Curiously, some Gazette readers saw fit to shoot the messenger when we exposed the egregious activities of blacklisting website Solicitorsfromhell, whose owner charges solicitors and firms for the removal of third-party postings. We were accused of somehow being complicit in this distasteful and cynical enterprise.

In fact, our response echoed yours in large part – how on earth can this be legal?

At all events, our story prompted one solicitor, Scott Eason, to take the fight to site owner Rick Kordowski. One can only hope that the outcome of Eason’s libel claim (see news), inhibits the ambitious expansion plans which Mr Kordowski outlined earlier this year. In response to Mr Kordowski’s high-minded assertion that he is performing a public service that is also of benefit to the profession, one can only retort: pull the other one.

Nevertheless, Pandora’s box is open. With the proliferation of websites and especially social media, we are only going to see more postings about solicitors.

Clients are going to use these media to find out about your firm before they engage you. So you need to be asking yourself some questions. What are you doing to find out what people are saying about your firm and how are you addressing those comments that lack merit?

Perhaps more important, how well do you educate clients about how their matters will proceed?