The Best Legal Answering Service: Top Services Reviewed

Running a law firm, whether big or small, requires meticulous handling of tasks, one of the most important being client communication. With the rise of digital technology, many legal practices are now turning towards legal answering services to manage their incoming calls and potential clients. In this blog, we’ll delve into the benefits of a legal answering service, and services offered, and provide an in-depth review of the best legal answering services for law firms.

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The Benefits of a Legal Answering Service

A legal answering service serves as a virtual receptionist service, ensuring that every call received by your law firm is handled by a real person. This not only enhances client intake but also frees up time for attorneys to focus on their core tasks. Key benefits include:

• Managing High Call Volume: Legal practices often deal with a high volume of incoming calls. A live answering service can handle these calls efficiently, ensuring that every call is answered promptly.
• Text Message Services: Some legal answering services offer text message services. This feature allows your law firm to send and receive text messages from clients, enhancing communication.
• 24/7 Service: A legal answering service operates round the clock, ensuring that no call from a potential client goes unanswered, no matter what time of day it is.
• Professionalism: A live answering service ensures professionalism. Every call is handled by a trained professional who understands the legal industry’s needs, ensuring your clients receive the best service.

The Best Legal Answering Services for Law Firms

When choosing a legal answering service for your legal practice, it’s essential to consider your specific needs. Here are some of the top legal answering services that cater to the needs of law firms:

1. Ruby Receptionists: Known for their exceptional customer service, Ruby Receptionists offer a comprehensive virtual receptionist service. They handle incoming calls, and client intake, and even offer text message services. This service is ideal for small firms looking to enhance their client communication.
2. AnswerConnect: AnswerConnect provides 24/7 live answering services, ensuring that all your calls are handled promptly. With their dedicated legal intake professionals, they’re an excellent choice for law firms with a high volume of incoming calls.
3. LexReception: Specializing in the legal sector, LexReception offers a wide range of services including phone call handling, client intake, and appointment scheduling. Their team of virtual receptionists is trained specifically in legal call handling, making them a top choice for any legal practice.

Services Offered by Legal Answering Services

Legal answering services typically offer a range of services to cater to the diverse needs of law firms. These include:

• Call Answering: This is the primary function of a legal answering service. They handle all incoming calls, ensuring that a real person professionally answers every call.
• Client Intake: Some legal answering services handle client intake. They gather necessary information from potential clients, freeing up valuable time for attorneys.
• Appointment Scheduling: Legal answering services can handle appointment scheduling, ensuring that your calendar is efficiently managed.
• Message Taking: Legal answering services can take messages from clients, ensuring that you never miss important information.

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A legal answering service can be a valuable asset to any legal practice, regardless of its size. By handling incoming calls, managing client intake, and offering round-the-clock services, they can enhance client communication and allow law firms to focus on their core tasks. When choosing a legal answering service, it’s essential to consider your specific needs to find the best fit for your firm.

The Cost of Hiring a Live Receptionist for Legal Answering Services

When considering a legal answering service, one of the primary concerns for law firms is cost. The price of hiring a live receptionist can vary significantly based on your needs and the services offered. In general, you can expect to pay a monthly fee, which usually depends on the volume of calls your law firm receives.

This is often a more cost-effective solution than hiring a full-time receptionist. With a legal answering service, you’re only paying for the service you need, which can lead to substantial cost savings. Additionally, a live receptionist for legal answering services can handle calls outside of normal business hours, something a traditional receptionist may not be able to do.

Costs for attorney answering services can vary greatly based on the level of service you require, the volume of calls, and the specific provider. However, to give you a sense of the price range, here are some general cost examples:

1. Per-Minute Billing: Many answering services charge on a per-minute basis. This means you only pay for the exact amount of time the service spends on calls for your firm. Rates typically range from $0.75 to $1.50 per minute.
2. Monthly Plans: Some providers offer monthly plans which include a set number of minutes. For example, a plan for 100 minutes per month might cost around $120-$150, and a 500-minute plan might be in the range of $400-$600.
3. Additional Services: Extra services such as appointment scheduling, bilingual support, or specialized legal intake can also influence the cost. These could add anywhere from $10 to $50 (or more) per month to your bill, depending on the service.
4. Overage Costs: Be sure to understand what happens if you exceed your plan’s minutes, as overage fees can add up. These typically range from $1.00 to $1.50 per additional minute.

Remember, prices can vary significantly between providers, and it’s essential to understand exactly what services are included in the price. It’s also worth mentioning that most answering services offer a free trial period, allowing you to test out their service before making a long-term commitment. Be sure to shop around and compare services to find the best fit for your firm’s needs and budget.

Furthermore, many legal answering services offer a variety of plans to cater to different needs. Whether you’re a small firm that only requires basic call answering or a large practice needing comprehensive client intake and appointment scheduling services, there’s likely a plan that fits your budget.

How are Phone Calls Handled?

One of the primary benefits of a legal answering service is the professional handling of phone calls. Every call is answered by a live person trained in legal call handling, ensuring that your clients and potential clients receive professional and courteous service.

Here’s a general idea of how phone calls are typically handled:

• Answering the Call: When a call comes in, a live receptionist answers the phone, providing a personal touch that can make a significant difference in client satisfaction.
• Identifying the Call: The receptionist identifies the nature of the call. This could be a new client seeking legal services, an existing client with a question, or a different type of important call.
• Message Taking or Directing the Call: Depending on the nature of the call, the live receptionist may take a message or direct the call to the appropriate person within your law firm. This ensures that every call is handled appropriately and professionally.

Hiring a live receptionist for legal answering services can be a cost-effective solution for managing incoming calls and improving client communication. By handling calls professionally, ensuring a live person answers every important call, and offering flexible plans to suit different needs, legal answering services offer an invaluable service to law firms of all sizes.

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What to Look for When Hiring a Legal Answering Service

When choosing a legal answering service, several essential features can significantly improve your firm’s communication efficiency and client satisfaction. Here’s what to look out for:

• 24/7 Availability: Your clients and potential clients should be able to reach a live person at any time of the day. An ideal legal answering service offers round-the-clock service, ensuring that all calls are promptly answered, even outside regular business hours.
• Bilingual Services: In today’s globalized world, having bilingual receptionists can be a significant asset. It ensures that non-English speaking clients can communicate effectively with your firm.
• Customized Call Handling: The service should offer customized call handling to suit your firm’s specific needs. This includes personalized greetings, customized hold prompts, and the ability to transfer calls to different members of your firm.
• Message Delivery Options: A top-notch legal answering service provides multiple message delivery options. These could include delivery via text message, email, or a secure online portal.

Essential Features of a Legal Answering Service

The best legal answering services provide more than just call answering. They offer a suite of services designed to streamline your firm’s operations and improve client service. These features include:

• Appointment Scheduling: The service can schedule appointments directly into your calendar, saving your firm valuable time.
• Client Intake: Some services offer client intake, gathering essential information from new clients during the initial call.
• Call Screening: This feature allows the service to screen calls based on your instructions, ensuring that only relevant calls reach you.

Protecting Client Information with Attorney Answering Services

One of the most crucial considerations for any law firm is the protection of client information. A reputable legal answering service should have robust procedures and technologies in place to ensure client data’s confidentiality and security.

Most top legal answering services are HIPAA compliant, ensuring they adhere to high standards of data protection. They should also have strict policies regarding the handling and storage of call recordings and messages, ensuring that sensitive client information is kept secure.

Furthermore, many services provide secure message delivery options, such as encrypted email or secure online portals, adding an extra layer of security.

When choosing a legal answering service, consider its availability, language capabilities, customization options, and additional features. Importantly, ensure they prioritize the security and confidentiality of your client’s information.

Managing High Call Volume with Legal Answering Services

Many law firms face the challenge of handling a high call volume, especially during peak business hours. A missed call can translate to a missed opportunity, which can be detrimental to your firm’s growth. A legal answering service can be an effective solution to this issue.

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Legal answering services are equipped to handle a high volume of incoming calls, ensuring that every client and potential client gets attended to. They can promptly answer calls, reducing hold times and improving client satisfaction. Moreover, they can scale up their services during your busy periods, ensuring seamless communication.

The Role of a Virtual Receptionist Service

A virtual receptionist service plays a crucial role in managing your firm’s calls. They act as an extension of your office, answering calls in your firm’s name, and handling them as per your instructions.

Virtual receptionists can perform several tasks, including answering frequently asked questions, scheduling appointments, and even conducting client intake. They provide a personal touch, ensuring that every caller interacts with a real person, which can greatly enhance your firm’s reputation and client satisfaction.

Legal Answering Services for Small Firms

For small law firms, hiring a full-time receptionist may not be a financially viable option. This is where legal answering services come into play. They provide the services of a full-time receptionist at a fraction of the cost. This can be particularly beneficial for small firms or solo practitioners who need to optimize their operational costs.

Cost-Effectiveness of Legal Answering Services

When considering the cost of a legal answering service, it’s essential to weigh it against the cost of hiring a full-time receptionist. A full-time receptionist not only requires a salary but also benefits, workspace, and training. On the other hand, a legal answering service provides a team of trained professionals available round the clock, without the associated overhead costs.

Legal answering services offer a cost-effective, efficient solution for managing your law firm’s communication needs. They can handle high call volumes, provide a personal touch with a live person answering calls, and offer an affordable solution for small firms. By choosing the right service, you can ensure improved client satisfaction and streamlined operations for your firm.

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mcynar On May 11, 2023   /   Attorney Answering Services   /   Leave a comment