Google has expanded the number of firms a potential client can contact through Local Services Ads. The “Request Multiple Opinions” feature now lets a searcher send the same inquiry to as many as six law firms simultaneously. We posted about this on X and the reaction was immediate. You can see our post here: https://x.com/AnthonyHigman/status/2100019178597945599?s=20
The feature was previously capped at four firms. Google introduced messaging for LSA in 2023 and has been refining the multi-firm contact option since then. The button appears after a user selects a firm to message, and Google then surfaces a “message a few others” list of competing providers who are opted into messaging. A Google’s Ads Liaison, previously explained that the feature was designed to remove friction for consumers who were already contacting multiple providers on their own.
What This Means for Law Firms
The lead is no longer exclusive. When a client messages six firms at once, your firm is competing for attention in a crowded inbox. The firm that responds first, responds best, and presents the most professional intake experience is the firm that gets the first real conversation.
Speed was always an advantage on LSA. Now it is the entire game. Picture a potential client messaging six firms at once. One responds within two minutes. Another responds an hour later. Three call back the next morning. One never follows up at all. That client is going to hire the firm that answered while the inquiry was still fresh.
Reviews and profile completeness matter more than ever. When someone is comparing several attorneys side by side, they are looking for signals to help them decide. Google review ratings, review volume, years in business, attorney photos, the Google Screened badge, and an overall complete LSA profile all become part of the first impression before anyone picks up the phone.
Our Take
We posted about this because it changes the economics of LSA leads. A message that was previously shared with three other firms is now shared with five. The competition for the same lead has increased by fifty percent. That is not a small shift.
But we also see this as an opportunity for firms that are prepared. Every firm now has another chance to differentiate itself, not through bigger budgets, but through a better client experience. The firms that answer quickly, have a professional intake team, communicate clearly, and make scheduling a consultation effortless are the ones that come out ahead. Marketing has never been just about getting the phone to ring. It is about what happens in the minutes after someone reaches out.
The firms that treat intake as a priority will win more of these shared leads. The firms that treat intake as an afterthought will pay for messages they never convert.
What ADSQUIRE Is Doing
We are reviewing LSA intake processes for our clients in light of this change. That means:
- Auditing current message response times to identify gaps
- Reviewing intake workflows to ensure every message gets a fast, professional reply
- Testing auto-response and notification systems to reduce response delays
- Comparing LSA message lead conversion rates before and after the six-firm expansion
- Advising clients on staffing and coverage during business hours
- Monitoring the feature for further changes as Google continues to test it
- Documenting which firms are appearing in the “message a few others” list and why
- Keeping clients informed about how shared leads affect their cost per case
For law firms, the objective is not to complain about shared leads. It is to be the firm that wins them.
Conclusion
Google LSA now lets clients message six firms at once instead of four. The lead is no longer exclusive. The competition for every message has increased. The firms that answer fastest and present the most professional intake experience will win the cases. The firms that do not will pay for leads they never convert.
The feature is still being tested and refined. We will continue monitoring how it affects our clients and adjusting our approach as the data comes in. Review your intake process. Test your response times. Make sure every message gets a reply within minutes, not hours. The firms that treat this as a wake-up call will be better positioned than those that wait for the first shared lead to slip away.
