Why it matters
Friday, 8pm: an arrest
A family member searches for a criminal defense lawyer at 8pm on a Friday. Two firms' phones go to voicemail, and one website form promises a reply within one business day.
The family retains the firm that answered over the weekend. For many matters, the first firm to respond is the firm that's hired.
- 40%of 500 US law firms answered the phone when secret shoppers called in 2024, down from 56% in 2019.Clio Legal Trends Report, 2024 (vendor study, third-party fieldwork)
- 33%of the same firms replied to email inquiries, down from 40% in 2019.Clio Legal Trends Report, 2024 (vendor study)
- 79%of consumers expected a law firm to respond to their inquiry within 24 hours.Clio Legal Trends Report, 2019 (2,000 consumers)
Example conversation
An employment inquiry after hours
- Hi, I'm an AI assistant for Rivera Law, not a lawyer. Chatting here doesn't make you a client of the firm, so please don't share confidential details yet. How can I help?
Discloses it's AI and sets expectations up front
- I was fired today. Do you handle wrongful termination? Do I have a case?
- Yes, employment law is one of our practice areas. Whether you have a case is something only a lawyer can advise on after a consultation. Our first consultation is free. Which state do you work in, and what's the name of your employer?
No view on the case; asks what a conflict check needs
- Illinois, Northside Logistics. I'm Sam Reyes, 555-0177.
- New inquiry · Sam Reyes · 555-0177 · Employment, wrongful termination · Illinois · Other party: Northside Logistics
Texted and emailed to your intake team
What customers ask
What prospective clients ask first
- Do you handle my type of case?
- Do you practice in my state or county?
- Is the first consultation free?
- How do you charge: hourly, flat fee or contingency?
- Can I speak to a lawyer today?
- Do you have evening or weekend appointments?
- What should I bring to the consultation?
- Do I have a case?
It answers these from your own website, and hands over any it can't.
What it does
What it does for you
Screens by practice area and location
Confirms whether the matter is one you handle, in a place you practice, from your own website.
Explains consultations and fees
Your consultation terms and published fee structure, never an estimate of what a case will cost.
Treats urgency as urgent
An arrest, a court date or a deadline gets contact details taken at once and an urgent alert sent to you.
Books the consultation
Sends them to your booking page or offers real free times from Google Calendar.
Rules it follows
Built around legal ethics rules
Says it's AI, not a lawyer
Florida Bar Ethics Opinion 24-1 says a lawyer's chatbot must tell people they're talking to AI, not a lawyer. Yours says so at the start.
No legal advice
It never assesses a case, predicts an outcome or advises on deadlines. ABA Formal Opinion 512 keeps lawyers responsible for AI tools, so it stays on the right side of that line.
Only what a conflict check needs
Under ABA Model Rule 1.18, what a prospective client shares can create duties and conflicts. It takes contact details, the area of law, the location and the other parties' names, and asks for nothing confidential.
No claims about results
It never promises outcomes or makes claims about the firm that your website doesn't make.
What reaches you
What reaches your intake team
Each inquiry arrives by text and email with what you need to run a conflict check and call back.
- Name
- Sam Reyes
- Phone
- 555-0177
- Matter
- Employment, wrongful termination
- Location
- Illinois
- Other party
- Northside Logistics
Your tools
Works alongside your practice management software
- Clio
- Clio Grow
- MyCase
- PracticePanther
- Smokeball
- Filevine
- Lawmatics
- Lead Docket
Questions
Common questions
How does it compare with a legal answering service?
A legal answering service handles phone calls. This handles intake on your website, day and night, from your own pages. It doesn't answer your phone, so many firms use both.
Is it ethical for lawyers to use AI to answer client inquiries?
Bar guidance, such as Florida Bar Opinion 24-1 and ABA Formal Opinion 512, allows it with safeguards: disclose that it's AI, don't give legal advice, protect confidentiality and supervise the tool. Yours is built around those safeguards. Check your own state bar's rules.
Will the chatbot give legal advice?
Never. It explains what your firm does and how consultations work, and passes every legal question to a lawyer.
Can it do client intake for my practice areas?
Yes. It screens by practice area and location, takes what a conflict check needs, and sends the inquiry to you.
Does chatting with it create an attorney-client relationship?
It tells visitors at the start that chatting doesn't make them a client, and asks them not to share confidential details, in line with ABA guidance on prospective clients.
Can it book consultations?
Yes. It links to your booking page or offers real free times from Google Calendar.
Is it bilingual?
It replies in the language the person writes in, using the facts from your website.
More business types
Built for other businesses too
- HVAC, plumbing and electrical
- Dentists
- Salons and spas
- Real estate agents
- Accountants and CPA firms
- Gyms and fitness studios
- Driving schools
- Tutors and tutoring centers
- Veterinary clinics
- Auto repair shops
- Medical clinics
- Roofing contractors
- Pest control
- Solar installers
- Cleaning services
- Moving companies
- Home improvement fitters
- Physiotherapy and chiropractic
- Med spas and aesthetics
- Nurseries and childcare
- Insurance and mortgage brokers
- Online stores
- B2B SaaS companies
- Fintech companies