frontdesqFor law firms
A virtual receptionist for law firms that answers when you can't
Why law firms miss the calls that matter
Law firms often miss calls for entirely ordinary reasons. The principal is in court, the solicitors are in conference, or the front desk is juggling a settlement call and a walk-in. Meanwhile, a first-time caller hears the phone ring out and simply tries the next practice on the list. The matter usually goes to the solicitor who picked up first.
A law firm answering service picks up the enquiries your front desk cannot reach and returns them in a form you can act on, without changing anything about how your office operates.
What it handles for your firm
A legal virtual receptionist greets callers in your firm's name, records what the matter concerns and how urgent it is, and answers the practical questions you have provided: practice areas, office hours, location, parking, and what to bring to a first appointment. On Growth plans and up, it books the consultation straight into your calendar, with the caller confirmed by text.
A virtual receptionist for lawyers has one main job: capturing names, numbers, and matter types accurately the first time, so your team can return the call without asking the caller to repeat their story. What it never does is advise. The enquiry is captured; the advising stays strictly with your lawyers.
Accurate messages, quietly handled
Every call ends the same way: a summary on your phone by SMS and email, seconds after hang-up, with who called, what the matter concerns, how urgent it sounded against your rules, and exact contact details. A lawyer answering service is only useful if the message that reaches you is complete and correct, so that is the standard the whole product is built around. That accuracy is what a legal practice should ask of any legal answering service it considers, whoever answers the call.
After hours and overload
Many new enquiries come from people who could not ring during their own working day: the 6 pm call about an employment issue, or the weekend call after an accident. An after hours answering service for lawyers catches those calls, and frontdesq answers them at no surcharge; after hours answering explains the setup. For the mid-day crunch, such as two lines running while the desk is at lunch, overflow call answering handles the simultaneous calls.
If your firm has been quoted for an attorney answering service by an overseas provider, it is worth checking that the voice and terminology suit local callers first. Closer to home, a phone answering service for lawyers lives or dies on capturing the matter and callback details before the call ends. A legal phone answering service also needs clear transfer rules: on every plan, matters your firm defines as urgent transfer straight through based on your instructions.
What it costs
Flat monthly plans in AUD, from $249 a month: no per-call fees, no per-minute metering, and no after-hours surcharge, so a busy month in the practice costs the same as a quiet one. The full plans are on our pricing page. Your first week is free, and the founder's promise stands: catch a paying job in your first week, or you don't pay a cent.
Common questions
Does it give legal advice?
No, never. It records the caller's details and repeats practical information your firm has supplied. Anything touching rights, strategy, prospects, or next steps stays entirely with your solicitors.
Can it tell urgent matters from routine ones?
It asks the questions you set and follows your rules. Calls your firm defines as urgent get transferred straight through to whoever you nominate on every plan. Everything else is captured, summarised, and sent to you, so nothing sits unseen until Monday.
What happens after hours?
It keeps answering. Nights, weekends, and public holidays are covered as standard with no surcharge, and urgent matters follow the same transfer rules at 9 pm as they do at 9 am.
Can it book consultations?
On Growth plans and up, yes: the time goes into your calendar and the caller gets a confirmation text. On Starter, it captures and texts you the enquiry so your staff can arrange the consultation.
Will callers know it's not our receptionist?
It answers in your firm's name with a natural Australian voice, using the exact greeting you set. Judge it yourself before anyone else does: the demo on our homepage rings your own phone within 30 seconds.
What does it cost for a law firm?
The same flat monthly plans in AUD as every business we answer for, from $249 a month, with no per-call fees, no after-hours surcharge, and no lock-in. Current numbers are on our pricing page, and your first week is free.