A potential client who needs a divorce lawyer calls at 9 PM. Your office is dark. They call the next firm on Google. A personal injury caller with a fresh case gets voicemail at 11 AM because your receptionist is with another client. A business owner with a contract dispute calls at noon and gets voicemail. They all move on. Law firm leads are high-value and have a short window. Shopbell answers every call to your firm within one ring, captures the case type, screens conflicts, books consultations, and routes urgent matters to the on-call attorney.

The Problem

Law firm new client calls are high-value and short-window. A family law consultation can be $3,000 to $15,000 in retainer revenue. A personal injury case can be $30,000 in contingency fees. A business litigation matter can be $50,000 or more. The American Bar Association found that 60 percent of new client calls to law firms during business hours go unanswered because the attorney is in court or the paralegal is on the other line. Of those, 70 percent never call back. They dial the next firm on Google.

Conflict screening is a critical step that is missed when calls are rushed. A receptionist takes down the caller name and the case type, but does not have time to run conflict checks. The attorney returns the call only to discover a conflict and lose the time. Or worse, the attorney takes the call without screening and creates a conflict that requires the firm to recuse later.

After-hours calls are even more critical in law. A DUI arrest at 2 AM is a client who needs representation now. A domestic incident at midnight is someone who needs a restraining order advice. Voicemail at those moments is unacceptable. The caller moves to whoever answers.

The Solution

Shopbell answers every call to your law firm within one ring, 24 hours a day. It greets callers by the firm name, captures the case type, screening for conflicts by capturing the names of parties involved, books consultations with the right attorney, and routes urgent matters to the on-call attorney for immediate response.

You tell Shopbell what practice areas you handle, what your consultation process is, what your conflict screening needs, and what your urgent criteria are. When someone calls about a divorce, Shopbell captures the spouse's name for conflict screening, the basic situation, the timeline, and books the consultation. When someone calls about a personal injury, Shopbell captures the date of the incident, the type of injury, the parties involved, and routes for the right follow-up.

After hours, Shopbell keeps the firm open. The 2 AM DUI caller gets a human voice, gets the basic intake captured, and gets routed to the on-call attorney. The midnight domestic matter gets immediate attention. The firm never misses a new client because the office was dark.

Sample Call

Below is a sample Shopbell call showing how the agent handles this specific business type.

Sample call: A new client calls about a divorce consultation

Bella (Shopbell): Thank you for calling Anderson and Brooks Law. How can I help you?
Caller: I need to talk to a lawyer about a divorce. How does the consultation process work?
Bella: Certainly. We offer a confidential initial consultation in person or by phone, usually 30 to 45 minutes. The fee is $250, which covers the full case evaluation by the attorney. Would you like to book one?
Caller: Yes, I would.
Bella: Good. Can I get your name first, and a callback number?
Caller: Rachel, my number is 555-220-4471.
Bella: Thank you, Rachel. To make sure there is no conflict of interest before we proceed, can you tell me the name of your spouse or the other party involved?
Caller: My husband, David McKinney.
Bella: Thank you. Let me check that name... no conflict, we can proceed. We have consultation openings tomorrow at 10 AM with Attorney Anderson, or Thursday at 2 PM with Attorney Brooks. Would you prefer in person or phone?
Caller: Phone works better, tomorrow at 10.
Bella: Phone consultation tomorrow at 10 AM with Attorney Anderson, $250. We will send a Zoom link and an intake questionnaire to fill out beforehand. The questionnaire asks about marriage date, assets, children, and any current concerns. Can I have your email?
Caller: rachel.s at email dot com.
Bella: Great, you will receive the Zoom link and intake form by email within the hour. The $250 fee can be paid by card when we send the link. Are there any minor children involved?
Caller: Yes, two children, ages 6 and 9.
Bella: Two minor children, ages 6 and 9, noted. Attorney Anderson specializes in family law with children and will go over custody and support options during the consultation. We will text a confirmation to 555-220-4471. Is there anything urgent about your situation I should flag for the attorney?
Caller: There is no immediate danger, but I want to act before he moves money around.
Bella: Understood. I will make a note for Attorney Anderson about the asset concern. We will see you on the call tomorrow at 10. Anything else I can help with?
Caller: No, thank you. Thank you for being available.
Bella: You are welcome, Rachel. Attorney Anderson will see you tomorrow at 10.

The Real Cost of Missed Calls

$72,000/month
Consultation fees, retainer revenue, and contingency cases from calls missed during court hours or after hours.

How It Compares

The Alternatives

Voicemail after hours loses DUI and divorce calls to the next firm. An answering service does not understand conflict screening or intake packets. A 24-hour intake team costs $4,500 a month. Shopbell captures intakes, books consults, and routes emergencies for $99 a month flat.

Key Features

What Shopbell Does for This Business

Conflict screening during intakeCaptures the parties involved and checks against your conflict database before booking the consultation.
Practice area routingFamily, personal injury, criminal, business, estate. Different process, different attorney, different intake form.
Urgent matter routingDUI, domestic violence, arrest in progress. Shopbell routes to your on-call attorney immediately.
Consultation schedulingBookings into the right attorney's calendar, with the right intake form sent automatically.
Consultation fee collectionTakes the consultation fee or retainer deposit by card over the phone using Stripe.
After-hours emergency intake2 AM, midnight, Sunday afternoon. Shopbell keeps the firm open to new client emergencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it work with my case management software?

Shopbell captures intake info and sends it by text and email. Integration with Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther available on request.

How does it handle attorney conflicts?

Captures the parties involved during the call and checks against your conflict list. If a conflict is flagged, the caller is politely told the firm cannot take the case.

Can it take retainer deposits over the phone?

Yes. Shopbell integrates with Stripe and your trust account software to take retainer deposits over the phone.

What about contingency cases (personal injury)?

Captures the date of incident, type of injury, parties involved, and routes for the PI attorney to evaluate the case.

How does it handle multi-attorney firms?

Each attorney has their own calendar, intake form, and routing rules. Shopbell routes correctly.

Stop Missing Calls Today

$99 a month flat. No contracts. No per-minute fees.

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