Why Your Law Firm Needs a Professional Legal Answering Service
Small law firms are stretched thin. With limited resources and a never-ending workload, it’s no surprise attorneys and paralegals are stressed and burnt out. Luckily, cost-effective help is out there! Hiring an answering service will recover hours of your time and heaps of your sanity.
But taking that leap can be stressful! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with so many answering service providers out there. However, for law firms, the key question to ask is this:
Should you choose a legal answering service or a generic answering service?
It’s important to understand the differences between them to make an informed choice that aligns with your law firm’s needs. Let’s break down 5 things to consider:
1. Industry-Specific Knowledge
Legal answering services have a team of professionals who understand legal terminology and procedures and know the inner workings of law firms like nobody’s business. Their receptionists skillfully address legal inquiries, identify different case types, and make your callers feel cared for in their time of need.
Generic answering services, on the other hand, handle calls from all industries from law firms to hair stylists. Without specialization, their receptionists lack the legal knowledge to professionally assist clients seeking legal advice.
2. Client Experience
Client satisfaction is crucial for any successful law firm, and legal-trained receptionists can communicate with your clients as if they were sitting right in your office! It’s hard to convey that same in-house feel with a generic answering service.
3. Legal Terminology and Accuracy
Legal jargon can be complex, but receptionists at legal answering services are well-versed in these terms to ensure accurate communication with both clients and attorneys.
Generic answering services pose a higher risk of misunderstandings that lead to errors and confusion.
4. Customization and Call Scripting
Legal answering services offer a tailored experience. Legal-trained receptionists expertly screen and qualify leads before beginning new client intakes. Specific intakes can also be completed based on case type when you can trust your receptionists to differentiate between them reliably.
Generic answering services are likely to misclassify, creating more work for you, which is exactly what you’re trying to avoid!
5. Industry-Specific Features and Integrations
Legal answering services come prepared with an arsenal of specialized features designed specifically for law firms. Think custom legal intakes, consultation scheduling, integrations with legal practice management software, and payment processing.
Generic answering services lack legal-specialized features, meaning you’ll need to alter your processes to fit into their box.
Conclusion
In today’s fast-paced legal landscape, small law firms need every trick up their sleeves to maximize efficiency and deliver exceptional client service. So, let’s answer our question:
Should you choose a legal answering service or a generic answering service?
When you partner with a legal answering service, you’ll rest easy knowing that your law firm’s calls are handled with care, precision, and an understanding of the legal landscape. It’s a recipe for success and growth!
Learn more about how a Legal Answering Service will contribute to the growth of your law firm. It’s time to leave stress behind! Schedule a free Discovery Call here.
