How a Barcelona law firm improved its Google reputation with ReseñasYa

The particular challenge for law firms

Professional service businesses face a specific challenge with online reviews: their clients are naturally discreet. At Martínez & Asociados, a family law firm in Barcelona, clients are going through divorces, custody disputes or inheritance cases. Asking for a public review requires real sensitivity.

Ana Martínez, managing partner, had 15 years in the field. Her reputation among clients was excellent. But on Google Maps the firm had just 11 reviews and an average of 4.2★.

"Firms with three or four years under their belt were outranking us online. When someone searched 'family lawyers Barcelona', we didn't appear. It was frustrating because our success rate and client satisfaction was genuinely higher," Ana explains.

The privacy barrier

The clearest obstacle was privacy. Clients of a family law firm don't want their contacts to know they've hired a lawyer for a divorce or custody dispute.

The standard approach of asking directly for a review ("Would you leave us a review on Google?") felt invasive in this context. Most clients simply didn't respond — not from lack of satisfaction, but from discomfort.

The solution: a WhatsApp that doesn't mention the case type

The key was personalising the message to be genuine without compromising the client's privacy.

ReseñasYa's follow-up message for Martínez & Asociados made no reference to the type of legal matter. It was simply:

"Hi [name], I hope everything is going well. We wanted to check in and see whether our support has been helpful. How have you felt about the service you received?"

If the response was positive, the system sent the Google Maps link with a message that remained neutral and discreet:

"We're so glad to hear it. If you ever feel like sharing your experience anonymously on Google, it would mean a great deal to us. Here's the link in case it's useful."

The client could write a review simply describing the quality of care without revealing anything about their personal situation.

Results in 4 months

In the first two months the firm received 28 new reviews. No client revealed sensitive details in their comments; the reviews discussed professional treatment, communication and the clarity of explanations.

By month four, Martínez & Asociados had 58 reviews with an average of 4.8★. It appeared among the top results for "family lawyers Barcelona" and "divorce lawyers Barcelona".

Incoming enquiries from organic search doubled compared to the previous year.

What Ana Martínez learnt

"The mistake we made before was thinking our clients didn't want to leave reviews. What was happening is they didn't know how to do it in a way that protected their privacy. When we gave them that option, they responded very well."

The sentiment filter also played a particularly important role in this sector: the few clients who'd had a mediocre experience — usually over incorrect expectations about court timelines, not the firm's quality — were able to express it privately. Ana could manage those conversations before they went public.

Keys for sensitive sectors

• The message should not mention the type of service if it could be compromising for the client.
• The anonymity option is a unlock: many clients are willing to leave a review if they know they can do so without revealing details.
• The tone must be conversational, not corporate.
• Timing matters: waiting 2 to 4 weeks after case closure, when the client is in a calmer moment.

Conclusion

Sectors where privacy is a legitimate concern are not condemned to have few online testimonials. With the right approach, it's possible to gather genuine reviews that reflect service quality without exposing the client.

The Martínez & Asociados experience shows that the key isn't avoiding the topic of reviews, but adapting the conversation to each type of business context.