A typical work routine for lawyers involves long hours of work, committing to legal cases, back and forth communicating with team members and external parties, as well as dedicating time to the big picture of the legal industry such as strategy and innovation.
With so much on the plate, it makes it difficult for lawyers to respond to new queries instantly, leading to losing a potential client. According to the 2020 Legal Trends Report by Clio, 79% of potential new clients expect a response from the lawyer or law firm within 24 hours of reaching out. This states that immediate responsiveness remains one of the most critical factors clients look for while looking for a lawyer online.
That being said, technology has transformed the way lawyers and legal practitioners practice law. One of the recently invented ways to communicate with new potential clients is legal chatbots. Best known as precursor for legal professionals, legal chatbots direct new clients to the right person in your law firm. Additionally, chatbots can also answer questions on their own as well as automate and ease up processes.
In simple terms, legal chatbots are a time-saving automation tool that is hosted on a law firm’s website and is available to clients 24/7. This promotes legal live chat to create client-centered experiences for new potential clients with automated and instant responses. This is best applicable when a lawyer is unable to respond immediately if he is in court or has to meet a client to work on a case update.
Some of the prime benefits that legal chatbots offer include:
- Automation that helps save time and money
By automating complex tasks, lawyers can focus more on the legal billable tasks that saves up a lot of time for everyone involved in a case. Chatbots also serve as a receptionist in virtual law firms.
- Enhance efficiency and law firm profitability
Legal chatbots not only respond to client queries instantly, it also saves lawyers’ time to reply to an email or meet with a potential new client back and forth. Law firm chatbots can now automate the client intake process turning it into a more profitable way to engage with clients urgently.
- Providing a competitive edge
In this digital era, it is critical for law firms to stay ahead of the competition and meet client demands with some innovative ways. One of these include legal chatbots that provide clients with immediate responsiveness. Chatbots also help with automated booking that leaves a positive impression on the client as they don’t need to wait for an actual lawyer to respond to them and book a meeting.
- Improved client-centered experience
Legal chatbots can help retain information of returning clients that creates an exceptional client-centered experience. Moreover, chatbots on a law firm’s website can be programmed to provide brief case studies, answer a case-related queries and general FAQs, as well as book follow-up appointments for lawyers.
