Family law is a sector where clients rarely leave reviews without prompting — the matters are emotional and often best forgotten. A carefully-designed post-closure flow, respecting SRA rules, produced a review base that now drives the majority of the firm's new enquiries.
The design constraints
SRA rules on marketing; client confidentiality on matter type; safeguarding-sensitive cases excluded. The invitation template was rewritten five times before it cleared internal compliance.
The invitation
Sent 14 days after final bill. No mention of matter type. Named partner from the review invite. Optional — clients can decline in one click and be marked never-contact.
- 14 days post-billing
- No matter type mentioned
- Named partner
- One-click never-contact
The result at 12 months
84 verified reviews (from 4 pre-programme). Average 4.9. 22% shorter enquiry-to-instruction cycle. Two peer-firm referrals for the flow. Zero SRA complaints.
What the firm changed operationally
Every partner now blocks 30 minutes weekly for review replies. The firm publishes an annual client-experience report drawn from review aspect data. Reception mentions reviews to enquirers who ask for referrals.
FAQ
Was any client identifiable from a review?
No — the invitation template deliberately avoided matter-type prompts, and the firm audits every published review for accidental identifiers before it goes live.
Can this work for criminal defence?
With extreme care and often not at all — many criminal matters are safeguarding-sensitive and reviews are inappropriate. Consult SRA guidance and your PII insurer before starting.
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Discussion (2)
- Priya S.· 2 days ago
Really practical breakdown — the four-part reply structure is now on our till-side crib sheet. Thank you.
- Dan (Cannock Plumbing)· 5 days ago
Went from 12 reviews to 47 in three months following almost exactly this playbook. It works.