How we rate law firms

Transparent, data‑driven, and independent. Firms cannot buy a higher score. Our model blends public trust signals with responsiveness and expertise so you can compare options fairly.

No paid rankings
Updated every day

Scoring model

The score is additive, normalised to one decimal place. We cap certain inputs to reduce outliers and choose the office with the lowest non‑zero Google review count after ascending sort when present.

Identity & Credibility

  • Network listing (LANZ, NZ Law etc.)
  • Website presence
  • Logo
  • Social media presence

Responsiveness

  • Enquiry reply rate
  • Enquiry response time

Team size & experience (capped)

  • Number of lawyers registered with the New Zealand Law Society

Google place signals

  • Google place present
  • Number of reviews
  • Rating

Data sources

We combine public information with platform engagement. We refresh score and signals every 24 hours.

Public signals
  • NZ Law Society listings
  • Google ratings & review counts
  • Website presence and logo
  • Verified office addresses
Platform signals
  • First reply time
  • Lead acceptance ratio
  • Profile completeness
  • Practice coverage depth

Percentile bands

Badges help you compare at a glance. They reflect national percentiles, not payment tiers.

Browse firms
Badge
Top 1%
Score ≥ 99 percentile nationally
Badge
Top 5%
Score ≥ 95 percentile nationally
Badge
Top 10%
Score ≥ 90 percentile nationally
Badge
Above average
Score ≥ 60 percentile nationally

Fairness & anti‑gaming

  • Outlier caps and smoothing for review scores
  • Multiple‑office de‑duplication and geo‑normalisation
  • Human review queue for anomalies
  • Easy and free appeal and correction process for firms

Questions answered

Do paid plans change rankings?

No. Commercial plans unlock features like lead routing but do not affect scores or ordering.

How often are scores updated?

Firm scores are updated daily, number of lawyers updated monthly.

Are practice‑area badges comparable across areas?

Yes, bands are percentile‑based across the national index, then filtered when you view a practice area.

How can firms improve their score?

Complete profiles, verify locations, respond quickly to enquiries, maintain high and consistent client reviews.

The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. A lawyer-client relationship could be formed by viewing or interacting with this site.
Listings are not endorsements. We do not evaluate or guarantee the qualifications, expertise, or services of any lawyer or law firm listed on this platform.
While we strive to keep listings up to date, we do not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information provided by third-party firms.
Review ratings shown on this site are sourced from third-party platforms and do not reflect the views of Find A Lawyer