How we verify

The methodology. No marketing language.

"Verified" only means something if you can see what was checked, when, and against what. Here is exactly that.

What we check before publishing

Two things, in this order:

1. Sight the practising certificate. The applicant emails a current practising certificate (or local equivalent — Anwaltsausweis, Carte d'avocat, State Bar card, کارت وکالت). We confirm name, registration number, regulator, and expiry date.
2. Cross-check against the regulator's public register. For jurisdictions where the regulator publishes a searchable register online — the SRA in England and Wales, the Bar Standards Board, state bars in the US, provincial law societies in Canada, the Anwaltskammern in Germany, the Conseil National des Barreaux in France, Advokatsamfundet in Sweden, the Iranian Bar Association — we look the practitioner up and confirm they are currently registered and in good standing.

What the verified badge means on a listing

If a profile shows "Credentials verified [date] against [regulator name]", it means we completed both steps above on that date, against that specific regulator. The regulator's URL is linked on each profile so you can re-check yourself in two clicks.

What it doesn't mean

It is not a recommendation. It is not an endorsement. It does not mean the lawyer is currently good at their job, free of complaints, or right for your matter. It means their registration was valid on the date shown. Every other quality judgement is yours to make.

When we can't fully verify

If the regulator has no online public register, we publish "Credentials sighted [date], regulator's register not public" instead of "verified". Some jurisdictions don't publish their members online. We say so explicitly rather than pretending otherwise.

How often we re-check

Every twelve months we re-verify each listing against the regulator's register. Listings that fail re-verification are taken down within seven days. The lawyer is notified by email and given a chance to provide updated credentials.

How to report an inaccurate listing

If you believe a listing is wrong — wrong details, lapsed registration, struck off, or impersonation — please tell us. We acknowledge reports within 48 hours and act within seven days. Where the issue is serious on its face (struck-off status, impersonation, safety concerns) we take the listing down immediately pending review.

What we don't do

We don't assess competence. We don't check complaint histories with regulators — most don't make these public. We don't vouch for client outcomes. We don't list lawyers who pay us, because no lawyer pays us. We don't accept reviews on the directory — the verification badge is the only quality signal we offer and we want to keep it meaningful.