If you have ever found yourself entangled in a legal matter, it can be quite distressing to discover that the intricate details of the case are readily available through a simple Google search of your own name. What adds to the concern is that these details are not limited to a single website; they tend to proliferate across multiple platforms. However, there is a straightforward approach to address this issue by removing legal information from search engine results pages.
The reason behind the widespread visibility of legal cases is the presence of numerous platforms that aggregate legal information. These websites gather data from publicly available court records and transform them into easily searchable formats, making them accessible to the general public. Typically, this information includes court dockets, details of legal cases, and various filings.
These websites serve as invaluable resources for legal professionals, including lawyers, law students, and legal researchers. They act as repositories for court records and case information, which are vital for legal proceedings. However, an unintended consequence of these platforms is the potential harm they can cause to individuals whose court records are now accessible online to anyone with an internet connection.
While it is not possible to remove these listings from legal research websites due to their critical role, there is a solution to de-index these legal records from popular search engines like Google.
De-indexing entails removing a specific page from search engine results, while the page itself remains on the source website. Essentially, the page still exists, but it would require proactive effort from a reader to visit a legal research website and search for your case. Consequently, it would no longer appear in search results when your name or your company’s name is searched on Google or Bing.
How to De-Index Legal Items So They Stop Appearing on Your Search Results Pages
First, you should create a comprehensive list of the items you wish to remove. This may only include the items you’ve found through searches of your own but, as RepairMySearch describes in its guide for removing legal items from search results pages, you should look at many pages and even run site-specific Google searches to see if there are results hiding below the surface.
Next, you must find the contact information for each website. In some cases, this is an e-mail address. In others, a form. Some even offer a form specific to takedown requests.
Be polite in your outreach. Remember there is an individual on the other side of the message that you’re sending, and that they’re there to assist you with your online reputation management goals. Calmly explain who you are, why you’re reaching out, and make a specific request including a list of every URL that you’re asking to be de-indexed.
Be patient. Many of these companies do not have a large staff and it may take several days to receive a response. And even once they do submit a de-index request on their side, it may take up to a week or two for Google to remove the offending page.
By implementing this de-indexing strategy, you can regain control over your online reputation and ensure that sensitive legal information is no longer readily available to the general public through search engine results.