Choosing a Legal Answering Service: 11 Questions Every Managing Partner Should Ask

Most legal answering services were built for HVAC techs and medical practices. They will happily answer your firm's phone — but they are not built for conflict checks, statute-of-limitations triggers, jail-call protocols, or TCPA-aware messaging. Before signing a contract, run through this checklist.

1. Are your agents native-level bilingual, or do you use translation software?

The right answer is 'native-level English and Spanish on a single queue.' If they hedge, walk away.

2. What is your average answer time, including overnight and weekends?

Anything above 30 seconds is a leak. Sempull's service level is under 20 seconds, around the clock.

3. Do you build custom qualification scripts per practice area?

If they offer one generic script, your conversion will reflect that.

4. Do you run conflict checks against my case management system?

This is non-negotiable for a real legal intake operation.

5. Can you book directly on attorney calendars?

If the workflow ends in 'we'll have someone call you back to schedule,' you are losing the live-booking advantage entirely.

6. Do you push leads into my CRM in real time?

Look for native integrations with Clio Grow, Lawmatics, MyCase, Filevine, CASEpeer, Litify, PracticePanther, Smokeball, and HubSpot.

7. Are calls recorded and transcribed?

For training, dispute resolution, and compliance, the answer must be yes.

8. How do you handle urgent calls (jail, ICE detention, ER)?

Warm transfer to on-call counsel, not voicemail. Confirm the protocol in writing.

9. Are your agents trained on TCPA and HIPAA?

Generic answering services often are not. This is a real liability exposure.

10. What's the onboarding timeline?

Sempull goes live in 5 business days. If a service quotes 60 days, ask why.

11. What's your monthly attrition?

Low attrition (under 5%) signals a stable team. High attrition means your script is being re-learned every month.