Legal sector welcomes independent “solicitor rating” website with a positive outlook

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A solicitor ratings website with a different angle is attracting increasingly high visitor numbers.

When it comes down to it, many of us are more likely to believe personal opinion and endorsement over advertising which may explain the rise in popularity in customer ratings websites.

The legal sector has not escaped this trend with the infamous “solicitors from hell” website which concentrates on “naming and shaming” allegedly bad solicitors.

http://www.solicitor.info is different in that it highlights those professionals with the best and highest number of client ratings not those who have been criticised or who spend the most on advertising.

Solicitor.info is an independent website not owned or linked to any law firm.

Founder Dave Sprake set up the website after seeking legal representation during the purchase of a house through the Yellow Pages.

“I was taken in by a big glossy ad”, says Sprake. “Unfortunately, I was less than impressed by the service I received.  The next time I needed a solicitor I used the oldest and possibly the most reliable way to find a service, I asked my friends and colleagues for a recommendation. Using word of mouth I found a great solicitor. Solicitor.info was founded to simply take this concept to the internet”.

Sprake says his purposes isn’t to “trash talk” solicitors, but rather, define a system that allows solicitors recommended by their own clients to rise to the top of the listings.

Janet Davies of Booth, Ince and Knowles solicitors, a law practice in Manchester, is certainly benefiting from Solicitor.info.

“We love the concept of solicitor.info and tell all our clients to leave feedback of our service there; people looking for legal help read our feedback on solicitor.info and instruct us, we have seen lots of work come through because of it.”

Sprake says the majority of solicitors are ethical and work to protect the rights of their clients.

Solicitors have actually started to list list themselves and then encourage their clients to leave feedback says Sprake.

“For us, it’s all about legitimacy and honesty – it’s a win win situation for good solicitors and clients”.

People wishing to leave a solicitor.info rating can do so anonymously or leave their name.

“No-one should feel as though they can’t express an opinion; it’s a basic human right” says Sprake.

In the end, it comes down to one question as far as the general public is concerned: cut to the chase – how do I find a good solicitor?  That’s the whole purpose of solicitor.info.

The Solicitor.info site was founded in 2009, and currently receives 10,000 unique visits per month.

Entries on the site are free for solicitors, for a client to leave a rating, and for anyone to view reviews.

Visitors view the site to see what others think about a solicitor in their area to discern who best suits their needs.