A first legal inquiry requires professionalism, discretion, and careful boundaries. The response should identify the general matter, urgent deadlines, involved parties, and callback details without creating an attorney-client relationship or offering legal advice.
Recommended opening approach
Ask briefly what the caller needs help with, then collect only the information the firm has approved for initial screening.
Core information to capture
- Caller’s full name and confidential callback information
- General matter type and jurisdiction
- Key dates, deadlines, hearings, or notices
- Names of other parties for conflict review
- How the caller found the firm
- Whether another attorney is currently involved
- Preferred consultation timing
Urgent routing
- Court, filing, response, closing, or statutory deadlines
- Active detention, injunction, eviction, foreclosure, or other categories defined by the firm
- Immediate routing rules for existing clients
- Clear distinction between urgent review and guaranteed representation
Routine call types
- Consultation requests
- Existing-client messages
- Document-delivery questions
- Billing and administrative calls
- Referral and co-counsel inquiries
Important boundaries
Do not give legal advice, promise representation, confirm that the firm can act before conflict and engagement procedures are complete, or request unnecessary sensitive facts through an insecure channel.
Build the operating instructions
Use the Receptionist Script Builder to create a first draft, then use the Coverage Planner to assign responsibility during open hours, overflow, and after-hours.