How to assess a client recommendation about administrative proceedings

A useful recommendation describes the service received and the client's own experience. In administrative proceedings, look for a specific account of communication, preparation and clarity. Praise such as “excellent” or “the best” conveys an opinion, but provides less information than an explanation of what the lawyer actually did.

Read an authority's decision alongside the preceding application and the material supplied to the authority. A recommendation about a similar issue may help you prepare questions for a consultation. It cannot establish that the facts, evidence or procedural position of your matter are the same, or that a previous result will be repeated.

Check the source and date where they are available. Distinguish a client submission from marketing copy or an illustrative example. A review checked by the office is still published on an office-controlled website; a link to an external source allows you to read that source separately.

A client may choose initials or another display name to protect privacy. The office can privately check contact details and publication consent without displaying a case number, financial information, medical records or the names of other parties. A review does not need sensitive details to describe a meaningful experience.

Use recommendations alongside a discussion of the authority's decision, the original application, appendices and correspondence, fees, availability and the proposed scope of work. On this website, new submissions enter a private review process. Only recommendations whose source and publication consent have been checked are published; no rating is supplied on behalf of a client.