Answering Service for Lawyers

When you are in court, meeting a client, or simply away from your desk, calls to your firm still come in. An answering service picks up those calls on your behalf, greets the caller, answers basic questions from the information you provide, and records anything that needs your attention.

With AllDayDesk, the service answers using details it learns from your business information or website. Callers can ask about practice areas, office hours, location, and how consultations work. If a caller wants to schedule, the service can book an appointment. If a caller asks something you have not provided an answer for, such as the price of a specific matter or a question about their case, the service takes a message instead of guessing.

Everything the service does is visible to you. The dashboard shows each call, a transcript, a summary, and any bookings made, so you can follow up with the right people at the right time.

• Answers common questions using your saved business information
• Books consultations in your calendar when you have set up services and availability
• Takes a message whenever an answer, price, or appointment time is unknown
• Shows calls, transcripts, summaries, and bookings in your dashboard

You do not need a new number. You keep the phone number your clients already know and forward calls to AllDayDesk. The forwarding instructions depend on your phone service, so setup includes choosing your phone setup path and following the steps for your provider.

For example, Verizon mobile users activate all-call forwarding by dialing *72 plus the 10-digit destination, and *73 turns it off. Verizon business landline customers also use *72 and *73 from the same line. T-Mobile uses codes like **21*1 followed by the destination and # for unconditional forwarding. Comcast Business, Vonage Business, Frontier, Optimum, Spectrum Business, and AT&T business products each have their own steps, and some are managed through an online portal instead of star codes.

Before relying on forwarding, place a test call from another phone to confirm calls reach the service. If your number is a Google Voice number, note that Google says forwarding calls from a Google Voice number to an automated system is unsupported, so you would need a different phone line for this setup.

• Forwarding keeps your published number unchanged
• Activation steps vary by carrier and product, so follow the guide for your exact service
• Test with an outside call after activating to confirm the destination works
• Deactivate forwarding the same way whenever you want calls ringing at your desk again

Once you have configured your services and availability, new appointments are booked into the built-in AllDayDesk dashboard calendar by default. That gives you one place to see your day and confirm new consultations.

If you prefer to work in Google Calendar, AllDayDesk supports an optional connection. In Settings, you can connect and authorize your Google account, and the service can then work with that calendar. The connection is optional and only covers Google Calendar; other scheduling tools are not part of the setup.

Changes to existing appointments are treated as requests for you, not confirmed changes. If a caller asks to move a consultation, you will see the request in your dashboard and decide whether to accept it.

• New bookings go to the AllDayDesk dashboard calendar by default
• Optional Google Calendar connection is available in Settings after you authorize your account
• Changes to existing appointments arrive as requests you approve or decline
• Set up your services and availability first so bookings land correctly

Setup does not require technical skills. You start by choosing your business from a list or entering its website, and the service builds its knowledge from that information. You then check the details it learned, correct anything wrong, and add what is missing, such as your practice areas, hours, and how consultations are scheduled.

Next, you hear a personalized sample of how the service will sound for your firm. This sample is a preview only and does not create a real booking. If you are happy with it, you choose your phone setup option and follow the forwarding steps for your provider.

After forwarding is active, watch the dashboard for your first calls. Review the transcripts and summaries to make sure the answers match how you want your firm represented, and adjust your saved information as needed.

• Choose your business or enter its website to start
• Check and correct the details the service learned
• Hear a personalized sample before going further
• Choose phone setup and forward your existing number
• Review dashboard transcripts and adjust your information over time

Law firms have several ways to handle calls, and the right choice depends on your call volume, budget, and how you work. A solo attorney with light call traffic may only need good voicemail and callbacks between matters. A growing firm may want calls handled around the clock so potential clients can get answers and leave messages whenever they call.

Human answering services employ people who answer your calls. Providers such as Ruby advertise plans starting at $245 per month, and Smith.ai uses per-call pricing for its human receptionist service, so costs vary with usage and included allowances. Human services can handle nuanced conversations but generally cost more and may involve contracts or per-call fees.

AllDayDesk is an AI-based service, which is this site's own product. It answers around the clock using your saved information, books consultations, and takes messages, with pricing shown on its plans page. An in-house receptionist does more than answer phones, including greeting visitors and office tasks, so a phone service is not a full replacement for that role. Compare scope, not just price, when you decide.

• Voicemail alone is the lowest-cost option but gives callers no answers
• Human services offer personal judgment at a higher, usage-based cost
• AllDayDesk answers around the clock with AI using your firm's information
• An in-house receptionist covers office duties beyond the phone