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What is Avvo?

Avvo is a free website that offers consumers more information and better guidance than ever before regarding the legal industry and, specifically, choosing the right lawyer. Avvo is the world’s largest online legal directory, rating and profiling over 85% of US lawyers. Avvo profiles include the Avvo Rating, as well as client reviews, peer reviews and attorney disciplinary records. Avvo also offers a question and answer forum where people can ask real attorneys – anonymously if desired – any legal question and receive personalized answers.

Avvo is different from other lawyer search sites because it was designed specifically for consumers. Our research shows that consumers find the process of selecting a lawyer to be difficult and confusing. We believe that offering guidance and increasing transparency is better for both consumers and lawyers.

Questions about the Avvo Rating?

The Avvo Rating is our assessment of how well a lawyer could handle your legal issue. It is based on data we collected about the lawyer, including the attorney's experience practicing law, professional achievements, and disciplinary sanctions (if any). This data comes from several sources, including state bar associations, court records, and lawyer Web sites, as well as information that lawyers provide to Avvo. We've created a mathematical model that takes all this information into account and calculates a score on a 10-point scale. Learn more about the Avvo Rating.

How much does it cost to use Avvo?

Avvo is free—you can view all the attorney information, use all the features, ask questions, research legal information, and even submit client ratings free of charge. Avvo is also free for lawyers, who are encouraged to update their profiles with the most current and complete information.

How do you make money?

We make money by selling advertising on our site. Advertising is independent from the Avvo Rating and attorney search results rankings, which cannot in any way be influenced by advertising or any other form of payment.

Where does the lawyer profile information come from?

Lawyer profile information may come from various sources, including state bar associations, court records, and lawyer Web sites, as well as information that lawyers supply to Avvo. Avvo brings all this data together in one convenient, easy-to-use Web site, so you don't have to spend hours trying to find it all yourself.

Keep in mind that we collect lawyer profile information from different sources that we do not control, and we do not verify such information. If you feel that you have found incorrect information on an attorney's profile, please let us know. Our goal is to ensure that all data on Avvo is as accurate, up-to-date, and helpful as possible.

How often do you update the information?

We strive to keep lawyer profile information as current as possible. However, we are sometimes dependent on others (state bar associations, for example) to make updated data available to us. For data collected from government sources, we show the date that the information was last updated on Avvo.

Why can't I find the lawyer I'm searching for?

If the lawyer is not currently serving in a state that Avvo covers, you won't be able to find the lawyer on Avvo. We're rapidly expanding our coverage, but right now we don't have information for all states, and in some states we have a beta directory that includes some, but not all, of the attorneys in those states. Current State Coverage

If you've done a search by name, you may want to try the following:

Check to be sure you're spelling the lawyer's name correctly.
Remove the lawyer's first name from the search box.
Sometimes the name the lawyer registered with the state bar association is different from the name you know (for example, a maiden name). If you know another name for the lawyer, try searching with that name.

Still can't find the attorney you are searching for? Contact us.

Why do some lawyers have more than one profile?

Lawyers with multiple profiles are licensed to practice in more than one state. An Avvo profile will be displayed for each state where the lawyer is licensed. If you find the attorney you are reviewing has multiple profiles, we can merge them. Contact us

Why does Avvo contain profiles of deceased attorneys?

Avvo contains profiles of deceased attorneys who remain in the public records of the state bar associations or courts. We do not rate deceased attorneys or display them in the practice area search results, as this obviously would serve no purpose. But we have left their profiles in our database, just as they remain in state public record databases, and you can find them by searching for the deceased lawyer's name.

How do I know which legal practice area to choose?

Be as specific as you can when entering keywords about your legal issue - that way, Avvo can show you the lawyers, answers and Legal Guides that can best help you. If you're not sure - and many people aren't - you can browse Legal Guides, Answers & Advice and lawyers by practice area.

My search returned too many or too few lawyers. How do I narrow or expand the results?

The easiest way to narrow or expand your search results is by using the filters on the left side of the search results page. You can target your search by lawyers with client reviews, those offering a free consultation, and those without disciplinary sanctions.

You can also sort your results by Best Match, Avvo Rating, Client Rating, and Lawyer Name using the drop down menu at the top of the search results.

Why are you showing me lawyers located outside the city or zip code I selected?

When you search by city or zip code, Avvo includes lawyers with an exact match, and also those within a 5-mile radius. This way you can see a broader selection of attorneys who are still close to your desired location.

How are the search results determined?

When you initiate a search, the results are determined by several factors, including the amount of information that we know about a lawyer, a lawyer's geographical location, and a lawyer's practice area.

The lawyers are shown in the order of Best Match determined by your keyword search. You can also sort your results by Avvo Rating, Client Rating, and Lawyer Name using the drop-down menu at the top of the search results.

Can lawyers influence where they appear in the search results list?

No. An attorney's rank in the search results is based on how well they match your search criteria. Advertising is completely independent of search results-search results can't be influenced by advertising or any other form of payment.

Why do some lawyer's profiles have more information than others?

Lawyer profile data comes from several sources, and not all sources are available or have been accessed for every attorney. Data sources include state bar associations, court records, and lawyer Web sites, as well as information a lawyer may choose to add to their profile.

What's the difference between the Avvo Rating, client ratings, and peer endorsements?

The Avvo Rating is our effort to evaluate a lawyer's background. The rating is calculated using a mathematical model that considers the information shown in a lawyer's profile, including a lawyer's years in practice, disciplinary history, professional achievements, and industry recognition-all factors that, in our opinion, are relevant to assessing a lawyer's qualifications. However, keep in mind that the Avvo Rating is based only on the information we have collected about a lawyer, and we are not able to collect every piece of information about every lawyer. If we are missing relevant information, the absence of that information may affect the Avvo Rating. Learn more about the Avvo Rating.

Client ratings are provided by former and current clients and give you a first-hand account of what it's like to work with a particular lawyer.

Peer endorsements-one attorney endorsing another-can help show you how a lawyer is perceived by his or her peers. Peer endorsements can also give you insight into the depth of a lawyer's network, which may be important because lawyers often need to consult colleagues for expertise in different legal practice areas.

What's a disciplinary sanction?

A disciplinary sanction is an action taken against a lawyer by the state agency that regulates lawyers. If a lawyer has a sanction, be sure to investigate, taking into account the severity of the sanction and how long ago it occurred. A sanction can be a minor reprimand, or it can be a very serious punishment like suspension or disbarment from practicing law. The negative impact on the Avvo Rating may be less if a sanction is minor or happened in the distant past. However, we believe that disciplinary actions should be taken seriously, and that is why we call them out in the search results.

Is it possible that a lawyer will have a disciplinary sanction and it will not show up in Avvo?

Yes, in three cases. The first case involves something called "private" sanctions. Bar associations can discipline an attorney in private and that disciplinary sanction does not appear in the public record. If it is not in the public record, we will not know about it. The second case is that in some states, the bar association or court may give access to data that only goes back so many years. The third case is that a bar association may post the record of a lawyer's sanction after we collect his or her information from the public records or we are unable to access this information.

What does "current areas of practice" mean?

This pie chart shows you an estimate of how much time a lawyer currently spends in specific areas of legal practice. This can change over time, as a lawyer's emphasis on certain practice areas may change.

Keep in mind that, until a lawyer claims his or her profile, we give an equal percentage in the pie chart to each of the lawyer's practice areas that we have found. These equal percentages may not be accurate; however, they are the best information we have until the lawyer changes the percentages in their profile.

If I see incorrect information on a lawyer's profile page, what should I do?

If you see information that is incorrect, please let us know. Our goal is to ensure that all data on Avvo is as accurate, up-to-date, and helpful as possible.

What are client ratings?

Client ratings are feedback from a lawyer's current and former clients, and can be helpful to other users looking for an attorney. If you have been, or are currently, the client of a lawyer, we encourage you to submit a client rating. However, please note that we may not post client ratings that:

Include profanity or other offensive language
Appear to be personal attacks rather than comments on professional skills
Are serious accusations that are not supported by specific facts
Have the appearance of not being submitted by an actual client

How do I submit a client rating?

Submitting a Client Rating is easy, and it takes just a minute or two. It can be incredibly helpful to Avvo users who are looking for an attorney. Submit a client rating.

I submitted a client rating. Why hasn't it appeared on the Web site?

Our team reviews every submission before posting it, to ensure that ratings are helpful to consumers, and are not "spam." The review process generally takes no longer than 72 hours.

Does my name appear on the Web site when I submit a client rating?

To protect your privacy, your name does not appear unless you specifically choose to have it listed.

Please note that we may not post client ratings that:

Include profanity or other offensive language
Appear to be personal attacks rather than comments on professional skills
Are serious accusations that are not supported by specific facts
Have the appearance of not being submitted by an actual client

How do you know client ratings are written by actual clients?

We take several steps to maintain the quality of ratings: We require users to register before submitting a rating, and we carefully review every Client Rating before we post it. We also rely on the Avvo community, so please let us know if you see a rating that seems suspicious or incorrect.

If I give you my e-mail address, are you going to send me e-mail all the time?

If you don't want to receive Avvo e-mail, you don't have to. We'll only send you e-mail if you request it during registration or on your Account Page.

How does Avvo protect my privacy?

We take your privacy very seriously. For more details about how we treat personally identifiable information we collect from you, please read our privacy policy.

Who can see the questions I ask?

Anyone on Avvo can search through questions asked through Avvo Answers. Your e-mail address, name, or identity will not be posted with the question. Your question will remain in the Avvo knowledge base to help others researching their legal issues in the future.

What if I see a question that is inappropriate?

If you see content in Avvo Answers that doesn't belong there, be sure to flag it as objectionable. Flagging allows the community to tell Avvo when a question or answer is inappropriate. An e-mail will be sent to our Customer Care team, which will look at the question or answer and take action if necessary.

How do I manage my e-mail subscriptions to Avvo Answers?

When you are signed in, you can edit and add subscriptions to questions and answers from your account page.

Who is answering these questions and why?

Attorneys use Avvo Answers to showcase their skills and help consumers find answers to their legal questions. Non-lawyers can also share their experiences and knowledge with the community.

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