Reply sooner to clients who write in, without watching your inbox all day

It's one of the complaints we hear most from small firms: a client writes, the lawyer is in court, in a meeting or on another matter, and the reply arrives two days later. Not because it doesn't matter, but because replying means opening the email, finding the case file, checking where things stand and writing. The digital employee does all of that before you get there and leaves you only the part that's yours: deciding what to say and sending it.

Does replying quickly really matter?

To the client, yes. Clio's 2019 Legal Trends Report, from a legal software vendor, surveyed 2,000 consumers: 82% consider it essential that a lawyer responds in a timely way, and 45% expect a reply to an email or message within 24 hours. The report puts it this way: responding after 24 hours means missing the expectations of 79% of those who reach out.

It isn't only about existing clients. According to the same study, 57% of people who have hired a lawyer contacted more than one firm, and 42% stop looking once a lawyer makes a great first impression. Whoever answers first, and well, has the edge. It's a vendor's study, not an official one, and it dates from 2019: treat it as a reference, not as a figure for your firm.

What does the digital employee do when a client writes?

1. 01

   Spots what needs a reply

   It separates client emails that ask for something from notices, court notifications and supplier email, and flags new enquiries.

2. 02

   Files it in its matter

   Each message reaches the right case file, with what it asks for and any date or deadline it mentions.

3. 03

   Drafts the reply

   It writes the draft from what the case file says: where things stand, what's missing and what comes next. If a detail is missing, it flags it rather than making it up.

4. 04

   Alerts you

   You get an alert with the summary and the draft, in order of priority. You approve it, correct it or leave it for later, from your computer or your phone.

5. 05

   Follows up on what's pending

   If a message has gone unanswered for a while, it reminds you. No client is left forgotten at the bottom of the inbox.

And an enquiry from someone who isn't a client yet?

That's the one most often lost, because it has no case file and belongs to no one. The digital employee spots it, sums up what the person needs and which area it falls under, and drafts a reply with the next step: the documents worth bringing or a proposed appointment. If the firm wants, it can instantly send an acknowledgement you've written, confirming you've received the enquiry and when you'll be in touch. To put numbers on what late replies to enquiries cost, try the lead response cost calculator.

Does the AI reply on my behalf?

No. Replying sooner doesn't mean replying without you. Anything about a client's matter goes through a lawyer before it leaves. What changes is the time it takes you: instead of finding the case file and writing from scratch, you read a draft with the details already in. That's why the personal touch isn't lost; we explain it in will I lose the personal touch with clients if I use AI?.

What does it work with?

With what the firm already uses: Outlook or Gmail, the case file folders and your practice management software if it allows connections. If clients write to you on WhatsApp Business, that too. It's the same digital employee that files every email the firm gets in its case: once email is in order, replying sooner is the next step.

What it doesn't do

• It doesn't send anything about a matter without a lawyer's approval.
• It doesn't give legal advice to whoever writes in or judge whether they have a case.
• It doesn't promise timelines or fees the firm hasn't set.

Where to start

In a free assessment we look at how enquiries reach you, how long they take to be answered today and which software you use. From that, we tell you what can be automated and what the alerts and drafts would look like at your firm, at a fixed price with no lock-in. If you'd first like to know how your clients' data is protected, start with is it safe to use AI with my clients' data?.