The usual path
Someone has a problem at night. That is when people finally sit down and search. They find three firms and fill out three forms.
- The form lands in a shared inbox.
- Nobody sees it until morning.
- A paralegal retypes it into your system.
- Someone calls back after lunch, if the day allows.
By then, the firm that answered first has often booked the consult.
What a better path looks like
- Within minutes, the person gets a reply from your firm with your intake form and three open consult times.
- Their name is checked against your client list for conflicts.
- They pick a time. It lands on your calendar.
- At 7:00 AM you get a short brief: new inquiries, consults booked, anything that needs a lawyer.
What it must never do
The assistant collects facts and schedules. It does not answer legal questions, predict outcomes, or quote fees you have not set. A clear line in every reply says it is not legal advice and that no attorney client relationship exists yet.
Information from prospective clients deserves confidentiality from the first message. ABA Model Rule 1.18 covers duties to prospective clients, and ABA Formal Opinion 512 covers using generative AI in practice. Check your state bar's guidance too.
Do you need a new website?
Usually not. Most firms already have a site that gets inquiries. The gap is what happens after someone clicks send. Fix that first.