‘It’s a sad day for freedom of speech and the court’s decision has deprived the public of a valuable warning system.’ This was Rick Kordowski’s response a decade ago to the High Court order to remove his website, ‘Solicitors from Hell’ from the internet. The internet had long been styled ‘the wild west’, and the Law Society decided it was time to put on its sheriff’s badge and clean up this bit of the web. The society’s then chief executive Des Hudson headed to court with a posse that included leading QC Hugh Tomlinson. ‘This website,’ Hudson said, ‘has served simply as a vehicle for pursuing personal grudges and vendettas against conscientious and reputable firms and legal professionals.’
By Marcin Durlak5 July 2021
The recent news that the Legal Services Board (LSB) is debating making review sites for law firms compulsory was met with healthy debate among the profession, with some labelling the suggestion ‘ludicrous’, ‘laughable’ and ‘ridiculous’. It is true that many do not consider online review or comparison sites an appropriate way for consumers to accurately judge and compare standards of legal advice and support.
Marcin Durlak
However, given the ever-evolving world of legal services and a steady march towards more transparency and accessibility, it is doubtful that hesitant lawyers will be able to kick the issue of online review sites into the long grass. And nor should they. Although the process of online reviews is not perfect, these reviews are here to stay and those firms which do not embrace this new world will be left behind.
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Why you should be careful writing online reviews as man ordered to pay £25k in damages
Why you should be careful writing online reviews as man ordered to pay £25k in damages. (PA) A man who wrote a negative review about a legal firm on TrustPilot has been ordered to pay £25,000 in libel damages. Philip James Waymouth approached law firm Summerfield Browne Limited for legal advice, and was charged a fixed fee of £200. Mr Waymouth was unsatisfied with the service provided and left a negative review on review website TrustPilot, according to court documents. ‘Judgement’ The firm, taking legal action against the review, stated that the review was untrue and that it had experienced a drop in business enquiries as a result of its publication.