Every law firm needs a way to handle enquiries when nobody can answer. Here is how the three common options compare, and where each one fits.
Live receptionists answer your phone on your behalf, take messages and sometimes book consultations. A good fit for firms with heavy call volume.
Software answers the phone, asks set questions and books or forwards calls. It is available at any hour, but it needs careful setup and regular review.
An assistant on your website answers office questions and collects contact details, and forms capture consultation requests. It catches people who prefer to type, often after hours.
If most enquiries arrive by phone, an answering service or AI receptionist covers the calls you miss. If people find you through search and your website, chat and forms catch the enquiries that would otherwise leave. Many firms use one for the phone and one for the site.
SmartFirm HQ builds the website side: your site, Google profile, forms and chat. Missed-call text-back can be added as an optional extra, so a caller you could not answer gets a text with a way to reach you.
Many firms do, but the professional conduct rules on advertising, confidentiality and legal advice still apply. Whatever you use should collect contact details and route enquiries, never assess a case. Check the rules where you practise.
Chat handles typed enquiries on your site. It does not answer the phone. If many of your clients call rather than type, you may want both.
No. It answers questions about your office, such as hours, location and practice areas, and collects contact details for your team. It does not assess cases or give legal advice.
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