. In fact he has blocked my number from his phone and will not respond to any emails. I have filed a grievance with the State Bar of Texas which they have accepted and are pursuing. I have also filed a civil law suit  and perusing criminal charges against him."
But you know what is really disturbing? Is how hard it was for me to find an attorney that would help me. If it had not been for a referal from a friend I would still be looking. This is quite the fraturnity you lawyers have isn't it. If you have a problem with this post, or would wish to show some support, please, do contact me at fournier900@gmail.com.

[youneedbuy]

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[גני אירועים]

There is a possibility that the writers consideration was set up just to article that one lawyer evaluation. So that evaluation may have been done by the website operator of law business workers.

[Kim]

Wow, perfect example of what Attorney Margrett Skinner in Macon/Gray GA is currently doing. Especially on her Yahoo ratings. She was able to get all the negative ones removed from Merchant Circle somehow. The positive ones on Yahoo are fake - and yes, sound exactly like adverstisements (as described above) and most were posted within 3 days of each other (also described above).

[Louis Vuitton Outlet]

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