Upfirst is answering service for attorneys that's powered by AI, making it more affordable and efficient than a traditional virtual receptionist.
How it works
Sign up, tell us about your law firm, and let Upfirst handle your calls around the clock.
Tell us information about your law firm and its services, and any specific call handling instructions. We follow it every time.
No matter if you're in the middle of a consultation or it's after-hours, your callers hear a friendly voice on the first ring. Say goodbye to empty voicemails.
Get call summaries instantly delivered to you via SMS and email. Plus, call recordings are viewable anytime in your account. Get peace of mind and save time as we answer.
Legal call answering service
Your legal expertise is too valuable to spend half your day answering phones. Do you find yourself watching billable hours slip away with each "quick call" that turns into a 30-minute conversation trying to explain why you can't give free legal advice? Do you check your voicemail after a busy day only to find a missed opportunity from a high-value lead? If this sounds familiar, you need Upfirst to:
Filter out non-legal calls and get detailed summaries instead of constant interruptions, so you and your paralegals can focus on substantive casework instead of playing receptionist.
Give potential clients a live response 24/7 instead of voicemail, convert more callers into consultations, and ensure qualified leads reach you quickly.
Customize exactly how your calls are handled, get calls transferred only when it truly matters, and access call recordings and summaries on your schedule.
Answer phone calls effortlessly with our AI call answering service designed for the legal industry - from large firms to boutique practices.
We hear it constantly from legal professionals - attorneys and paralegals drowning in client calls that fragment their focus and derail their productivity. Our legal virtual receptionists let you handle high-value client interactions on your terms while filtering out the noise. Set custom rules for different types of calls, get detailed summaries instead of interruptions, and maintain the personal touch your clients expect.
An in-house receptionist for a law firm costs $35,000-$50,000 annually, while traditional answering services charge hefty per-minute rates that punish growth. Many firms face this exact dilemma. They need help answering phone calls, but the administrative costs are too high. Upfirst starts at $24.95 and scales with your legal practice seamlessly whether you're handling 5 calls a day or 50+.
Legal issues don't follow business hours, and neither do client expectations. But you shouldn't have to choose between a work-life balance and client satisfaction. Our AI phone answering service provides the same consistent experience at 3 AM that it does at 3 PM, handling every call according to your exact specifications - no improvising, no going off-script, just professional interactions that build trust for your law practice.
Leads who hit voicemail will simply call the next firm on their list. Missed calls mean missed client relationships. Upfirst makes sure your law practice never misses an inbound call. Beyond just answering calls, our attorney answering service collects crucial information, and can even schedule appointments based on your availability. With detailed call summaries, you'll know exactly which leads need immediate attention.
Let your legal team put their skills to work on what matters most - serving clients and building cases. By managing the constant stream of incoming calls, Upfirst's voicemail assistant frees your entire staff to focus on substantive legal work that drives your practice forward. Let our attorney answering service handle answering calls and client intake. This means more billable hours, maximizing your firm's potential.
Elevate your practice with our virtual receptionist law firm solution.
Our virtual receptionist for small law firms operates 24/7/365, ensuring every call gets answered, even after hours or on holidays.
Our virtual receptionist law firm solution integrates with your calendar for seamless appointment booking and rescheduling.
Our virtual receptionists qualify potential clients and gather essential details, preparing your team for initial consultations.
Get clear, concise, and easily understandable messages from our legal answering services.
Easy-to-set-up legal virtual receptionist
Our law firm answering service fits right into your business with simple setup.
Create your Upfirst account in minutes. Connect your existing law firm phone number or get a custom phone number for your virtual receptionist. You can easily forward all of your calls or just your overflow calls to Upfirst. And with software integrations through Zapier, your virtual assistant can easily perform legal intake and pass information to your CRM.
Customize your virtual receptionist with call handling instructions. Train it answer calls exactly as a human would. Select the voice that best represents your firm, craft a custom greeting, and specify which questions the AI is permitted to answer. You can provide instructions for routing calls or collecting crucial information like email addresses, names, and case details for easier follow-ups.
Fine-tune your legal virtual receptionist to align perfectly with your firm's tone and protocols. Perform test calls to ensure the system handles inquiries just as you would. Make adjustments as needed before rolling it out to your practice.
Launch your new virtual receptionist service with confidence. Monitor its performance and client feedback, and make ongoing refinements to ensure it continues to meet your firm's evolving needs.
Make it easy for your callers to book appointments by integrating directly with calendars from Clio, Google, or Microsoft Outlook. Plus, with Zapier you can connect to 1,000+ apps and make data flow easily.
Have a question that isn't answered here? Get in touch with our team.
How much does Upfirst’s legal answering service cost?
Our plans are based on the number of calls per month:
- 30 calls — $24.95/month
- 90 calls — $59.95/month
- 300 calls — $159.95/month
- 600 calls — $299/monthIf you go over your plan, we charge per call.
Spam and sales calls never count toward your total, and you can see which calls were marked as spam directly in your dashboard. If your firm needs a higher-volume plan, reach out and we can create a custom option.
How long can calls last?
There are no time limits. Upfirst’s pricing is based entirely on the number of calls, not how long each call takes. We also don’t count spam calls or hang-ups under 15 seconds toward your plan. These are filtered automatically.
Can Upfirst’s answering service schedule appointments?
Yes. Upfirst integrates directly with Clio Manage, Google Calendar, and Outlook. Once connected, your receptionist can check your availability in real time, offer callers the best open times, and book appointments directly on your calendar.
Does Upfirst connect to other apps?
Yes. Upfirst connects to Zapier, which lets you integrate with 1,000+ apps. Many attorneys use Zapier to automatically add new leads to MyCase, Lawmatics, Clio Grow, and other case management or intake tools.
How long does it take to set up Upfirst?
Setup usually takes 30 minutes or less. We also offer complimentary onboarding to walk you through everything.You’ll add your firm’s details, FAQs, and intake questions to your agent’s knowledge base. From there, you can run a few test calls to make sure the receptionist is responding exactly the way you want.
How will Upfirst notify me of calls?
For every call, Upfirst sends a summary by email and SMS. These notifications include the full transcript and call recording. You can also add team members and create custom rules. For example, you can choose to notify only a specific attorney when a new potential client calls.
What if two people call my law firm at the same time?
Upfirst can answer multiple calls at once with no wait times, holds, or busy signals. Whether you receive two calls or twenty calls simultaneously, each caller gets immediate attention.
How does Upfirst handle legal questions?
Your receptionist follows only the instructions and information you provide. It collects details, answers routine questions you’ve approved, and redirects anything outside your scope to you or your team. This keeps every interaction compliant and professional.
Can you handle legal intake?
Yes. You can create intake scripts for different case types, and your AI receptionist will ask each caller the right questions. This helps you gather consistent, structured information before you take a case.
Do you offer service in other languages?
Yes. Upfirst supports 35+ languages, including English and Spanish. The receptionist automatically switches to the caller’s language, and you’ll still receive the full transcript translated into your preferred language so you can review it easily.
Can I forward just some of my calls to Upfirst?
Yes. Every Upfirst account comes with a dedicated phone number. You can choose to forward all calls to this number or only unanswered calls, depending on how you want to use the service. Upfirst can also transfer calls to a human. You can set rules so that qualified leads or existing clients are immediately connected to you or your team, while everyone else is handled by your AI receptionist.
Does Upfirst have experience with attorneys?
Yes. Upfirst was founded by an attorney who originally built the software for his own practice after struggling with the cost and inconsistency of traditional answering services. Today, many firms in the U.S. and abroad rely on Upfirst every day.
Our founder, Gene Sigalov, also started SimpleTexting.com, which was later acquired by Sinch, a publicly traded communications company.
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