For an estate planning firm, reviews are harder to earn than in most practice areas, because satisfied clients leave the signing with a binder, not a visible result. The plan proves itself years later, often after the client has died. To build reviews anyway, ask at the moments of peak relief (the signing meeting, the close of a trust administration), make the ask easy, and respond to every review without revealing anything confidential.
Why estate planning clients rarely leave reviews
Estate planning clients rarely leave reviews on their own for three predictable reasons, and each one has a fix.
- No visible win. A personal injury client gets a settlement check. An estate planning client gets a document they hope nobody reads for 30 years. Fix: ask about the experience, not the outcome.
- Privacy. Many clients do not want the neighbors knowing they have a trust, or that they disinherited someone. Fix: tell them a first name or initials is fine, and that they should never mention family details.
- Tech friction. Some older clients do not have a Google account or are unsure how to leave a review. Fix: a printed card with a QR code, plus an offer to have an adult child help.
That last point makes adult children one of your quiet review sources. They often attend signings for parents, and they are usually comfortable with a phone.
When should you ask for an estate planning review?
Ask for a review at the end of the signing meeting, in person, then follow up with a link the same day. That meeting is the emotional high point of estate planning: the client has finished something they put off for years and feels relief.
| Matter type | Best moment to ask | Who to ask | What to suggest they mention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will or trust plan | End of signing meeting | The clients (both spouses) | How clear the process was, how long it took |
| Plan review or update | After amendments are signed | Returning clients | Ease of updating, responsiveness |
| Trust administration | After final distribution | Successor trustee | Communication, how stress was handled |
| Probate | At closing of the estate | Personal representative | Timeline expectations, updates |
| Elder law / Medicaid | After the planning is in place | Adult child who coordinated | Patience, explanations to the family |
Probate and trust administration reviews are especially persuasive because the next executor reads them looking for one thing: did this firm make a hard time easier? See the probate lawyer marketing guide for how those reviews feed the rest of your probate funnel.
A review request that works
A good estate planning review request is short, personal, and gives the client permission to keep it vague. Here is an example of the follow-up text or email after signing:
Hi Margaret, thank you for trusting us with your plan. If you have a minute, a short Google review helps other families find us: [link]. There's no need to mention anything about your family or your plan. Even one sentence about the process is a big help. – Sarah
Send it from the attorney's name or the paralegal the client worked with, not "The Team." A real name gets more responses.
The steps behind it are simple:
Ask in the room
"Would you be willing to leave us a short review? I'll text you the link." Most people say yes in person.
Send the link within hours
Use the direct review link from your Google Business Profile so the review box opens immediately.
One reminder, then stop
A single follow-up a week later. More than that feels like pressure.
Google's review policies prohibit selectively soliciting positive reviews (so-called review gating) and offering incentives for reviews. The FTC's 2024 rule on consumer reviews and testimonials also targets fake reviews, review suppression, and incentives tied to positive sentiment. Ask every client the same way. Some state bars also regulate testimonials in lawyer advertising, so check your state's rules before quoting reviews on your website.
Responding to reviews of your estate planning firm safely
Respond to estate planning attorney reviews briefly and without confirming or revealing anything about the representation. ABA Model Rule 1.6 protects information relating to the representation, and ABA Formal Opinion 496 (2021) concluded that lawyers generally may not disclose confidential information in response to negative online reviews.
For positive reviews, a short thank-you is enough. Don't repeat details the client shared ("Glad we could help with your trust for your son!"); that confirms facts you shouldn't. Something like "Thank you, we appreciate you taking the time" works.
For negative reviews, the safest options are no response or a short, neutral one. An example: "We take feedback seriously. Professional rules limit what we can say publicly, but we'd welcome a call to discuss your concerns." Never argue the facts in public. That is how lawyers end up in front of their bar.
A review from a disinherited relative is a scenario specific to this practice. They may never have been your client, but responding with anything about the plan would still reveal client confidences. Same rule: say little, take it offline.
How do your reviews compare in your city?
Our free audit benchmarks your estate planning reviews against the firms showing in your Map Pack and sets out a realistic plan to close the gap.
Where reviews do their work
Reviews matter in two places: the Google Map Pack, where review count and recency are among the signals that appear to influence local rankings, and the moment a client sent by one of your referral partners looks you up. Our breakdown of how the Map Pack ranks attorneys covers the ranking side, and the estate planning Google Business Profile guide covers the rest of the profile.
- Ask at the signing meeting, in person, then text the link the same day.
- Tell clients they don't need to mention family or plan details.
- Ask every client the same way. No gating, no incentives.
- Reply briefly and never confirm details of the representation.
A steady pace of reviews beats a burst. A firm that gets a few reviews every month looks active; a firm with a batch from three years ago looks like it may have closed. If you want help building the habit, our attorney review management service and Google Business Profile management handle the requests and monitoring for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ask every client at the end of the signing meeting, in person, then text or email a direct Google review link the same day. Tell clients a short comment about the process is enough and they shouldn't mention family details. Also ask successor trustees and executors at the close of administration matters, since those reviews are especially persuasive to future clients.
Yes, but carefully. ABA Formal Opinion 496 concluded that lawyers generally may not reveal confidential client information when responding to online criticism. A short, neutral response that doesn't confirm the person was a client, or no response at all, is usually the safest approach. Check your state bar's ethics opinions as well. This is not legal advice.
No. Google's policies prohibit offering incentives for reviews, and the FTC's 2024 rule on consumer reviews and testimonials targets incentives conditioned on positive reviews. Lawyer advertising rules may also be implicated. Ask every client the same way, without rewards, and don't screen clients to only ask the happy ones.
Estate planning clients don't see a visible result when the work is done, many value privacy about their finances and family, and some older clients are less comfortable leaving online reviews. Asking at the signing meeting, offering a printed card with a QR code, and inviting adult children who attend to help can all raise review volume.
Ideally not. Encourage clients to describe the experience, such as clarity, responsiveness, or how long it took, rather than family circumstances or plan details. When you reply, don't repeat any details the client mentioned, because confirming facts about the representation can raise confidentiality issues under Rule 1.6.