A potential client checks your law firm’s Google listing on a holiday morning. It says the office is open. They drive over and find a locked door, or call a phone that no one will answer until Monday.
Set your holiday schedule before staff start taking time off. A short review of your Google Business Profile can help people reach the right place and understand when they will hear back. October is a useful time to plan for Thanksgiving and the year-end break.
Key Takeaways
- Use Google’s Special hours field for brief holiday closures and shorter days.
- Match the listing to the way your office and intake team will actually work.
- Share a clear update with a link to your contact page or appointment form.
- Check the public listing after saving changes, then review it before each break.
Start with the holiday coverage plan
Ask whoever handles intake to write down the dates your schedule will change. Include early closing days and any weekday between holidays when the office will stay shut. Confirm who will check messages during each break.
Separate office access from phone coverage in your notes. A call service may take a message while the building is closed. That does not mean a client can walk in or meet with a lawyer. Your public wording should explain what people can expect.
For example, if it matches your real schedule: “Our office is closed Friday. Our answering service can take your message, and our team will return calls Monday.” Use exact dates when you publish the update. Have the person responsible for intake check the wording first.
Set Special hours without changing your weekly schedule
Google has a separate Special hours setting for short-term changes. Its help page recommends confirming hours for official holidays even when your normal hours will stay the same.
- Open the Google Business Profile you manage.
- Select Edit profile, then Hours.
- Find Special hours and choose the edit option.
- Add each affected date. Enter the correct opening and closing times, or mark the day closed.
- Save your changes and check how the hours appear on the public listing.
Google says Special hours apply to temporary changes and closures of up to six days in a row. For a closure of seven or more days, or an unknown period, its guidance says to use Temporarily closed. Check that guidance if your firm plans an extended break.
Check what “open” means
A phone that records messages after hours is not the same as a staffed office. Avoid a 24-hour claim unless it fits the way the firm really serves clients. Explain after-hours intake without promising a response your team cannot provide.
Match the website and phone message to the listing
Open your website’s contact page on a phone. Check whether it still shows a normal weekday schedule on a day you plan to close. Add a dated holiday notice where a visitor looking for contact details will see it.
Test the contact form and listen to the phone greeting. If your form promises a reply within one business day, decide how that promise will work during a long weekend. Update it if needed. Ask a staff member to make a test inquiry and confirm where it lands.
Old contact details need attention too. Our guide to fixing law firm listing mismatches gives you a way to check the phone numbers and addresses that clients find online.
Write a short update people can act on
Google lets businesses publish updates with text, a photo, and an action button. For a holiday post, lead with the affected date and the schedule change. Then explain how someone can contact the firm.
Choose a Learn more button that links to a current contact page or holiday notice. If you use an appointment link, test that the calendar offers only dates your team can honor. A holiday post adds context; the Special hours field still needs its own update.
Keep the post tied to a real need. A note about shorter office hours or a clear explanation of after-hours intake gives a reader something useful. Avoid promising that someone will speak with a lawyer right away unless that is true for that date.
Use photos that reflect the actual firm
Check the listing’s office photos while you are there. If the entrance has changed, add a current photo that helps a first-time visitor find it. A clear view of the sign or building entrance can be useful when nearby businesses have similar addresses.
Use real photos of the firm for the main profile gallery. Keep client names and case papers out of view, and get permission before including people. Skip a new upload if you do not have a suitable image yet. An old photo of a former office is worth addressing before you add a seasonal decoration shot.
Assign a final check before each break
Give one staff member ownership of the public schedule. Have them check the Google listing and website before the office closes, then check again when normal hours resume. Put both checks on the office calendar.
Google says complete and accurate business information can help businesses appear in local searches. That does not make holiday posts a ranking guarantee. The immediate goal is to give a person who needs your firm accurate details and a clear next step.
A task for this week
Ask your intake lead to confirm the holiday schedule. Save those dates in Special hours, then check the public view on a phone. Record who owns the next check so it does not depend on the firm owner remembering.
Kevin Brown Design
Need help checking your firm’s online contact path?
We can review your website and local search presence with you. Bring your holiday schedule, and we can look at what a potential client sees before they call.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add holiday hours to my law firm’s Google Business Profile?
Open your Business Profile and choose Edit profile, then Hours. Find Special hours and add each date with its opening and closing times, or mark that day closed. Save the changes and check the public listing. Google recommends confirming official holiday hours even when they match your regular schedule.
Should I change my regular hours for a one-day holiday closure?
Use Special hours for a short holiday change so your normal weekly schedule stays in place. Google allows this for closures of up to six days in a row. Its guidance says to mark the business temporarily closed for a closure of seven or more days, or an unknown period. If intake remains open while the office is closed, review which hours describe the service clients can actually receive.
Can I say my firm is open 24 hours if callers reach voicemail?
A voicemail box alone does not mean your firm is serving clients around the clock. Set hours that match how your firm operates and explain any after-hours contact options in plain language. If a service answers calls, say what that service can do. Only promise a lawyer response time that your team can meet.
Will posting holiday updates improve my local ranking?
Google describes local ranking as mainly based on relevance, distance, and popularity. It says complete and accurate business information can help a business appear in relevant local searches. A holiday update helps people understand your schedule and next steps, but it does not guarantee a higher rank. Use posts to give useful details and keep the actual hours fields current.
Last reviewed October 16, 2026 by Kevin Brown.