There's no reason to miss a potential client's inquiry or a current client's call. Legal answering services serve as a vital link between attorneys and their clients, ensuring that client calls do not go unanswered and no potential lead slips through the cracks. They provide round-the-clock availability for law firms, allowing lawyers to focus on their core responsibilities while maintaining a high level of responsiveness to client needs, including answering phone calls and scheduling appointments.
The benefits of legal answering services extend far beyond simple call handling. They offer a professional front for your firm, create a positive first impression for potential clients, and help manage the ebb and flow of communication that is inherent in legal practice.
To help you choose the best legal answering service for your firm, our experts at Grow Law Firm will explore the top 10 legal answering services available in 2024, giving a general description, as well as their features and pricing. Additionally, we'll discuss key considerations when choosing a service, ensuring you make an informed decision that aligns with your firm's goals.
Top 10 Best Attorney Answering Services
When searching for the best virtual receptionist service for your law firm, you're likely to encounter numerous options, but thankfully, we have narrowed it down to the top few. The following list of the top 10 best attorney answering services has been curated based on their reputation, range of features, and ability to cater specifically to the legal industry. Each service offers unique features that can enhance your firm's communication strategy and help you deliver exceptional customer service.
1. Gabbyville
Gabbyville is a virtual receptionist and answering service tailored for small to medium-sized businesses across various industries, including law firms. Their service is designed to provide professional and reliable customer support, ensuring that your clients always receive prompt attention.
Gabbyville's virtual receptionists operate from either the company's Nashville call center or their own home offices. Regardless of location, all receptionists use T1 VoIP phone lines and noise-canceling technology to deliver high-quality service. This setup allows for seamless integration with your existing business line, providing your receptionist with all the necessary information about your company and scripts to follow.
Key features:
- Unlimited live call answering
- Accurate message taking
- Appointment scheduling
- Bilingual capabilities
- Customizable callers’ experience
- Reduced wait time for customers
Pricing: Gabbyville has 4 pricing plans: Starter, Basic, Premium, and Executive. It starts at $285 per month for 65 minutes for the Starter plan and goes as high as $1300 per month for 500 minutes for the Executive plan.
2. Nexa
Nexa is a comprehensive answering service that caters to businesses across various industries, including legal services. Their approach focuses on increasing customer satisfaction through personalized, quality support available at all times.
Nexa prides itself on being the #1 virtual receptionist and call answering service in the country, with bilingual specialists handling work across multiple sectors.
Key features:
- 24/7 call answering services
- Appointment scheduling & booking services
- After-hours, weekends & overflow support
- Lead qualification & nurture
- Outbound calling & sales campaigns
- Live chat & text services
- Compliance hotline & whistleblower services
- Bilingual virtual receptionists (English & Spanish)
Pricing: The software has 3 plans: Nexa 100, Nexa 300, and Nexa 500. These plans offer 100, 300, and 500 minutes respectively. However, the cost of these plans is not available on the website. Therefore, you need to contact the Nexa team.
3. LawyerLine
LawyerLine specializes in providing answering services tailored specifically for the legal industry. Their U.S.-based team members are trained to handle questions and concerns from clients across the United States in over 140 practice areas. This extensive experience allows them to manage a wide range of unexpected circumstances effectively.
LawyerLine goes beyond basic answering services by providing detailed reporting. Each lawyer receives individual call summaries, daily call summaries, and monthly reports, ensuring that law firms are always prepared and informed.
Key features:
- 24/7 legal answering service
- Appointment setting
- Legal intake
- Detailed reporting
- Payment collection
- Outbound calls
Pricing: LawyerLine offers 3 plans: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. The Bronze plan is priced at $2 per minute, the Silver plan, is $2.50 per minute, while the Gold plan is $3 per minute. More on the pricing can be found out after you contact the team.
4. VoiceNation
VoiceNation is a comprehensive virtual receptionist and live chat provider that focuses on creating positive customer experiences. With over two decades of experience and serving more than 90,000 clients, VoiceNation has established itself as a reliable partner for businesses seeking professional call-handling services.
The company emphasizes the power of great conversations in changing perspectives and sees potential in all communications businesses have with their customers. VoiceNation's approach is straightforward: focus on creating a positive experience, and everything else falls into place.
Key Features:
- CRM integrations
- Appointment scheduling
- Call dispatching
- Bilingual answering
- 24/7 call answering
- Unlimited caller information collected
- Online dashboard management
Pricing: VoiceNation offers 6 plans that are divided equally into two plans: Essential and Personalized plans. It starts at $70 per month and goes as high as $683 per month.
5. ReceptionHQ
ReceptionHQ is a virtual reception and phone answering service designed to provide seamless and professional caller experiences for businesses of all sizes. With a focus on flexibility and customization, ReceptionHQ aims to ensure a true representation of businesses while enhancing customer communication. ReceptionHQ employs a team of US-based receptionists and provides the ability to integrate with preferred software and tools.
Key Features:
- 24-hour availability
- Bilingual service
- Customized greetings
- No lock-in contract
- Custom IVR Services
Pricing: ReceptionHQ offers 4 plans: MessageExpress, ReceptionistPlus, MyAssistant, and MyDiary. The plans start from $19 per month and go up.
6. PATLive
PATLive is a virtual receptionist service designed to serve as a seamless extension of your business. Their goal is to provide service so good that callers won't realize they've reached an answering service. PATLive combines well-trained personnel with advanced technology to deliver outstanding service.
The company provides easy-to-use web and mobile apps, powerful online reporting, and an extensive offering of integrations and API access. This allows businesses to stay connected from anywhere and get even more value from their services
Key Features:
- Live call answering
- Screening & transfers
- Message taking
- Lead collection
- Event registrations
- Integrations
Pricing: PATLive has 4 plans: Starter, Standard, Premium, and Pro. The pricing starts at $205 per month and goes as high as $825 per month.
7. LDM Global
LDM Global is a comprehensive Legal Process Outsourcing provider that offers a range of services in the legal sector. While not exclusively an answering service, LDM Global provides various support services that can be valuable for law firms looking to streamline their operations.
Key Features:
- Personalized service
- 24/7 support
- Transparent pricing
- Customizable call scripting
Pricing: LDM Global's pricing is not available to the public, so you need to contact their representatives to get a customized plan for your law firm.
8. Specialty Answering Service
Specialty Answering Service (SAS) is a live telephone answering service with nearly 30 years of experience in the call center industry. SAS combines business communications with skilled virtual receptionists to provide 24/7 customer service.
The company prides itself on its rigorous training program, which is twice as long as the industry standard, and its stringent quality control measures. With this training and expertise, SAS aims to help businesses create happy customers through superior care and attention to detail.
Key Features:
- 24/7 live answering
- Scheduling appointments
- Outbound call services
- Customizable call scripting
- Integration with practice management software
- Professional and confidential service
Pricing: SAS offers pricing plans starting at $35 per month, with options for higher-tier packages based on call volume and additional features.
9. Davinci Virtual
Davinci Virtual Office Solutions is a global provider of business addresses, live answering services, coworking spaces, and meeting rooms. They cater to professionals who seek lifestyle balance and mobility without compromising financial success.
Davinci Virtual offers a comprehensive suite of services including virtual offices, live receptionist services, business addresses, workspace solutions, meeting rooms, conference room rentals, and shared office spaces. They make it easy to search over 1,600 coworking spaces in cities across the U.S. and internationally.
Key Features:
- Virtual offices
- Live receptionist
- Live web chat
- Auto receptionist.
- Meeting spaces
- Event spaces
- Incorporation services
Pricing: Davinci Virtual's pricing is not publicly available. For a customized plan, you need to contact their team directly. Note that plans and pricing vary based on the specific address and services selected.
10. MAP Communications
MAP Communications, Inc. is a nationwide provider of phone answering and virtual receptionist services. They stand out for their in-house software development team, which allows for greater flexibility in creating customized services and features for their customers.
MAP utilizes an internally developed call-handling platform called ECHO Software. This proprietary software enables MAP to build fully customized solutions and professional phone scripts for each of their clients, tailoring their answering services to fit specific budgets, requirements, and expectations.
Key Features:
- 24-hour answering service
- Bilingual answering service
- Call overflow answering service
- Live answering service
- Virtual receptionist services
- Appointment scheduling service
- Phone call screening
- Customer support call center services
- Technical support and help desk services
Pricing: MAP Communications offers 4 pricing plans: Pay-As-You-Go, Business, Enterprise, and PREMIUM. It starts at $49 and goes as high as $649.
Things to Be Aware of When Choosing a Legal Answering Service
The concept of "buyer beware" is just as applicable in the world of legal answering services as it is in other commercial contexts. As a firm owner, being an informed buyer will help you make the best choice for your practice's needs and ensure you receive the quality of service your clients deserve. While many answering services will make big promises, some may fall short in critical areas. Below are some key considerations to keep in mind.
— It's Not Really 24/7 Answering
Many answering services for lawyers aren't truly 24/7 operations. They create the illusion of round-the-clock availability to attract prospective clients. However, they primarily offer voicemail-only services after business hours. Relying solely on voicemail has several negative consequences for your law firm.
Potential clients find voicemails irritating when seeking solutions to their legal problems. The absence of a person answering calls adds stress and may prompt them to switch to a firm with live receptionists available 24/7. Moreover, after-hours voicemail leads to wasted time, reduced efficiency, and a frustrating game of phone tag.
By hiring a reputable virtual receptionist for law firms, you can ensure that every caller receives the attention they deserve, regardless of the time they contact your office.
— They Might Be Outsourcing
In the quest for cost-effectiveness, some answering services resort to outsourcing their operations, often to overseas call centers. While this approach can reduce costs, it can also introduce a host of potential issues that may compromise quality customer service. You should know upfront if your service engages in outsourcing, and avoid any company that conceals this information.
— Reducing the Hours
Some legal answering services may entice you with attractive pricing, only to later reveal limitations on service hours or attempt to upsell you for full coverage. Unfortunately, some companies offering this service routinely reduce your coverage on weekends, third shifts, and holidays to save money. This practice of "reducing the hours" can leave your firm vulnerable during critical times and potentially lead to missed opportunities or dissatisfied clients.
The Impact of the Right Attorney Answering Service
In conclusion, a legal answering service is an invaluable tool for law firms striving to elevate client service and streamline their operations. By ensuring every call is answered professionally, potential client calls are captured, and appointments are efficiently scheduled, these services contribute directly to firm growth and success.
If you're ready to take your law firm to the next level, consider partnering with Grow Law Firm, a specialized provider of law firm SEO services. We'll not only enhance your online visibility but also equip you with the tools and strategies to convert those leads into loyal clients. Contact us today to explore how we can help your firm achieve its full potential.
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