Reviews do two jobs at once for a law firm: they're a trust signal a prospective client reads before calling anyone, and they're a documented input into how Google ranks local search results. A firm that never asks for reviews is leaving both on the table, usually not out of principle but because nobody's built a habit of asking.
Timing matters more than the ask itself
The best moment to ask is right after a positive outcome or milestone - a closed deal, a resolved matter, a successful hearing - while the relief or satisfaction is fresh. Asking six months after the file closed, or worse, mid-matter while things are still stressful, produces far fewer responses and sometimes an unfair one from someone still frustrated by a process that isn't actually finished.
How to ask without it feeling like fishing
A short, direct message - by email or text, with a direct link to your Google Business Profile review page - outperforms a vague "let us know how we did" every time, because it removes friction. Personalizing it with the client's name and a specific reference to their matter (without confidential details) makes it feel like a genuine request rather than an automated blast, which also tends to produce more thoughtful, useful reviews.
What you can't do (and it matters)
Offering any kind of discount, gift, or benefit in exchange for a review crosses ethical lines in most provinces and violates Google's own policies, which can result in reviews being removed or a profile being penalized. So does writing or heavily editing a review on a client's behalf. The safe version is simple: ask, make it easy, and let the client write whatever they're going to write.
A negative review isn't the end of the profile
A single negative review among many positive ones rarely does lasting damage, and a calm, professional public response - not defensive, not disclosing confidential matter details - often reads better to a future prospective client than the review itself. What actually causes damage is a pattern of negative reviews with no response at all, which reads as a firm that either doesn't notice or doesn't care.
A realistic cadence
Most firms don't need a formal system - a habit of asking after every closed matter, even informally, will build meaningful review volume within a year for a firm handling a reasonable caseload. The goal isn't to maximize the number as fast as possible; it's steady, ongoing accumulation that looks natural to both clients and to Google, rather than a suspicious burst of ten reviews in one week.
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