Right to Be Forgotten Solicitor – Expert Assessment
Right to Be Forgotten Solicitor – Free Expert Assessment
You are not looking for a removal company, a reputation management agency, or a template letter. You want a qualified solicitor – someone with the legal knowledge, the authority, and the determination to use every available route to get the content removed. That is exactly what we are. Cohen Davis Solicitors are the UK’s longest-established specialist internet law firm. The right to be forgotten is not a sideline for us. It is the only work we do.
As qualified solicitors regulated by the SRA, we go considerably further than any removal company can. We send letters that carry genuine legal consequences. We argue your case before the ICO. We issue court proceedings when that is what it takes. And because we have been doing this for over 25 years, we know the legal landscape – the relevant UK GDPR provisions, the current case law, the ICO officers most receptive to particular arguments, and Google’s legal team directly. That expertise changes outcomes.
Where others have already given up, we’ve just got started.
The Expert Assessment is free. A solicitor reviews your specific URLs and situation, applies the legal tests under UK GDPR and current case law, and gives you an honest answer about what can be removed and the most effective legal route to achieve it. No obligation. No sales pitch.
Find out what a right to be forgotten solicitor can do for your case
Request your free assessmentOr call free: 0800 612 7211
What a specialist right to be forgotten solicitor achieves
Real results from real cases. Not estimates. Not projections.
- 1,017 pages removed from Google in a single case (client: Chris)
- 579 pages removed from Google for a California-based client (client: HZ)
- 28 pages removed after ICO case won against Google – the ICO accepted “most if not all of the very cogent arguments we put forward” (client: Diego)
- Successful RTBF removals from every major UK national title – The Sun, Daily Mail, The Mirror, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, the BBC and more
- Right to be forgotten applications resolved for clients in the UK, United States, Canada, Australia and across the EU
- Law Society Excellence Awards – 2016 Winner, 2019 Shortlisted
The UK’s specialist right to be forgotten solicitors
We are Cohen Davis Solicitors, trading as the Internet Law Centre – the first dedicated internet law firm in the UK. Our firm was built on internet law from the very beginning. We do not handle property, family, or employment cases. We handle internet law. That focus means everything we know, every relationship we have built, and every precedent we have set is directly relevant to your right to be forgotten case.
The firm is led by Yair Cohen, an internet law solicitor with over 25 years’ specialist experience. Yair has litigated right to be forgotten cases before the courts and the ICO, appeared in the media as a leading voice on data protection law, and built a track record that is unmatched in the UK for this type of work. When you instruct Cohen Davis, you get access to that experience directly.
We are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. That means legal professional privilege from your first contact with us, a formal duty of care, and the ability to escalate – to the ICO, to Google’s legal team directly, and into court – when that is the right step for your case.
★★★★★
“I am absolutely delighted about the outcome of my right to be forgotten application. This exercise requires considerable expertise and I am totally pleased with the outcome.”
Right to be forgotten client
★★★★★
“Your assistance and guidance is far beyond the value of any fees paid.”
Chris – 1,017 pages removed from Google
What a right to be forgotten solicitor can remove from Google
The right to be forgotten under UK GDPR covers a wide range of content types. Over 25 years we have applied it successfully across virtually every category of online content that can damage a person’s reputation or privacy.
News articles and press coverage
Newspaper articles, online news stories, press releases, and broadcast transcripts that appear in Google when someone searches your name. We have removed RTBF-qualifying content from every major UK national title and hundreds of local and regional publications. The legal arguments vary by article type, publication, and subject matter – experience matters here.
Criminal conviction records
Spent convictions, cautions, acquittals, and historic criminal proceedings that continue to appear in Google results. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and UK GDPR together provide strong grounds for delisting where the conviction is spent and the continued prominence is disproportionate to any legitimate public interest. We have a strong track record on these cases.
Personal information and data
Home addresses, phone numbers, financial records, CCJs, employment history, medical information, family details, and data broker listings. Personal information removal was at the heart of the original Google Spain RTBF ruling and remains one of the most straightforward categories of content to argue under UK GDPR.
Other content removed under the right to be forgotten
- Social media posts and forum threads – content on Reddit, X, Facebook, and other platforms that indexes in Google
- Images and photographs – personal photos published without consent, or images from old news coverage
- Wikipedia and knowledge panel entries – inaccurate or outdated personal information in Google’s own knowledge panels
- Review site content – false or defamatory reviews on Google, Trustpilot, Glassdoor and others
- Professional disciplinary records – historical findings from regulatory bodies that are now spent or resolved
- Business-related content – dissolved company information, former directorships, Companies House entries
If the content you want removed is not on this list, tell us about it in the assessment. If there is a legal route under the right to be forgotten or any other provision, we will find it.
Who comes to us for right to be forgotten legal advice?
Our clients come from a wide range of backgrounds and situations. What they share is that they need the legal firepower of a specialist solicitor, not a removal company. Here are the situations we see most often.
Google has already refused your removal request
You submitted Google’s RTBF form and received a refusal. Many people stop here. They should not. A refusal from Google is not a legal determination – it is a business decision that can be challenged. We look at the grounds for refusal, construct the strongest legal counter-argument, escalate to the ICO if appropriate, and in appropriate cases issue court proceedings. We overturn Google refusals regularly.
A spent conviction is still appearing in Google
A criminal record that is legally spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act continues to dominate your Google results. An employer, a new business contact, or a new partner searches your name and finds it. Under UK GDPR, the continued prominence of a spent conviction in search results is exactly the type of interference the right to be forgotten was designed to address. These cases have strong legal foundations.
A news article from years ago still ranks highly
A court report, a news story, a local paper article, or a press release from years ago continues to appear at the top of Google when someone searches your name. The events it describes are long past. You have moved on. But the article has not. We examine the legal position around that specific article – the publication, the nature of the content, and the current public interest arguments – and pursue the strongest available route to delisting.
You need to file an ICO complaint
The ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) is the UK’s data protection regulator and has the power to compel both publishers and Google to comply with right to be forgotten requests. An ICO complaint made by a regulated law firm, setting out properly constructed legal arguments, carries considerably more weight than one submitted by an individual. We have won ICO cases against Google and against UK national newspapers. The outcome of those cases – including the acceptance of “most if not all of the very cogent arguments we put forward” – demonstrates what specialist legal representation achieves.
The content involves sensitive personal data
Health information, racial or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, financial difficulties – these are “special category” data under UK GDPR and attract a higher level of legal protection. The bar for a publisher or Google to justify retaining special category data in search results is significantly higher than for ordinary personal information. Cases involving sensitive data often have strong legal foundations.
You are a high-profile or well-known individual
Business owners, executives, medical professionals, lawyers, politicians, and others in public or professional life often face more complex RTBF arguments because Google and publishers will cite public interest more readily. These cases require a more sophisticated legal approach. We have handled right to be forgotten cases for clients across all these categories and understand the arguments that hold weight with the ICO and the courts.
A removal company has already failed
You have tried a data removal or reputation management company and the content is still there. Removal companies are limited in what they can do – they cannot advise on law, they cannot threaten litigation, and they have no standing to argue before the ICO. As solicitors, we can. When a company has reached the limits of what it can achieve, that is often when we begin to make progress.
You are based outside the UK
UK GDPR and the right to be forgotten apply to UK-based Google search results regardless of where the individual lives. We regularly act for clients in the United States, Canada, Australia, and across the EU who need content removed from Google.co.uk and other UK-facing search results. Your location does not limit your rights under UK GDPR.
Why a specialist RTBF solicitor achieves what others cannot
Most of our clients have already tried something else – the DIY Google form, a removal company, a standard data subject access request. The cases that reach us tend to be the ones that could not be solved by a standard approach. That is where 25 years of specialist legal experience makes the difference.
We have legal leverage that removal companies lack
As qualified solicitors, we can do things a removal company cannot. We send letters before action that carry genuine legal weight. We can issue court proceedings. We can make ICO complaints that are taken seriously precisely because they come from a regulated law firm. That leverage fundamentally changes the dynamic of every interaction with Google and publishers.
We know the case law inside out
The right to be forgotten is a fast-evolving area of law. From Google Spain v AEPD (2014) to the post-Brexit UK GDPR position, through the NT1 and NT2 cases in the High Court and the ongoing ICO guidance, the legal framework shifts constantly. We follow every development and apply it directly to your case. That legal precision is what turns a standard request into a removal.
We know the people on the other side
25 years of specialist work means we know many of the people at Google’s legal team, the in-house solicitors at the major national titles, and the ICO case officers who handle RTBF complaints. A well-pitched letter from a firm they know and respect often achieves in two weeks what a cold approach cannot achieve in two years.
We do not stop at the first refusal
Google refuses many initial requests. Publishers resist. The ICO can take time. We treat a first refusal as the start of the process, not the end. We examine exactly why the refusal was made, which legal arguments were not accepted, whether the ICO is the right next step, and which alternative routes are available. Persistence, backed by legal knowledge, is how we achieve results that others have been told are impossible.
Legal professional privilege from day one
Everything you share with us is protected by legal professional privilege from your very first contact. It cannot be disclosed. It cannot be used against you. If your case involves sensitive personal or professional matters – as RTBF cases often do – that protection matters enormously. A removal company cannot offer it. We can.
We are honest about what we can and cannot do
Not every right to be forgotten case is winnable. We will tell you so at the outset rather than take your money and string the case along. If the legal arguments are not strong enough, we say so clearly at the assessment stage. If they are, we pursue them with everything we have. That honesty is what our clients trust us for – and why so many come back when they need help again.
Solicitor vs removal company: what is the difference?
| Capability | Cohen Davis Solicitors | Removal company |
|---|---|---|
| Send legally binding letters before action | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Issue court proceedings against publishers or Google | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Make formal ICO complaints with legal standing | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Legal professional privilege on all communications | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Regulated by the SRA – formal duty of care | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Advise on UK GDPR, data protection and case law | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| 25+ years specialist RTBF experience | ✓ Yes | ✗ No |
| Free Expert Assessment before any commitment | ✓ Yes | Varies |
Talk to a right to be forgotten solicitor today
Request your free assessmentFree · Confidential · No obligation · Or call 0800 612 7211
Right to be forgotten – frequently asked questions
What is the right to be forgotten?
The right to be forgotten is the legal right of individuals to have personal data about them delisted from internet search results or removed from online publications, where continued processing of that data is no longer justified. In the UK it is provided by Article 17 of the UK GDPR (the right to erasure) and backed by a body of case law developed since the landmark Google Spain ruling in 2014. It is not a right to rewrite history – it is a right to ensure that historical information is not processed in a way that is disproportionate, inaccurate, or unjustified in the current context.
Do I need a solicitor to make a right to be forgotten request?
You do not need a solicitor to submit Google’s online removal form. But if you want to pursue a case beyond that form – to argue before the ICO, to challenge a refusal, to approach publishers directly, or to issue court proceedings – you need a solicitor. In practice, the cases that succeed at every level tend to be the ones where a specialist solicitor has constructed the legal argument from the beginning. A poorly framed initial request can make subsequent legal action harder.
What is the difference between delisting from Google and removal from the source?
A Google delisting removes the content from appearing in Google’s search results, but the original page – the newspaper article, the forum post, the court record – remains online. It just cannot be found via Google. Source removal takes the content down from the original website entirely. In many cases we pursue both simultaneously: source removal where it is achievable, Google delisting as the floor. The right to be forgotten under UK GDPR primarily addresses search engine delisting, but we regularly secure source removals alongside it.
Google already refused my request. Can you still help?
Yes, and this is one of the most common situations we are brought into. Google’s refusal of an individual’s form submission is not a legal determination. It is a business decision by a member of Google’s content moderation team. We examine the stated grounds for refusal, identify the strongest legal counter-argument, construct a formal legal submission, and either escalate to the ICO or take the matter directly to Google’s legal team. We regularly overturn initial Google refusals.
How long does a right to be forgotten case take?
Timescales vary considerably by case type. Some Google delisting requests, once made with proper legal framing, are acted upon within two to four weeks. Cases involving ICO complaints typically take three to nine months, given the ICO’s current workload. Court proceedings take longer still. We give you a realistic timescale estimate at the Expert Assessment stage based on the specific content and the route we recommend.
Does the right to be forgotten apply to content from before UK GDPR?
Yes. The right to be forgotten applies to content currently being processed (i.e. appearing in search results) regardless of when it was originally published. A newspaper article from 2008 can be the subject of a valid RTBF application under UK GDPR in 2026. What matters is whether the continued processing of the personal data in the current context is justified – not when the original publication was made.
What does the free Expert Assessment involve?
A qualified solicitor from Cohen Davis reviews the URLs you want removed and the surrounding circumstances. They apply the relevant UK GDPR tests – including proportionality, public interest, and the specific grounds under Article 17 – and tell you honestly whether strong arguments exist for removal and what the recommended legal route is. The assessment takes approximately 15 minutes by phone and is completely free, with no obligation to proceed.
What does it cost to instruct a right to be forgotten solicitor?
Standard cases are quoted from £1,000 + VAT on a fixed-fee basis. Complex cases – involving multiple publications, court proceedings, or ICO litigation – are quoted from £5,000 + VAT. You receive a written fixed-fee quote within 48 hours of your Expert Assessment and have 14 days to decide whether to proceed. Nothing starts until you have agreed the fee in writing.
Have a question not answered here? Ask us directly.
Request your free assessmentWhat our clients say
Verified client reviews from Cohen Davis Solicitors
★★★★★
“I am absolutely delighted about the outcome of my right to be forgotten application. This exercise requires considerable expertise and I am totally pleased with the outcome.”
Right to be forgotten client
★★★★★
“Your assistance and guidance is far beyond the value of any fees paid.”
Chris – 1,017 pages removed from Google
★★★★★
“Giving my family, in particular my sons, a more stress free normal life… you have given us our lives back.”
Eric – 3 pages removed
★★★★★
The ICO accepted “most if not all of the very cogent arguments” we put forward.
Diego – 28 pages removed, ICO case won
★★★★★
“Excellent solicitors, very professional and delivered wonderful results.”
Martin – 13 pages removed
★★★★★
“Excellent, professional service delivered within a tight timeline. Have used twice and will use again.”
Thomas – 4 pages, repeat client
★★★★★
“I hope never to need their services again but I would recommend them without hesitation.”
Edwin – New York, 2 pages
★★★★★
“I have found your fantastic team of internet lawyers incredibly helpful, robust and hugely knowledgeable. You are certainly a safe pair of hands to be in during difficult times.”
David Baum
★★★★★
“Refreshingly – for a lawyer – Yair Cohen advised me not to hire him in this instance as it would not be a good investment of time and money.”
Honest advice – we tell you if we cannot help
★★★★★
“Your team and professional services are excellent and I actually really enjoyed my conversation with the solicitor.”
Mrs S.L
★★★★★
“The result has been fantastic and the best I could have hoped for. I was very distressed by the situation I found myself in and Cohen Davis were brilliant.”
Dr B.Y – Bradford
★★★★★
“I have been very pleased with the services provided by Cohen Davis. Their team have acted very professionally and the outcome has been very satisfactory.”
Mr E.P – Jersey, Channel Islands
★★★★★
“From start to finish very refreshing. Friendly, efficient, professional and very informative.”
Verified client
★★★★★
“Sara, Richard, Paul and Eva were a fantastic team. Knowledgeable, responsive and extremely helpful throughout.”
International client – New York
★★★★★
“1000 thank yous for removing the pages. It took a while but we finally got it off…”
HZ – 579 pages removed, California
How it works – three steps
Free 15-minute Expert Assessment
A qualified internet law solicitor reviews your URLs and situation, applies the legal tests under UK GDPR and current case law, and tells you honestly whether strong arguments exist for removal and what the recommended route is.
Written Case Review and Fixed-Fee Quote
Within 48 hours, you receive a written review of your case, the recommended legal strategy, and a fixed-fee quote. Valid for 14 days. You decide whether to proceed. Nothing starts until you agree in writing.
We act – and we persist
If you instruct us, we begin work immediately. Named solicitor. Clear communication. Legal escalation wherever required. We do not stop at the first Google refusal.
We are results focused. We do not give up. If the first legal route fails, we find the next one.
What it costs
- Standard cases – from £1,000 + VAT, fixed fee quoted in writing before any work starts
- Complex cases (multiple publications, ICO proceedings, court action) – from £5,000 + VAT, fully scoped and quoted in advance
- The Expert Assessment itself is free. No obligation, no pressure.
You will never be charged for anything you have not agreed to in writing. If we conclude at the assessment stage that your case does not have strong enough legal arguments, we will tell you so clearly rather than take your money.
Request your free Expert Assessment
Tell us about the content you want removed. A solicitor will call you back within one working day. The call is free, confidential, covered by legal professional privilege, and carries no obligation.