The Lawyer Guide Belgium
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The Lawyer Guide Belgium

Privacy policy, terms and legal position

Last updated: 30 October 2026

This policy explains what personal data The Lawyer Guide collects through thelawyerguide.be, why we collect it, and the rights you have under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We do not sell personal data, and we do not use it for advertising. This page also contains our terms (Part II) and our legal position on lawyer profiles and reviews (Part III).

Part I · Privacy policy

1. Who we are

The Lawyer Guide ("we", "us") is the controller of the personal data described in this policy. The Lawyer Guide is an information platform that helps people find and compare lawyers, active in Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, the United States and Singapore. For anything about your personal data, contact us at support@thelawyerguide.com.

2. What we collect

WhenPersonal data
You sign up to be notified at launchEmail address; your name and city if you choose to give them; your language
You register as a lawyerName, mobile number, email address, title, bar and city; your law firm and office address if you choose to give them; your language
You visit the websiteTechnical data needed to deliver and protect the site, such as IP address and browser type, kept in server logs

We don't use analytics or advertising trackers on this website.

3. Why we use it, and on what legal basis

PurposeLegal basis (GDPR)
Emailing you when The Lawyer Guide launches in BelgiumYour consent (Article 6(1)(a))
Verifying a lawyer's bar membership, contacting them about their profile and setting it upYour consent (Article 6(1)(a)) and steps taken at your request before setting up a profile (Article 6(1)(b))
Replying to your questions and requestsOur legitimate interest in answering you (Article 6(1)(f))
Keeping the website secure and preventing misuse, such as spam submissionsOur legitimate interest in a secure service (Article 6(1)(f))

You can withdraw your consent at any time (see section 7). Withdrawing doesn't affect processing that took place before.

4. Who we share it with

We share personal data only with people and service providers who need it to run this service for us, and only for the purposes above:

Some of these providers may process data outside the European Economic Area. Where they do, the transfer is covered by an adequacy decision of the European Commission (such as the EU-US Data Privacy Framework) or by the Commission's standard contractual clauses. We may also disclose data where the law requires it. We don't share your data with lawyers, law firms or other third parties for their own marketing.

5. How long we keep it

6. How we protect it

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures. All connections to the website are encrypted (HTTPS), data is stored on secured servers, and access is limited to authorised people who need it.

7. Your rights

Under the GDPR you have the right to:

To use any of these rights, email support@thelawyerguide.com from the address you signed up with, or reply to any email we've sent you. We'll respond within one month. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority (www.dataprotectionauthority.be).

8. Cookies

This website doesn't use advertising or analytics cookies. Our network provider may set strictly necessary cookies that protect the site against bots and abuse.

9. Children

This website is meant for adults. We don't knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us their data, contact us and we'll delete it.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as The Lawyer Guide Belgium develops. The date at the top shows when it last changed. If a change affects how we use data you've already given us, we'll let you know.

11. Contact

For questions, requests or complaints about personal data, email support@thelawyerguide.com.

Part II · Terms

1. Introduction

The Lawyer Guide Belgium (thelawyerguide.be) is a service provided by The Lawyer Guide, operated by Advokatguiden AS (the "Company"), c/o Journey, Hoffsveien 4, 0275 Oslo, Norway. Below are the terms and conditions ("Terms") that apply to the features and services ("Service") offered to user(s) ("User") on these websites. Users here mean both ordinary visitors and registered lawyers on the platform. By using The Lawyer Guide Belgium, or by ordering one or more of our paid products, you simultaneously agree to these terms. The Lawyer Guide Belgium reserves the right to change these terms at any time, without prior notice. An updated version of the terms will always be available at www.thelawyerguide.be.

2. Use of the Service

All content on The Lawyer Guide Belgium is protected under the Copyright Act and other legislation. Copying, making available to the public and other exploitation beyond what follows from the Copyright Act of 12 May 1961 No. 2 and other applicable legislation is not permitted and requires written consent from the Company. It is not permitted to copy the information on the website using manual or automatic processes. Violation of The Lawyer Guide Belgium's rights under the Copyright Act or these terms may result in penalties and liability for damages.

3. Guidelines for assessments

The Lawyer Guide Belgium reserves the exclusive right to delete reviews that the company believes violate these guidelines. By writing a review, you agree that The Lawyer Guide Belgium can make your review publicly available. At the same time, you give The Lawyer Guide Belgium, and its customers and partners, an exclusive, royalty-free and perpetual right to use the review in connection with The Lawyer Guide Belgium and other marketing. If you believe that a review about you as a lawyer, associate or legal assistant violates these guidelines, we ask that you contact us by email at support@thelawyerguide.com. The company takes such inquiries seriously and will process them according to the procedural rules mentioned under clause 4 of the Agreement.

4. Reservation options

The Lawyer Guide Belgium aims to create a greater degree of transparency and accountability in the legal profession. Lawyers serve an important social mission and it is in the public interest that there is good, updated and neutral information about the work of the various lawyers. All basic information in The Lawyer Guide has been provided by the Supervisory Board for Advokatvirksomhetslova (the Norwegian Public Access Act) and the EU Open Data Directive. The publication of this data is in line with the judgment in the so-called "Legelisten.no case" (TOSLO-2019-98312) and is otherwise protected by the fundamental freedom of expression enshrined in Section 100 of the Constitution. The Lawyer Guide normally does not publish any information, including neither individual lawyer profiles nor reviews, unless there are compelling reasons for this. If you believe that you can demonstrate compelling reasons, we ask that you send us an email to support@thelawyerguide.com. In the letter, you must explain why you believe there are compelling reasons for depublication. Please also attach supporting documents to support your claim. The secretariat of The Lawyer Guide will consider your request within 10 working days. The secretariat's decisions are public and will be published on The Lawyer Guide Belgium in line with The Lawyer Guide's transparency principle. Any refusal cannot be appealed, but can potentially be brought before the Belgian courts.

5. About The Lawyer Guide's services

The Lawyer Guide Belgium is free to use for ordinary visitors. When you use our leads service or submit a review, you become a member of The Lawyer Guide Community and we will then notify you from time to time about interesting legal services and products. At The Lawyer Guide Belgium, lawyers, legal assistants and registered legal assistants can choose to order various paid products, such as an upgraded profile, subscription to leads, etc. For an upgraded profile, a 12-month binding subscription period normally applies. Payment is made in advance, with a 10-day ordinary invoice deadline. After the expiry of the binding period, the subscription can be terminated with a 3-month mutual notice period. If a subscription has been granted with a discount, the discount will not be continued for the next period without a separate agreement to this effect. Ordinary prices will therefore apply for the next agreement period. For subscription to leads, an ongoing agreement with a 1-month mutual notice period applies. Leads are understood to mean the sending of a potential client by e-mail. The number of leads is counted regardless of whether the client actually becomes a client of the lawyer following the referral. The lawyer will be invoiced in arrears on a monthly basis, based on the number of leads referred.

6. Venue

The courts of Brussels, Belgium, are the venue.

Questions and answers about lawyer profiles and reviews in Belgium. Updated: 30 October 2026.

Our position is that The Lawyer Guide Belgium operates lawfully and complies with the Belgian, Norwegian and European legal rules applicable to its service. We publish professional information and client reviews to help people make informed choices about legal representation. The legal basis for that work includes the public interest in access to information, freedom of expression and the legitimate interests of the people who use our platform.

These questions and answers explain our position, how the platform operates and the rights of lawyers and reviewers. Relevant legislation and decisions are identified directly in the answers.

1. What does The Lawyer Guide Belgium do?

The Lawyer Guide Belgium helps people find lawyers in Belgium, understand their areas of practice and read accounts of other clients’ experiences. Clients can share reviews, and lawyers can claim their profiles, maintain their professional information and use optional services to increase their visibility.

Searching for a lawyer and claiming a basic profile are free. People can also submit a request for legal assistance to be forwarded to lawyers through our matching service. The lawyer and prospective client then decide whether to work together and agree the terms of the engagement.

Our role is to make relevant information accessible and give clients a voice. Reviews describe experiences of legal services. A rating is an account of client satisfaction, not a professional qualification or a prediction of the outcome of a case. The Lawyer Guide Belgium itself does not offer legal services of any kind.

2. Who operates The Lawyer Guide Belgium and which laws apply?

The Lawyer Guide Belgium is operated by Advokatguiden AS, a Norwegian company with organisation number 924 915 692 and registered address Hoffsveien 4, 0275 Oslo, Norway. Advokatguiden AS is the controller responsible for the platform’s processing of personal data. Our contact address is support@thelawyerguide.com.

The Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection, or FADP, applies to circumstances producing effects in Switzerland under Article 3. Swiss personality rights and the relevant rules on professional conduct and fair competition also form part of the legal framework for our Swiss service.

Norway applies the EU General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, through section 1 of the Norwegian Personal Data Act. Processing in the context of our Norwegian establishment falls within GDPR Article 3(1). That protection extends to relevant processing concerning people in Belgium; it does not depend on their nationality or residence in the EEA. We therefore address the Swiss and Norwegian GDPR requirements together.

3. Why is there a public interest in information and reviews about lawyers?

People have a substantial interest in understanding whom they are considering trusting with a legal problem. Choosing a lawyer can affect a person’s family, livelihood, business or ability to enforce their rights. Many clients make that choice without previous experience of legal services or a personal network that can recommend someone.

Professional registers establish matters such as identity and admission to practice. A firm’s website explains how it presents its services. Client experiences add a different kind of information: whether communication was clear, questions were answered, costs were explained and the client understood what was happening. A client can describe those experiences without being qualified to determine whether every legal decision was technically correct.

The Lawyer Guide brings professional information and client experiences together in a searchable service. That helps people identify lawyers relevant to their needs and compare the information available. It also makes good service more visible and gives lawyers an opportunity to build a reputation through their work. Positive and negative experiences both contribute to that purpose.

A system in which each professional can decide whether lawful information or criticism about them is available would produce an incomplete account of the market. The public interest extends to independent information about professionals who have not chosen to advertise or participate. Publication of the lawyer’s professional identity is necessary to connect the information to the service being described.

This interest has a legal foundation. Article 16 of the Swiss Federal Constitution protects the freedom to express opinions and to receive and disseminate information. Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights also protects expression and information. Those interests carry weight alongside the lawyer’s personality and data-protection rights in the assessment under Article 31 FADP and GDPR Article 6(1)(f).

The Norwegian Supreme Court examined this issue in the Legelisten case, HR-2021-2403-A, decided on 7 December 2021. It upheld the publication of subjective reviews of healthcare professionals under GDPR Article 6(1)(f), without a general right for each professional to opt out. The Court recognised the value of informed choice, the expression interests of reviewers and the contribution of information to competition. It considered the real burden of criticism, including the difficulties professional secrecy creates for replies, and nevertheless found the processing justified in the system before it. Although not directly applicable for Belgian circumstances, the verdict has analogous interpretational value.

The Austrian Supreme Court reached a comparable conclusion concerning the doctor-review service Docfinder in judgment 6 Ob 198/21t of 29 August 2022. It rejected the challenges before it after considering professional information, expression, commercial interests and the service’s operation. These decisions support the reasoning we apply to The Lawyer Guide: professional confidentiality and the importance of reputation do not give an entire profession a general exemption from public information and lawful client criticism.

Our position is that the same information need exists in the Belgian legal market. We give effect to it through professional profiles, client reviews, client authentication, moderation and a procedure for correcting or challenging content. The public benefit lies in helping people choose legal assistance and allowing them to share their experience of the service they received.

4. What allows The Lawyer Guide to publish a profile without the lawyer’s prior consent?

Consent is one lawful route for processing personal data. It is not a universal prerequisite for publishing professional information. Our directory relies on the legal recognition of overriding interests under Swiss law and legitimate interests under the GDPR.

Swiss law starts with the processing principles in Article 6 FADP and the protection of personality under Article 30. Article 31(1) expressly permits an interference with personality rights to be justified by consent, an overriding private or public interest, or legislation. These are alternative grounds. Article 30(3) also recognises that processing generally does not infringe personality where the person has made the information generally accessible and has not expressly prohibited its processing. A later objection is assessed under Articles 30 and 31.

For The Lawyer Guide, the relevant interests include access to useful professional information, informed selection of a lawyer, the expression of client experiences and our interest in providing the service. We consider publication proportionate because it connects information about professional services with the practitioner concerned, while allowing inaccurate or unlawful material to be challenged. The fact that a professional entry contains personal data does not, by itself, make its publication unlawful.

Under GDPR Article 6(1)(f), the assessment asks three questions: is there a legitimate interest, is the processing necessary for that interest, and do the person’s interests or fundamental rights override it? Our answer for the directory and review service is that the interests described above justify publication. Identifying the relevant lawyer is necessary for the information to be useful, and an independent service cannot achieve its purpose through entries that appear only with each subject’s permission.

The GDPR provision we rely on for this purpose is Article 6(1)(f). Article 6(1)(e) concerns a task carried out in the public interest or official authority with a legal foundation under Article 6(3). A private service can serve the public interest through Article 6(1)(f) without claiming to exercise an official public task.

The Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed in Koninklijke Nederlandse Lawn Tennisbond, C-621/22, judgment of 4 October 2024, that a lawful commercial interest can qualify as a legitimate interest. Necessity and the balancing of rights remain part of the test. The Lawyer Guide’s paid services therefore do not cancel the informational purpose of its directory or prevent reliance on legitimate interests.

5. Does a lawyer have an automatic right to have their profile removed?

A lawyer can object and ask us to remove a profile, but the request does not automatically require deletion of accurate professional information. Our position is that a general preference not to appear on an independent directory does not, by itself, outweigh the interests served by publication.

We assess the reasons given and the information concerned. Under Swiss law, continued processing against an express objection engages Article 30(2)(b) FADP. Article 31 then requires a justification, which can be an overriding private or public interest. An objection therefore calls for a reasoned assessment; it does not remove the statutory possibility of justified publication.

GDPR Article 21(1) places the burden on us to demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override the person’s interests, rights and freedoms following an objection based on their particular situation. Our assessment addresses the value of the information, the nature of the professional activity, the actual objection and the effect of continued publication. GDPR Article 17(3)(a) also recognises that erasure does not apply to processing necessary for freedom of expression and information.

A decision directly concerning a lawyer profile supports this distinction. In its decision of 16 February 2026, case 2024-7321-0631, the Danish data-protection authority adopted the Norwegian lead authority’s decision rejecting an erasure complaint concerning an Advokatguiden profile. The entry contained professional facts, including the lawyer’s name, firm, address and practice areas. The authority assessed the individual objection under GDPR Articles 21(1) and 17(1)(c), and the controller’s compelling grounds prevailed in those circumstances. The profile had no reviews, ratings or photograph, so the decision is particularly relevant to objections to basic professional entries.

Germany’s Federal Court of Justice also rejected a doctor’s general demand for deletion from the website Jameda under the former German data-protection law in judgment VI ZR 358/13 of 23 September 2014. The Court weighed the professional information and reviews against the doctor’s rights and recognised the public’s interest in the service. The Norwegian Supreme Court’s later Legelisten judgment, HR-2021-2403-A, likewise upheld a similar review system without a general opt-out.

6. Are client reviews protected expression, comparable to editorial content?

Yes. A client’s account of a professional service can convey facts, opinions and experiences of legitimate interest to other people. Its value as expression does not depend on the lawyer approving it or on the author being a journalist.

Article 16 of the Swiss Federal Constitution and Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights protect expression and information. Article 17 of the Swiss Constitution protects media freedom. These interests inform the balance with personality rights, including when an online publication presents criticism of a professional service.

In Buivids, C-345/17, judgment of 14 February 2019, the Court of Justice of the European Union explained that journalistic activity is not confined to professional journalists or traditional media. The ruling concerned publication of a video under the predecessor to the GDPR, but its reasoning recognises that the purpose of communicating information, opinions or ideas matters more than the publisher’s traditional job title.

Our claim for lawful publication stands on the ordinary Swiss and GDPR balancing rules as well as freedom of expression. It does not require every part of The Lawyer Guide to qualify for a special media exemption. Article 31(2)(d) FADP addresses a particular editorial-publication interest, and section 3 of Norway’s Personal Data Act addresses journalistic and other protected expression. The applicable protection follows the activity concerned.

Editorial responsibility also requires a distinction between facts and opinions. The Swiss Federal Supreme Court explained that distinction in a media dispute, judgment 5A_732/2024 of 15 January 2026, particularly considerations 4.3.1 to 4.3.3. A statement that a lawyer missed a specified deadline is a factual claim. A statement that a client found communication unclear is an assessment of their experience. We consider the factual foundation and context when handling a challenge to either kind of statement.

7. Does being listed mean that a lawyer has joined or endorsed The Lawyer Guide?

No. An independently created profile identifies a professional whose services are relevant to the directory. It does not mean the lawyer has endorsed The Lawyer Guide, entered into a contract with us or purchased any service.

Claiming a profile gives the lawyer access to profile-management functions. A Premium subscription adds commercial features. A request for legal assistance is a separate step through which a prospective client seeks contact. Those activities have their own purposes and do not follow merely from a directory entry.

The legal basis for an independent listing is the public information interest explained above. We do not treat an unclaimed profile as contractual consent. Whether a lawyer accepts a matter, offers a particular service or has availability is a factual question for that lawyer, not a consequence of being listed.

8. Where does The Lawyer Guide obtain the information in a profile?

Basic profiles draw on publicly accessible professional information. Lawyers can add, update or correct their own information, and clients supply the reviews they write. These sources serve different purposes: a professional contact detail is directory information, while a review is the author’s account of their experience.

A lawyer’s name, business telephone number, professional email address and office address allow people to identify and contact that practitioner. Article 30(3) FADP is relevant where the lawyer has made information generally accessible without expressly prohibiting its processing. Information obtained from another publisher is assessed under the broader rules in Articles 6, 30 and 31 FADP and GDPR Article 6(1)(f).

Publication of factual information is distinct from ownership of a photograph, written biography or database. Copyright and the Swiss Unfair Competition Act apply separately to protected material. Our legal justification for professional facts does not depend on treating every item found online as free of intellectual-property rights.

9. What happens if information is inaccurate or outdated?

We correct inaccurate information. Lawyers can claim a basic profile free of charge to manage its details or contact support@thelawyerguide.com with a correction. A Premium subscription is not required, and a lawyer does not have to become a customer to report and rectify an error.

Accuracy is an obligation under Article 6(5) FADP and GDPR Article 5(1)(d). GDPR Article 16 provides a right to rectification, and Article 32 FADP provides remedies concerning inaccurate data. We do our utmost to ensure compliance with these rules.

A correction request is most useful when it identifies the entry, the inaccurate field and the correct information. Changes of firm, office address, practice status or professional identity can all affect the accuracy of a profile. Correcting such information preserves the value of the directory for both lawyers and prospective clients.

10. How are lawyers informed about their profiles?

We contact lawyers about the existence of their profiles and explain how they can review their information, manage a free profile and raise concerns. That communication informs the lawyer about the processing; the listing’s legal basis does not depend on the lawyer buying a service or responding to the message.

The information duty is governed by Articles 19 and 20 FADP and GDPR Article 14. For data obtained indirectly, Article 19(5) FADP sets an outside period of one month from receipt. If the data are disclosed earlier, information is due no later than that disclosure. Publication can therefore bring the deadline forward. GDPR Article 14(3) likewise addresses the one-month period and earlier communication or disclosure.

The required information concerns who is responsible, why the data are processed, their sources and the relevant rights, together with the other particulars required by the applicable law. Profile notification and the offering of optional paid services have different purposes.

11. Who can submit a review and how is it moderated?

Reviews are reserved for people describing a real client experience. A reviewer registers, uses their real name and confirms their email address. We review submissions through automated screening and manual moderation against our review rules.

Our moderation addresses fabricated experiences, conflicts of interest, inappropriate or misleading content and other breaches of those rules. The same standards apply to favourable and unfavourable reviews. Lawyers can invite clients to share their experiences, and the client remains responsible for giving an honest account.

The verification checks serve different functions. Registration and email confirmation support accountability. Relationship checks examine whether the person worked with the lawyer. Content moderation examines what the review says. Confirmation of a client relationship establishes the connection to the service; it does not turn every allegation into an established fact.

A review can describe communication, accessibility, costs and the handling of a matter. Clients do not need legal qualifications to discuss what they experienced. The review remains their personal and subjective account, which can be questioned and examined through our complaint handling process.

12. How does The Lawyer Guide check that a reviewer was a client?

When a user leaves a review of a lawyer on the platform, the user consents to sharing his or her name with the relevant lawyer. The user also explicitly permits the lawyer to confirm the client relationship. The lawyer does not see the actual review text or score; the question is whether the relationship existed, rather than whether the lawyer agrees with the client’s assessment.

A confirmed relationship is identified accordingly. If the lawyer denies the relationship, the review is held for internal examination. Our team considers the reason and can ask the reviewer for supporting material, such as an invoice or relevant correspondence. A substantiated relationship can be accepted following that examination, so a denial does not give the lawyer final control over publication.

Our process also permits publication after the response period where the relationship remains uncontested and the review meets the rules. An uncontested relationship is distinct from one affirmatively confirmed by the lawyer. The lawyer can still raise a substantive authenticity concern after publication.

Meaningful examination of disputed relationships is supported by German case law. In VI ZR 34/15, judgment of 1 March 2016, the Federal Court of Justice required a review portal to investigate a dentist’s denial of a treatment relationship and seek an adequate account and supporting information. In VI ZR 1244/20, judgment of 9 August 2022 concerning hotel reviews, it again explained why a disputed customer relationship can trigger an investigation. These decisions support our approach of examining the evidence instead of making either the reviewer’s assertion or the professional’s denial conclusive.

13. How does the review process respect lawyers’ professional secrecy?

Professional secrecy is central to the lawyer-client relationship. Our verification process seeks a limited confirmation of that relationship, not disclosure of the client’s file. As part of the process, the client authorises the lawyer to confirm the relationship to The Lawyer Guide for verification.

Swiss Criminal Code Article 321 and Article 13 of the Lawyers Act protect professional secrecy. The Swiss Federal Supreme Court confirmed in judgment 2C_1045/2021 of 29 April 2022, consideration 4.1, that the existence of the mandate itself is protected. This is why client authorisation matters even when the requested answer is simply whether the person was a client.

The authorisation concerns the verification purpose and the information needed for it. It is not a general waiver for public discussion of the case. A lawyer remains free to decline disclosure: release from secrecy does not impose a duty to speak, as explained in Federal Supreme Court judgment 2C_879/2018 of 16 January 2019, consideration 3.1. Authority to consent also matters where a mandate involves joint clients or a company.

The reviewer’s real name is used for verification and is not displayed as part of the public review. The account of events can nevertheless reveal identity, so unnecessary identifying information about the client or other people has no place in a review. Supporting material is for verification and complaint handling, rather than publication as a client file.

Lawyers can respond publicly in a factual and professional way. A public reply is a separate disclosure from private relationship verification and remains subject to secrecy. We do not treat a lawyer’s decision to preserve confidentiality as an admission that an allegation is true.

14. Can a lawyer have a negative review deleted or changed?

A lawyer can challenge a review, but cannot directly edit or delete a client’s words. A negative opinion is not removed merely because it is unwelcome or may influence another person’s choice. Independent reviews would lose their purpose if their subjects could suppress lawful criticism.

We examine challenges concerning false factual statements, fabricated relationships, mistaken identity, confidential information, unlawful personal attacks and breaches of our review rules. A remedy can involve correction, redaction or removal, depending on the problem. The legal assessment includes Article 28 of the Swiss Civil Code, Articles 30 to 32 FADP and the applicable GDPR rights.

The distinction between a factual allegation and an opinion is material. The Federal Supreme Court’s judgment 5A_732/2024 of 15 January 2026 explains that assessment and also confirms that repeating another person’s allegation does not eliminate the publisher’s responsibility. We therefore consider the substance of a complaint rather than responding that the reviewer alone is responsible.

Both favourable and unfavourable reviews are subject to the same rules. Subscription status does not determine the outcome of a content complaint. Reviewers can also contact us to request an update or removal of their own review; requested changes are reviewed against the guidelines.

15. How does The Lawyer Guide deal with serious allegations against a lawyer?

We distinguish ordinary criticism of a service from allegations of dishonesty, criminal conduct or serious professional misconduct. Establishing that the reviewer was a client does not establish that such an accusation is true.

Serious factual allegations require substantiation and examination of the lawyer’s response, while respecting professional secrecy. Our review rules allow misleading, inappropriate or otherwise prohibited content to be withheld or removed. Content disputes can be addressed without publishing unnecessary client documents or details about other people.

The Swiss Federal Supreme Court’s analysis of factual allegations, opinions and personality rights in 5A_732/2024 is relevant here. The Swiss Press Council’s Guidelines 3.8 and 3.9 also express the editorial principle that a person facing serious accusations should have an appropriate opportunity to respond. That principle concerns the substance of a serious accusation; it does not give a lawyer a general right to approve ordinary client reviews before publication.

Data concerning health, criminal allegations and other protected matters can also engage additional requirements, including GDPR Articles 9 and 10. A review of professional service does not require public disclosure of the underlying legal dispute in all its detail.

16. Does The Lawyer Guide’s commercial model affect the legal position or the meaning of rankings?

The Lawyer Guide offers optional Premium subscriptions with additional profile features and visibility. Lawyers can also claim and manage a basic profile for free. We defend the lawfulness of that commercial model: a service can provide useful public information and still charge for optional features.

Payment and reputation are different things. A Premium label identifies a subscription, not an independent certification of legal ability. Our published information explains that Premium can improve visibility and that claiming a free profile can also affect search position. Search placement therefore needs to be read as part of the platform’s discovery service, rather than as a finding that the highest-placed lawyer is the most competent.

Review scores reflect the feedback submitted. Popularity measures and rankings can also take account of page views and review activity. Readers can consider the number and content of reviews alongside the displayed score. Purchasing visibility does not give a lawyer the right to rewrite a client’s review or to avoid the rules applied to content complaints.

European case law assesses commercial presentation in context. In Jameda, VI ZR 30/17, judgment of 20 February 2018, Germany’s Federal Court of Justice ordered deletion under the former German data-protection law where the particular presentation disadvantaged an unpaid profile by promoting competitors while paying profiles avoided comparable promotion without adequate disclosure. That decision addressed the design before the Court.

In its judgments of 12 October 2021, VI ZR 488/19 and VI ZR 489/19, the same Court did not require free and paid profiles to have identical features. It examined the effects of particular features under the GDPR. In VI ZR 692/20, judgment of 15 February 2022, it again rejected a claim for deletion of a basic profile after assessing the service’s design. The legal distinction is between offering additional commercial features and using a person’s data in a way that unjustifiably disadvantages them.

Corrections, content complaints and data-protection rights are available regardless of subscription. A Premium profile subscription is optional and is not required to correct information, raise a concern or otherwise manage a free, claimed profile.

17. Are lawyer directories and online platforms compatible with Swiss professional rules?

Yes. Swiss professional rules expressly contemplate lawyers using directories and online platforms. Article 36 of the Swiss Rules of Professional Conduct, effective from 1 July 2023, permits services through directories and intermediary or advisory platforms, subject to the lawyer’s professional duties.

Those duties include independence, professional secrecy, the rules on referral commissions and the rules on advertising. Articles 18 and 25 address remuneration for referrals and professional advertising respectively. The professional rules therefore support the legitimacy of platform participation while preserving the responsibilities of the lawyer who participates.

Article 12(d) of the Swiss Lawyers Act permits advertising that remains objective and responds to the public’s need for information. The Federal Supreme Court considered those requirements in judgment 2C_236/2024 of 14 January 2025. Our position is that making professional information accessible and offering profile tools and visibility is compatible with those principles. The relevant assessment concerns the information presented and the substance of the service or payment arrangement.

Professional rules governing a lawyer’s own conduct also need to be distinguished from a third party’s right to publish lawful information about that lawyer. The existence of professional regulation does not create a general requirement for a bar association to approve an independent directory or each client review.

18. What is The Lawyer Guide’s response to criticism from bar associations and the media?

Our response is that professional transparency and professional responsibility are compatible. We defend our right to operate the directory and review service, and we address specific concerns about information, reviews and communications through the relevant procedures.

A criticism that an address, practice area or implication of availability is wrong calls for examination of that information. A criticism that every lawyer must consent before any independent profile can appear raises a different legal question. For the reasons above, we reject a general consent requirement and a general right to suppress lawful professional information or client criticism.

The Swiss data-protection commissioner’s recommendation of 23 June 2008 concerning Bonus.ch SA and the doctor-review site okdoc.ch is sometimes relevant to this debate. It found deficiencies in the system examined, including inadequate assurance about reviewers and actual patient relationships. Under the former FADP, it recommended deletion of existing ratings, consent for future ratings within that model and removal of professional details following an express objection.

We take a different position on The Lawyer Guide’s operation. Our process requires a real name and a confirmed email address, involves the lawyer in checking the client relationship, provides for examination of disputed relationships and verifies and moderates the content. The okdoc recommendation concerned another service and another factual record; it was not a court judgment on The Lawyer Guide. The present assessment must apply the Swiss statutory balance to our service, with the later EU/EEA-focused GDPR decisions offering substantial support for independent professional directories and reviews.

We engage with individual lawyers and professional associations on concrete issues. Disagreement with the directory’s existence does not settle the legal analysis. The relevant questions are what is published, the interests served by publication and how the rights of the people concerned are respected.

19. Does The Lawyer Guide Belgium notify lawyers when publishing their information?

Yes, upon publication The Lawyer Guide will contact lawyers to notify them about their profile, typically within 30 days. Furthermore, we contact lawyers for specific client-relationship checks. If a lawyer claims a profile, we also contact the lawyer for account matters and optional services.

A lawyer can object to information from The Lawyer Guide, and opt out. Under GDPR Article 21(2) and (3), processing for that purpose must then stop. The objection can be sent to support@thelawyerguide.com or made through the relevant opt-out facility.

20. How can someone challenge information or exercise their rights?

Contact support@thelawyerguide.com and identify the profile, review or communication concerned. Explain what is inaccurate or objectionable and the outcome sought. Supporting information helps us assess the issue; unrelated confidential material should be omitted or redacted. Urgent concerns about safety or disclosure of protected information should be clearly identified.

We assess requests under the rights and interests relevant to the issue. These include access, correction, objection, restriction and erasure under the applicable provisions of the FADP and GDPR. Exercising those rights is independent of claiming a profile or buying a subscription.

GDPR Article 12 generally requires a response to rights requests within one month. An extension of up to two further months is available where necessary because of the complexity or number of requests, with notice and reasons given within the initial month. Swiss access requests are normally answered within 30 days under Article 18 of the Data Protection Ordinance. These deadlines operate alongside the need to address unlawful content appropriately.

A person who disagrees with our assessment can identify the facts or legal issues they consider overlooked and request reconsideration. They retain the right to approach the competent data-protection authority or court. In Switzerland, Article 32 FADP and Articles 28 and 28a of the Civil Code provide relevant civil remedies; GDPR Articles 77 and 79 address complaints and judicial remedies. Our position on the lawfulness of the service includes recognising these rights and providing a route for their exercise.