AvvoReviews 417

Not only is Avvo an ineffective form of advertising because of the sleazy Avvo trademark and the questionable rating practices; Avvo actually hates lawyers. So they'll take your money with one hand, and with the other hand fight with anyone who is critical of their marketing practices. Avvo will aggressively attack (and then publish the communications with) potential client-lawyers who don't appreciate their sleazy marketing practices. There are ethical advertisers for lawyers, but this isn't one of them.

I was not told that purchasing a top position was only effective for a limited number of clicks per month. I was told that client reviews increase your rating towards 10. I was later told that it is exclusively reviews by other attorneys that improve the AVVO score. There are review stars by the name/photograph of the purchased positions. However, there is no associated live link. Therefore, for a consumer to find your client reviews, he/she would have to stumble on your entry in the general list. Everyone on the general list has a live link to their reviews. AVVO will not change this.

1/22/17
You are not able to leave a negative review for a lawyer on avvo. I hired a Andy Williams with Antiphon law office in Green Bay WI and I hired him based off this scam website. The lawyer was awful. It was a child custody case. He NEVER filed paperwork he stated he would file against my ex, six months into the case and important papers had not been filed. Other paperwork that had been filed was not filed properly and the judge informed my lawyer of this four months after the paperwork was filed. This paperwork was contempt of court and notice to produce documents. Very important paperwork for my defense and not done or done improperly. I went 4 weeks with no return phone call or email. He never returned any phone calls or emails to the GAL. He did not want to fight for my case and what i wanted but wanted me to agree with my ex and give my ex what he wanted. I tried to write a negative review of him on avvo and they would not publish it. I put details and facts like the review guideline states and they still declined to publish it. Then I read on another website that avvo rates the lawyers based on what the lawyers put in their bio and if the lawyers have a credit card on file. After hiring this lawyer and then finding bad reviews of him on other websites I now believe that. I have now spent double the money hiring someone else to try to fix my case. Its a nightmare. I would never recommend this avvo website or this lawyer. Big waste of time and money.

After being in a horrific car accident, we decided to hire attornies at Garmo & Garmo law offices of El Cajon. All the attornies here are very kind, compassionate and truly understood the stresses, pain and trauma that is involved in this type of accident. Furthermore Attorney Bill Epstein surprised us with way more money than we had anticipated. If you are searching for highly effective attornies for a wrongful injury lawsuit, go to Garmo and Garmo in El Cajon.

Here's why Avvo rejected my review of my lawyer:

Make it clear in your review that you were a client of this attorney.
Plainly state what you did or did not like about the attorney's services.
Refrain from making personal attacks, insulting comments, or accusations.
Try to be as objective as possible.

Here was my review:
Checked I was a client box.
Said that he had poor communication skills and actually missed one court event.
Said I would not hire him again.
Said his office help was "chippy."

This business wants you to water down the truth about an Attorney. No matter how many times you change it, you will keep getting an auto email stating your comment is not approved. I asked one of the individuals working in AVVO chat to give me an example of a negative complaint so I could use it as a basis. They never did. I modified my comment over six times with continuous kick back. The bottom line do not waste your time or energy. I would just go to the State Bar in your area to complain or YELP. That is what I did.

I have gone into AVVO several times trying to find a lawyer, but I have a difficult case. Once they find out how difficult and that I don't have much money, because of this fraud by Wells Fargo mortgage fraud... it's too much work and they ask me to email me the details and then I never hear from them again. They just want ones that are an easy buck. Ambulance chasers. I need a lawyer who's ready to help me fight to get my life back with me and see the real injustice of my situation. Not one on here followed through past the website. I can't remove my info at all from the site, I can't cancel anything. It's misguiding and I'm sure is owned and paid for by lawyers just like Angie's list scammed the public.

Out of dozens of questions, I have only experienced one or two attorneys who reference to specific state laws, and a couple have told me what happens during a court case regarding my legal questions should I retain legal counsel.

I have experienced multiple attorneys write their opinions that are against my situation and they do not involve crimes or violations. Topics such as legal questions about the U.S. Constitutional, legal action against employee's abusing my automobile at automotive and mechanic shops, defamation, etc. are answered with snide, sarcastic, or rude comments, lack of detail, and fact.

Numerous attorneys ask me follow-up questions, but when I answer them they rarely respond back, and this is evidence that most attorneys responding are against my legal strategy or legal questions.

To fix the problem of attorneys answering questions they are against, AVVO needs to provide mandatory rules stipulating that attorneys only can answer questions from people, they are willing to defend as their client, because they believe in a victorious court case. Otherwise, AVVO can expect a lot of negative comments to continue, and the evidence is how many one star reviews are found on sitejabber.

AVVO should also give more control to the people posting questions, we should be able to delete attorney responses at our discretion, and keep those responses that we want to select as helpful or a best answer. I should not have to send an inquiry to AVVO and experience their employee's tell me that a rude response from attorney(s) will not be deleted.

After hiring a lawyer that touted themselves as " the biggest family law practice in Forsyth County Georgia" I learned quicky that all that meant was that they generated the highest bills for their services in my pure opinion.

After receiving what in my opinion was inadequate representation, going to court unprepared and having my attorney freely agree to give my ex belongings that we discussed in advance should be sold, I was awarded only a coffee table, tool box and firearm after 20 years of marriage that dissolved due to irreconcievale differences. No abuse, drugs or adultery.

After the disasterous outcome I told my law firm of my grievances and said I would go to every avenue to let others know of the service or lack of service that I received from this firm. I was told by the Chief lawyer that they would persue every option available to sue me if I did, and only said that what happened to me was not their fault.

So I went to Avvo to find only raving reviews with one exception where the law firm in question wound up suing their client. Go figure. So I posted my complaint, which was approved by Avvo after their three day review process, only to one week later get an email, from Avvo that my post was removed. So it seems that if your a big shot lawyer and you have a hard truth posted about your firm that you don't like, Avvo will passify the lawyer in question by removing the bad review.

When reading reviews on sites such as Amazon etc., you are able to see the good, bad or indefferent reviews to make your own decision about using the product or service. But it seems that on the Avvo site if your a paying subscriber to the site you can use your legal muscle to have the review removed.

On a side note, the law firm in question never did sue me like they threatened because my post was stating only the facts of my case and apparently I posted nothing that they could sue me over, yet Avvo removed my post.

So I leave it with the Avvo site as a scam in my opinion and would use other avenues to find honest reviews of lawyers.

You can't spell garbage without a G. Gregory T. Osment came highly recommended to me via AVVO and a local paper. After paying the $75 dollar consultation ( which should be free) and explaining the whole situation as his office dogs nearly pissed on me, he, while ignoring me the whole time, turns and says " So what are your questions for me? "

My questions for you?! I'm here to defend charges I didn't commit!. Hired him on the spot stupidly, and later fired him for a misdemeanor malicious destruction charge. He did nothing but sit, despite the prosecutor having zero evidence. In bed with the judges for sure. Second attorney fought, and won in court. $#*! this guy