AIMention Toolbox
AIMention Toolbox › Law firms › Phones and new clients

Answer intake calls around the clock

An AI or virtual receptionist answers after hours and during court, runs your intake questions, and books consults or passes urgent matters on.

Last verified October 11, 2026We may help you set these up. Tools don’t pay us for placement.
Hours back
1 to 3 hrs a week
Monthly cost
$0 to $300 a month
Setup
Moderate
Evidence
Vendor claim only
FitsLaw firms

Worth it if

Prospective clients hit voicemail after hours or while you're in court.

Skip it if

Most of your clients come by referral and call during the day.

What gets set up

An AI receptionist answers in your firm's name, asks your intake questions, runs basic screening and books a consult or flags urgent matters. Smith.ai offers AI answering and human receptionists; LawDroid builds intake chatbots; Ruby is human-only. The Florida Bar says AI that talks to prospective clients must say it's AI, not a lawyer.

Who’s done it

Real exampleResearch

Solo and small firms lag on AI, and intake chatbots are a suggested start

Clio's lawyer in residence, discussing Clio's 2025 report on small firms, said they've barely dipped their toes into AI.

Use case estimate: 1 to 3 hrs a week ours, not theirs
More customersFewer missed calls

What they did. Clio studied solo and small firms. Its lawyer in residence suggested intake chatbots, promotional emails and first drafts for flat-fee matters as places to start.

How it went. Utilization rates were 27% for solos and 32% for small firms, versus about 50% at mid-sized firms, per Clio's report.

Worth knowing. These are suggestions and industry data, not one firm's results.

Their number. 59% of solo and small firms name referrals as their top lead source (reported by Clio).

Source: Canadian Lawyer (on Clio's 2025 report) · May 2025Read the original

Tools mentioned here

Listed alphabetically. Lowest plan that does this job, checked on each vendor’s own pricing page.

ToolWhat it does hereStarts atPrice checked
LawDroidAI intake chatbot builder$25 a user a monthCopilot plan (AI assistant). The intake chatbot builder is $99 a user a month.Oct 11, 2026
RubyHuman receptionists, if you'd rather not use AI$250 a monthHuman receptionists, 50 minutes a month. Not AI.Oct 11, 2026
Smith.ai AI ReceptionistAI answering with intake questionsFree for 25 calls a monthPro is $150 a month for 75 calls. Month to month.Oct 11, 2026

You’ll need

  • Your intake questions and conflict-check basics in writing
  • Clear rules on what it may and may not say
  • A vetted vendor (confidentiality)

Try it

This one needs setup: it connects to your phones, your software or your client records, so there’s no copy-and-paste version. Have this set up for you.

Run your own numbers

Count calls that go unanswered in a normal week.

Your numbers
Use your own numbers. Nothing you type is saved or sent.
Extra jobs a month
–
Extra revenue a month
–
After the tool
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Why it matters

Prospective clients call when they have a problem, often at night or while you're in court. If it goes to voicemail, many call the next firm on the list.

How I estimated the hours

1 to 3 hrs a week: 10 to 20 intake calls a week at 10 to 15 minutes each, with most screened and booked without an attorney. Rounded down.

Sources (5)

Sources

  1. LawDroid pricing, https://lawdroid.com/pricing (accessed 2026-10-11)
  2. Ruby pricing, https://www.ruby.com/pricing/ (accessed 2026-10-11)
  3. Smith.ai AI Receptionist pricing, https://smith.ai/pricing/ai-receptionist (accessed 2026-10-11)
  4. Canadian Lawyer (on Clio's 2025 report), https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/general/solos-and-small-firms-lag-with-ai-adoption-clio-report/392441 (accessed 2026-10-11)
  5. Florida Bar Ethics Opinion 24-1 (generative AI), https://www.floridabar.org/etopinions/opinion-24-1/ (accessed 2026-10-11)

Questions

In Florida, yes. Opinion 24-1 says chatbots talking to prospective clients must disclose they are AI and not a lawyer. It's a sensible rule everywhere.

Florida warns that an overly welcoming chatbot that gives advice could. Keep it to intake and scheduling, with clear disclaimers.

Related use cases

All Law firms use cases · AIMention Toolbox · How to get your law firm found by ChatGPT and AI search

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We may help you set these up. Tools don’t pay us for placement.