What Aaine does, and what it does not
Aaine is a directory, not a regulator. It lists lawyers, shows what each of them has put on the record, and gets you to a conversation. It does not assess anyone’s legal ability, and it does not check the credentials of every profile it carries.
- Verification is a badge, not a baseline. Lawyers can apply to be verified. When our team has confirmed their registration, identity and references, a gold Verified mark appears on the profile. A profile without the mark has not been through that check.
- Contact terms belong to the lawyer. Phone, email, WhatsApp, chamber address or an Aaine message — each lawyer decides which of these appear on their profile, and can change them at any time.
- Reporting is open to everyone. Fake profiles, privacy concerns, harassment and account issues can be reported at any time. Reporting has never required a paid plan and never will.
- Profiles show their own working. Practice areas, languages, experience, listed rate and whether the profile carries a Verified mark are all shown before you make contact.
Reaching out safely
Not every profile on Aaine is verified — the badge marks the ones our team has checked. These habits are worth keeping either way.
- Look for the Verified mark. It means our team has manually checked that lawyer’s bar standing, identity and references. Its absence means the profile has not been checked — not that anything is wrong with it.
- Confirm anything that matters to you. Registration details on a profile are supplied by the lawyer. For an unverified profile in particular, the relevant bar or law society is the place to confirm them.
- Keep early context proportional. Share enough for the lawyer to understand your matter, without sending sensitive documents before you are comfortable doing so.
- Report anything that feels wrong. Credential misrepresentation, harassment, impersonation, or pressure to pay verification fees outside Aaine can all be reported to the trust team.
What the Verified mark actually means
The gold Verified mark on a profile means our team has manually confirmed the lawyer’s bar registration, identity, and practice references against primary sources, and run a check for active disciplinary issues. Verification is a check of credentials and standing — it’s not an endorsement of the lawyer’s strategy, advice, or outcome on any specific matter.
For the full sequence and timing, see How verification works.
Fees and payments
Aaine does not currently run consultation booking or client escrow. Lawyer verification fees and paid plan billing (where offered) are processed by our payment partners. Professional fees for legal work are agreed directly between you and the lawyer. For payment or account questions, use the Contact page.
Reviews and lawyer responses
Where reviews or similar public feedback are available, they must be honest and attributable. Lawyers may respond once and can flag content that breaches professional conduct (confidential matter details, personal attacks). We may edit or remove content that violates our standards.
Identity, documents, and data protection
Identity documents uploaded for verification are encrypted at rest, accessible only to the verification team, never shown to clients, and removed from active storage 90 days after verification completes. Full detail is in our Privacy policy.
What to report — and how
Platform safety and account issues can be reported to the trust team. Especially:
- A profile appears to misrepresent credentials or identity.
- You received unsolicited or inappropriate messages.
- You suspect impersonation or account takeover.
- A lawyer asked for verification-style payments outside Aaine’s official flow.
- You believe a review or public claim was fabricated or coercive.
- Any other platform safety or privacy concern.
Reach the trust team through the Contact page. Reports are confidential, and we’ll never share the reporter’s identity with the lawyer or client involved without consent.
What we expect from lawyers
- Hold a current, unrestricted practising certificate from your bar association or law society.
- Keep your public profile accurate, including practice areas, languages, and contact options you choose to display.
- Handle client communications and documents in line with your professional conduct rules.
- Do not misrepresent verification status or invent reviews.
- Notify us within 7 days if your standing changes.
What we expect from clients
- Use Aaine for genuine legal-help requests, and share accurate context when contacting a lawyer.
- Treat lawyers professionally in messages and calls.
- Do not harass counsel, scrape the directory, or submit false reports in bad faith.
- Use the contact and report channels for safety issues when something feels wrong.