# The AI receptionist for law firms that answers every new client call An AI receptionist for law firms answers every call in your firm’s name, day or night. It takes down the caller’s name, contact details, matter type and the names of other parties for your conflict check, then books a consultation or sends you a summary. It never gives legal advice or quotes outcomes. ## Why law firms miss calls - **New matters call once:** A prospective client with a fresh problem usually calls several firms in a row. If your line rings through to voicemail while you are in court or with a client, the firm that picks up first often gets the consultation. - **Staff time lost to screening:** Your paralegals and assistants spend hours on calls that are outside your practice areas, sales pitches, or people looking for free advice. Every one of those calls pulls them away from files that bill. - **Intake details arrive incomplete:** A scribbled message that says “call back re: accident” means a second call just to learn the basics. Without the opposing party’s name, you cannot run a conflict check before you spend time on the matter. ## Calls Vocenya answers for law firms - New client inquiries by practice area - Consultation booking and rescheduling - Existing clients asking for their attorney - Opposing counsel and court calls - Calls outside your practice areas - Questions about office hours and location - After-hours calls about urgent matters ## What does an AI receptionist for law firms actually do? It answers your main line in the firm’s name and handles the front desk work that eats into billable time. For a new caller, it asks what the matter is about, collects their contact details, and takes down the names of the other people or companies involved so you can run a conflict check. It can book a consultation into Google Calendar or Microsoft 365, answer questions about your office hours and practice areas from your website, and text or email a summary the moment the call ends. Existing clients and court calls can be transferred straight to the right person. ## Will the AI give legal advice to callers? No. The assistant is set up to gather facts and schedule, not to advise. When a caller asks whether they have a case, what it might be worth, or what they should do next, it explains that an attorney will need to review the matter and offers a consultation. It does not predict outcomes or quote fees unless you give it a fixed fee to share, such as a flat consultation charge. It also identifies itself as a virtual assistant and never pretends to be a lawyer or a person. ## How does a legal answering service handle conflict checks? The AI asks every prospective client for the full names of the opposing party, any company involved, and anyone else connected to the matter. Those names appear in the summary you receive, so your team can search your system before anyone discusses the facts with the caller. You decide how much detail it asks for. Many firms prefer that the assistant collect only names and a short description, keeping the substance of the matter for the attorney. ## Can it screen out calls outside our practice areas? Yes. You list the matters you take and the ones you do not. If someone calls a real estate practice about a DUI, the assistant can politely say the firm does not handle that type of matter and, if you want, point them to your local bar association’s lawyer referral service. You still get a summary of the call so you can see what kinds of inquiries are coming in, and your staff never has to take those calls. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is an AI receptionist appropriate for a small law firm? It fits small and solo firms especially well, because there is often no one free to answer when the attorney is in court. It answers every call, gathers intake and conflict details, and books consultations. Plans start at $49 a month, every plan has a 14-day free trial, and there is no contract. ### Does the AI tell callers it is not a person? Yes. It identifies as the firm’s virtual assistant. You choose whether it says so at the start of every call or only when a caller asks. It never claims to be a lawyer, a paralegal or a human, and it can warm transfer to a person whenever the caller wants one. ### Can calls from existing clients go straight to their attorney? Yes. The assistant can ask whether the caller is a current client, take the name of their attorney, and warm transfer the call to that person’s phone. If the attorney is not available, it takes a detailed message and sends it by text or email right away, so the client does not have to repeat everything later. ### What happens to calls that come in after hours? After hours, the assistant follows a separate call flow you set. It can still book consultations into your calendar, take intake details, and send you a summary. For matters you treat as urgent, it can transfer the call to an on-call attorney’s phone or to a trained GH Live agent. ### Does it work with Clio or other practice management software? Vocenya books directly into Google Calendar and Microsoft 365/Outlook today. Many firms sync those calendars with their practice management software already. Every call also produces a written summary sent by text or email, which your team can copy into your matter intake. --- Source: https://vocenya.com/industries/law-firms Vocenya, powered by GH Business Solutions. Plans from $49/month with a 14-day free trial: https://vocenya.com/pricing