Respond to a negative online review without breaching client confidentiality
A short public reply to a bad Google or Avvo review that protects client confidences, plus guidance on whether to reply at all.
The prompt
Help me respond to a negative online review of my law firm.
The review (paste exactly): [TEXT]
Platform: [Google / Avvo / Yelp / other]
Is the reviewer a current client, former client, opposing party, or unknown? [ANSWER]
What actually happened (for your context only, not for the reply): [FACTS]
Is the matter still open or in litigation? [YES / NO]
What I want the reply to achieve: [e.g. "show future clients we are responsive"]
First, tell me whether replying publicly is wise, considering the risk of escalating, the option of no reply, and the option of contacting the reviewer privately.
If a reply makes sense, write two versions under 80 words each:
- Do not confirm or deny that the reviewer was a client.
- Do not reveal any information relating to any representation, even to correct a false statement. Many bar ethics opinions say lawyers may not disclose confidential information to answer an online review.
- Do not argue facts, blame, or mention fees, outcomes, or case details.
- Do state the firm's commitment to clients and a professional general statement, e.g. that professional obligations prevent discussing any matter, and an invitation to contact the managing partner offline.
- Calm, brief, and written for future readers, not the reviewer.
Also give me: a private outreach message if the reviewer is a known former client, the platform's options for reporting a review that is fake or from a non-client, and when to talk to ethics counsel or my malpractice carrier (e.g. a threat of a grievance or claim). This is general guidance, not an ethics opinion.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Customer Support prompts
What to fill in
- TEXT
- Google / Avvo / Yelp / other
- ANSWER
- FACTS
- YES / NO
- e.g. "show future clients we are responsive"
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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