Overview
upLegal’s ratings and reviews system enables clients to share their experiences with lawyers, helping other users make informed decisions. The system includes star ratings, detailed reviews, verification badges, and moderation workflows.Review Structure
Star Rating System
Reviews use a 5-star rating scale:1 Star
Malo
2 Stars
Regular
3 Stars
Bueno
4 Stars
Muy bueno
5 Stars
Excelente
Visual Rating Display
Ratings are displayed as filled/unfilled stars:- Filled Star: ⭐ (for whole numbers)
- Half Star: ⭐ (for decimals .5 and above)
- Empty Star: ☆ (for remaining stars)
Writing a Review
Eligibility Requirements
Clients can only review lawyers if they have:- Completed Consultation: At least one finished appointment
- No Existing Review: Haven’t already reviewed this lawyer
- Active Account: Must be logged in with verified account
This verification ensures all reviews are from actual clients who have received legal services from the lawyer.
Review Form
The review submission form includes:1. Star Rating (Required)
Interactive star selector:- Hover to preview rating
- Click to set rating
- Visual label updates (Malo, Regular, Bueno, Muy bueno, Excelente)
2. Written Comment (Required)
Text area with:- Character Limit: 1,000 characters
- Placeholder: Guidance text for helpful reviews
- Counter: Shows remaining characters
- Validation: Minimum 10 characters required
3. Review Guidelines
Displayed guidelines:- Sé honesto y específico sobre tu experiencia
- Evita lenguaje ofensivo o inapropiado
- No compartas información personal sensible
- Enfócate en el servicio profesional recibido
Submission Process
Review Moderation
All reviews go through a moderation process:Review Status
- Pending: Awaiting moderator review
- Approved: Published and visible to all users
- Rejected: Not published (violates guidelines)
Moderation Criteria
Reviews are checked for:- Appropriate language (no profanity, hate speech)
- Relevant content (about legal services received)
- No personal information (phone numbers, addresses)
- No spam or promotional content
- Compliance with community guidelines
Only approved reviews are displayed publicly and included in lawyer rating calculations.
Rating Statistics
Each lawyer’s profile displays comprehensive rating statistics:Average Rating
Calculated from all approved reviews:Rating Distribution
Breakdown showing count of each star rating:Visual Display
Rating distribution shown as horizontal bars:(count / totalReviews) * 100
Review Display
Each review is displayed with:Review Card Components
- User Avatar: Profile picture or initials
- User Name: Display name
- Verification Badge: “Verificado” badge confirming legitimate client
- Star Rating: Visual stars showing rating
- Timestamp: “Hace 2 meses” (time ago in Spanish)
- Service Type: Type of legal service received (optional)
- Review Text: Full comment with line breaks preserved
- Helpful Actions: Buttons to mark review as helpful/not helpful
Example Review Card
Helpful Votes
Users can vote on review helpfulness:Voting Mechanism
- Helpful: Thumbs up icon (👍)
- Not Helpful: Thumbs down icon (👎)
- Count Display: Shows number of helpful votes
- One Vote Per User: Users can vote once per review
- Toggle: Can change vote or remove it
Vote State Management
Review Management
Updating a Review
Clients can update their existing reviews:- Must be the original review author
- Review must exist
- Updated review goes through moderation again
Deleting a Review
Clients can delete their reviews:- Review permanently removed
- Lawyer’s average rating recalculated
- Rating distribution updated
Deleting a review cannot be undone. Clients will need to write a new review to replace it.
Lawyer Response
Future feature: Lawyers will be able to respond to reviews:- One Response Per Review: Single official response
- Professional Tone: Subject to same moderation
- Displayed Below Review: Clearly marked as lawyer’s response
- No Rating Changes: Responses don’t affect star rating
Review Sorting
Reviews can be sorted by:- Most Recent: Latest reviews first (default)
- Highest Rated: 5-star reviews first
- Most Helpful: Reviews with most helpful votes
- Lowest Rated: 1-star reviews first
Review Pagination
Review display:- Initial Load: First 3 reviews shown
- Load More: “Ver Todas las Reseñas (X más)” button
- All Reviews: Shows complete review list
Verification Badge
All reviews display a “Verificado” badge:- Review from verified client
- Completed consultation confirmed
- Passed moderation review
Rating Service API
The rating service provides these methods:FAQ
Can I review a lawyer I haven't hired?
Can I review a lawyer I haven't hired?
No. You can only review lawyers with whom you’ve had a completed consultation or appointment. This ensures all reviews are from verified clients with firsthand experience.
Can I change my review after submitting it?
Can I change my review after submitting it?
Yes, you can update your review at any time. Simply go to the lawyer’s profile, find your review, and click “Edit”. Note that updated reviews may go through moderation again before being published.
Why isn't my review showing up?
Why isn't my review showing up?
All reviews go through a moderation process to ensure they meet our community guidelines. This typically takes 24-48 hours. You’ll receive a notification once your review is approved.
Can lawyers see who wrote each review?
Can lawyers see who wrote each review?
Yes, reviews are not anonymous. Your display name and avatar are shown with your review. This transparency helps maintain authentic, honest feedback.
What if I receive an inappropriate review as a lawyer?
What if I receive an inappropriate review as a lawyer?
You can flag reviews that violate our community guidelines. Our moderation team will review flagged content within 24 hours and take appropriate action.