Three Reasons Solo Lawyers Need A Virtual Legal Receptionist

Running a solo practice is freeing. You’re in complete control over your legal life, after all. You can determine your own clients and work your own hours. All the solo life asks of you is running your own business. That part, of course, is quite a bit of extra work.

And it isn’t easy, either. You’re trained as a lawyer, not an entrepreneur, and your competitors are often equipped with advantages you can’t afford. From advertising to staffing, the solo practitioner’s legal life is an underdog’s life. But there are ways to enjoy some of the perks your larger competitors get without sacrificing the freedom that comes with being a solo.

With help from an answering service, you can have all the benefits of solo practice without losing the advantages a staff can give your firm. A team of virtual receptionists is exactly what you need if you want to get the most out of a solo firm. Below, we’ll detail just three of the many reasons solo lawyers need a virtual legal receptionist.

You’ll Close the Gap Between You And Your Competition

In a larger firm, the business can often survive if one of the partners isn’t working, whether that’s because of vacation or just a dry spell. As a solo, you don’t have other attorneys to pass your work, and your business has nobody to rely on but you. You can’t afford to let potential clients slip through your fingers by not answering the phone.

After all, larger firms don’t miss their calls. They have receptionists taking every call during business hours, and maybe even someone answering their calls overnight. You also likely have a smaller marketing budget than your competition, so you need to make the most of it. With a virtual legal receptionist answering all your calls, you’ll never miss out on a new lead.

The advantage a virtual legal receptionist gives you over voicemail lies in legal intake. Unlike a voicemail message, a virtual receptionist can personally assure your new leads that you’ll get back to them as soon as possible. Your potential clients will feel like they’ve already started the process of hiring your firm once they’ve gone through your customized legal intake process.

You’ll Save Time And Cut Down On Your Overhead

Of course, a traditional receptionist can answer all your calls and perform legal intake as well. A virtual legal receptionist, however, will allow you to save time and money while experiencing all the benefits of traditional staff.

As a solo practitioner, your time is your most valuable asset, and it should be spent wisely. By investing in an answering service, you’ll save time on recruiting and training a receptionist. Your virtual receptionists will start answering the phone exactly the way you want them to, right away.

By hiring an answering service, you’ll even be able to save money. As opposed to a traditional receptionist, you won’t have to worry about paying salary and benefits. And you won’t have to find space for a receptionist in your office. You’ll even be able to run a virtual firm, if you’re so inclined.

You’ll Keep All The Flexibility Of A Solo

Of course, one of the biggest draws of solo practice is the independence and flexibility you gain when you head out on your own. Unlike a traditional receptionist, a virtual legal receptionist leans into and enables that flexibility.

The aforementioned virtual law firm is only just one example. With custom call protocols, you really can work from anywhere. You can work from home and skip the commute. You can secure leads from conferences, or during a lunch break at the courthouse. No matter where you are, our virtual receptionist will reach out to you with every new lead who calls, and if you’re available, you can speak to them right away after a transfer. You can make sure that you never miss a call from a new client.

If you aren’t free to take a call, your virtual receptionist will perform a legal intake, as discussed above. You’ll receive the information collected after the call is over to perform your follow up from anywhere. And since your new lead spoke to a live person rather than a voicemail message, you’ll have more time to follow up. Prospective clients who speak to a live receptionist on their first call are much more likely to stick with your firm.

Invest In The Best Team Of Virtual Receptionists Around

Answering Legal has the tools you need to enjoy the solo life without too much sacrifice. You’ll be able to level the playing field and save on overhead while taking advantage of everything a solo firm can bring to your life. Unlike other answering services, our virtual receptionists only answer for lawyers, so you can trust us to handle your clients.

On top of everything we have to offer, we’re also very easy to use. In less than 30 minutes, our white glove setup and support team can get everything we need to get you started on our free trial. You’ll have best-in-the-business answering from the very start of your free trial as we work on developing your custom call protocols and greeting scripts.

Give your solo practice every advantage you can afford. Click here or call 631-686-9700 to sign up for our free trial. For a limited time, we’re offering firms that sign up with our service their first 400 minutes free.