Patching, messages, 
and intake

How does call patching work?

People call law firms looking to speak with a lawyer right away. If they’re prospective clients, they’ll often hire the first attorney they speak to. Even if our receptionists are handling all your calls, our call patching system makes it possible for you to speak with any caller.

Here’s how it works:

Let’s say you practice family law, and you’ve forwarded your calls to our legal answering service. One of our virtual receptionists answers the call and determines the caller is a potential new client in your area named Valerie who is looking for representation in a divorce case.

Our virtual receptionist will ask the client if they’re okay with being put on a brief hold, then call your cell phone. They’ll announce the caller and explain the reason for your call. In this case, let’s assume you’re available. The virtual receptionist will then patch the caller over to you so can secure the lead.

In addition, you can choose which calls our virtual receptionists attempt to transfer to you. Want to speak to new clients during certain hours, but never try to transfer existing clients? We can make that happen. Throughout every step of this process, no matter who we’re transferring, your personal number stays private.

What makes our message taking service exceptional?

At the end of every call, our virtual receptionists will send you a message on your Answering Legal app. You’ll get that message immediately, so you won’t ever be waiting on a message and miss a business opportunity. We also take detailed messages, so you’ll always have the information you need to follow up on a call.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say you secured Valerie’s business in the example above, and she’s now calling to get a reminder about some files you needed her to send you. Our virtual receptionist will greet Valerie, get her contact information, and write down the reason for her call, then send all of that to you in a message. You’ll be able to review that information in the Answering Legal app, and follow up on her request right away!

The crucial thing that makes our message taking service different is that it’s totally customizable. Every call will generate a message, but what those messages contain is entirely up to you. By default, we’ll gather the caller’s name, contact information, the reason for their call and, if applicable, the legal intake. But if you want more information, all you have to do is request it and we’ll make sure to provide it.

How do we handle a customizable legal intake process?

Every law firm is different. That’s one of the reasons we pride ourselves on being entirely customizable. And no part of our service is more customizable than the legal intake process.

You choose what information our virtual receptionists gather during every new client call. We’ll record all of their contact information first, then take them through your legal intake process. We train our receptionists for months to be able to guide new clients through a legal intake without ever making the caller feel like they’re just filling out a form.

You can develop your own legal intake process, or use an example from one of the thousands of scripts we have prepared. Here are just a few examples of legal intake processes for various practice areas:

Criminal Defense Law

• What are the charges?
• What was the date of the arrest?
• When is your next court date?
• Which county/municipality did this occur in?

If the call is regarding an OVI/DWI:

• Did you consent to a field sobriety test or breathalyzer?

Personal Injury Law

• What type of accident has occurred?
• Were there any injuries sustained?
• If so, please list the injuries.
• What was the date of the accident?
• Are you missing work because of the accident?

Bankruptcy and Foreclosure Law

• Are you currently employed?
• Have your wages been garnished or are they about to be garnished?
• What is the approximate amount of debt?
• If your home in foreclosure?

Family Law

If the call is regarding a divorce:

• Are there any children between you and your spouse?
• Do you and your spouse own a home together?
• Do you have a prenuptial agreement?

Just like any of our other customizable features, your legal intake process can change at any time. Just by sending us an email, calling our support team, or filing a ticket on your Answering Legal app, you’ll be able to optimize your legal intake to make sure you’re capturing as many leads as possible.