A legal intake call needs a usable next step. A prospective client might explain a matter, ask about a consultation, or need to reach an existing contact. Reception should capture the information the firm has approved and leave legal advice and acceptance decisions with its staff.
What one legal practice told us
Legal intake calls are complex. Before Dialbox, my staff would miss calls and scramble to capture details. Now every call is answered, and I get a complete summary of exactly what the client needs. I haven't missed a potential case since.
Paul Cahill, Partner, Davidson Cahill Morrison LLP
This is the customer’s published account of their experience. It does not establish a conversion rate, a guaranteed outcome, or a numerical product rating. The configuration examples below illustrate reception setup; they are not a reconstruction of that firm’s calls or private records.
Define a new-enquiry message
Have the firm decide which details reception should collect before a staff member reviews the request. A starting checklist can include:
- The caller’s name and confirmed callback number.
- A broad matter category using the firm’s own terms.
- Any date or deadline the caller volunteers.
- Whether they are making a new enquiry or calling about an existing matter.
- Their preferred language and a suitable callback time.
- The person or team responsible for reviewing the message.
Collect only the details your firm has approved for this stage. Capturing a name or opposing party does not complete a conflict check. A reception conversation should not imply that the firm has accepted a client or agreed to act.
Give each caller a defined next step
| Illustrative request | Reception handling | What staff review |
|---|---|---|
| New consultation enquiry | Capture approved intake details and explain the firm’s callback process | Contact details, broad matter type, timing, and next owner |
| Existing client asks for a lawyer | Follow the configured transfer instructions | Requested person and any message if the transfer is unanswered |
| Caller mentions a deadline | Capture the caller’s wording and use the firm’s approved escalation instructions | The stated date and whether a handoff actually completed |
| Caller asks for legal advice | Explain the reception boundary and route or capture the question | A clear request for a qualified person, without an invented answer |
If consultation booking is appropriate, connect a supported calendar. An available slot does not by itself establish that the matter is accepted. Confirm how your team wants bookings, review requirements, and exceptions handled before launch.
Test the handoff, including an unanswered transfer
Run a routine enquiry, an existing-client request, an unknown question, and a transfer with nobody answering. Use the call-test scorecard to record both what the caller hears and what the firm receives.
Check that reception distinguishes a completed transfer from an attempted transfer. When staff cannot answer, the caller needs the approved fallback and the team needs enough information to return the call. Avoid promising a response time the firm has not agreed to.
Review the first coverage window
Start with a defined overflow or after-hours window and assign someone to review the records. Look for missing contact details, unclear matter categories, unexpected questions, and messages without a next owner. Update the firm’s approved business information and repeat the affected test.
Explore AI reception for law firms, structured message-taking, and current pricing to decide whether the reception workflow fits your practice.
