AI Receptionist for Legal & Law Firms: A Practical Guide
How law firms use an AI receptionist to manage new enquiries, conflict checks, and client confidentiality without ever giving legal advice.
Updated
Law firms receive calls from prospective clients describing a legal problem, existing clients checking on a matter, and other solicitors or courts chasing deadlines. Fee earners cannot always take these calls directly, particularly during hearings or client meetings, so a missed enquiry can mean losing new work entirely.
An AI receptionist for a law firm is built to capture new enquiry details accurately, run the firm's initial conflict check questions, and route calls to the right department or fee earner. It never gives legal advice or comments on the merits of a case, and it treats every caller's information as confidential.
Because law firms deal with sensitive, time-critical matters such as court deadlines, the receptionist needs clear rules on what to escalate immediately and what can wait for a callback, and it must never disclose one client's information to another caller.
The calls this sector receives
New enquiry and lead capture
Prospective clients describing a legal problem and asking whether the firm can help.
Existing client matter updates
Clients calling for an update on a case, conveyancing, or other ongoing matter.
Conflict check questions
Initial questions to check whether the firm can act, without giving any legal opinion.
Court and deadline related calls
Calls flagging a court date, filing deadline, or urgent document requirement.
Fee and process enquiries
Questions about how the firm charges and what the process for a matter typically involves.
Calls from other solicitors or third parties
Opposing solicitors, agents, or other professionals trying to reach a fee earner.
What callers commonly ask
- Can you help me with a dispute I'm having with my landlord?
- Can I get an update on my conveyancing matter?
- How much would it cost to get advice on a divorce?
- I have a court deadline tomorrow, can someone call me back urgently?
- Do you act against my previous employer, or would that be a conflict?
- Can I speak to whoever is dealing with my case?
- What information do you need from me to open a new matter?
- Is my call confidential?
Information worth giving VoxHive
Practice areas covered
Which areas of law the firm handles, so enquiries can be routed to the right department.
Conflict check questions
The firm's standard opening questions used to flag a possible conflict of interest before a matter is opened.
Fee earner and department routing
Who covers each practice area and how urgent calls should be routed to them.
Urgent deadline escalation rule
How the firm wants calls flagging a court deadline or time-critical filing to be escalated immediately.
Standard new enquiry information needed
The details the firm needs from a new enquiry, such as names of all parties and a brief summary.
Confidentiality expectations
That caller and client information is never shared with anyone other than the firm itself.
Typical workflows
New enquiry capture
Caller describes a legal problem. The receptionist runs the conflict check questions, records the enquiry summary and contact details, and passes it to the relevant department without offering any legal opinion.
Existing client update routing
Client asks about their matter. The receptionist confirms who is handling it and either books a callback or passes a message to the fee earner.
Urgent deadline escalation
Caller mentions a court date or deadline. The receptionist marks the call as urgent and ensures it reaches a fee earner immediately rather than waiting in a standard callback queue.
Third party and solicitor calls
Another solicitor or agent calls for a fee earner. The receptionist takes a message with matter reference and passes it on promptly.
What the receptionist should never attempt
- Never give legal advice or an opinion on the merits or likely outcome of a case.
- Never confirm whether the firm acts for a particular client to anyone other than that client.
- Never quote a fixed fee for a matter unless the firm has provided one in advance.
- Never discuss the details of one client's matter with another caller.
- Never delay passing on a call flagging a court deadline.
- Never suggest a course of action a caller should take in their legal matter.
Example calls
New enquiry with a possible conflict
- Caller
- I want to bring a claim against my former employer, Smith and Co.
- VoxHive
- Thank you, before I go further I need to check a few details to make sure we can act. Can I take the full name of the company and anyone else involved?
- Outcome
- Conflict check questions completed, enquiry passed to the litigation department to confirm the firm can act.
Urgent court deadline
- Caller
- I've just realised I have a filing deadline tomorrow morning and I need to speak to my solicitor today.
- VoxHive
- I understand this is urgent. I'm flagging this now so your solicitor is contacted straight away rather than waiting for a normal callback.
- Outcome
- Call marked urgent, fee earner notified immediately with the matter reference.
Existing client checking on conveyancing
- Caller
- Can you tell me how my house purchase is progressing?
- VoxHive
- I can pass that on to your solicitor right away, they'll be able to give you the latest update, can I take a good number to reach you on today?
- Outcome
- Message passed to the conveyancing fee earner with a callback number, no case detail discussed by the receptionist.
Frequently asked questions
Can the AI receptionist give legal advice?
No, it never gives legal advice or an opinion on a case, it only captures information and routes calls.
How does it handle conflict checks?
It asks the firm's standard opening questions to flag a possible conflict, the actual conflict decision is always made by the firm.
What happens with an urgent court deadline call?
These are flagged and escalated to a fee earner immediately rather than treated as a standard message.
Is client information kept confidential?
Yes, information is only shared with the firm itself and never disclosed to other callers.
Related reading
Explore VoxHive's AI receptionist solution for legal & law firms for pricing, features and how a setup is put together, or read how VoxHive works for different industries. If you are still weighing up options, our guides to AI receptionist costs in the UK and AI versus human receptionists cover the commercial side.
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