Buyer guide
Best AI answering service for law firms (2027)
This shortlist is for a managing partner, practice manager or solo attorney choosing an AI answering service for a law firm. It covers all 52 law-firm-tagged vendors in our directory. Each quick pick is chosen by a fixed rule applied to our records, never by opinion, and there is no overall winner. Prices, trials, integrations and human options come from the catalog at build time. Picks are never paid, and sponsorship does not change them.
How we picked
Every rule below runs on the vendor records in our directory. Vendors marked outbound only and vendors that have not launched are not picks. The tracked legal software is Clio, Clio Grow, Lawmatics, MyCase, PracticePanther, Filevine, Smokeball and Lawcus, matched exactly against each vendor's integrations field. Human answering counts only where a feature names human or live receptionists, agents or answering; a chat takeover or an escalation alone does not count.
- Built for law firm intake. Practice size names law firms, attorneys or lawyers, a feature names legal or law intake, and the record publishes a US-dollar monthly start. Lowest start wins; ties go to the longest stated free trial, then A to Z.
- Broadest legal software list. Most tracked legal software in its integrations field; ties go to the longest integrations list, then A to Z.
- Human answering for sensitive calls. A feature names human or live receptionists, agents or answering. Most tracked legal software wins; ties go to a free plan or free trial over none, then the lowest published US-dollar monthly start, then A to Z.
- Free trial without a card. A free trial or free plan with no card required, and a feature names legal, law, attorneys or lawyers. Longest stated trial wins; ties go A to Z.
- Budget pick with legal software. Lists at least one tracked legal software and has a published US-dollar monthly start. Lowest start wins; ties go A to Z.
- Budget pick. Lowest published US-dollar monthly start among all eligible law-firm-tagged vendors, legal software or not; ties go A to Z.
These are vendor claims, not call-quality ratings. Read our methodology.
Quick picks for law firms (rule-based, not paid)
| Job | Pick | Why (from our data) | Starting price as published | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Built for law firm intake | Intake Gateway | Practice size: Solo to mid-size law firms running phone intake. Intake wording in the record: "Law intake playbooks (PI, workers' comp, criminal, family)". Legal software listed: Clio. Start: $149/mo. | $149/mo flat | Free trial, 30 days, card required; Up to 15 minutes of test calls first |
| Broadest legal software list | NextPhone | Lists 3 tracked legal software (Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase) and 8 integrations in total. | Pro $199/mo | Free trial, 7 days, card required |
| Human answering for sensitive calls | Smith.ai | Human answering in the record: "Human receptionist option (Human-first plans)". Legal software listed: Clio. | Free $0/mo (25 calls, then $3.00/call); Pro $150/mo (75 calls at $2.00/call, larger call bundles discounted); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls at $1.67/call); custom plans available (starts with a free plan; not included in USD paid figures) | Free plan, card required; 25 calls/month, free forever (not a trial) |
| Free trial without a card | Balaay | 30-day free trial, no card, month to month. Legal wording in the record: "Vertical configs for home services, dental, beauty, legal, property and vet". | Starter $29/mo (250 voice min then $0.15/min); Optional Concierge Setup $199 once | Free trial, 30 days, no card required |
| Budget pick with legal software | Upfirst | Lowest published US-dollar start among vendors that list tracked legal software ($24.95/mo). Legal software listed: Clio. | Starter $24.95/mo (30 calls, $1.50/extra) | Free trial, 14 days |
| Budget pick | AI-Receptionist.com | Lowest published US-dollar start in the law firms tag ($14/mo). Legal software listed: none tracked. | Essential $14/mo (75 voice min) | Free 7 days; trial includes plan features with a 30-minute trial minute cap per FAQ; no card required |
- Built for law firm intake
- Pick: Intake Gateway
- Why (from our data): Practice size: Solo to mid-size law firms running phone intake. Intake wording in the record: "Law intake playbooks (PI, workers' comp, criminal, family)". Legal software listed: Clio. Start: $149/mo.
- Starting price as published: $149/mo flat
- Trial: Free trial, 30 days, card required; Up to 15 minutes of test calls first
- Broadest legal software list
- Pick: NextPhone
- Why (from our data): Lists 3 tracked legal software (Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase) and 8 integrations in total.
- Starting price as published: Pro $199/mo
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, card required
- Human answering for sensitive calls
- Pick: Smith.ai
- Why (from our data): Human answering in the record: "Human receptionist option (Human-first plans)". Legal software listed: Clio.
- Starting price as published: Free $0/mo (25 calls, then $3.00/call); Pro $150/mo (75 calls at $2.00/call, larger call bundles discounted); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls at $1.67/call); custom plans available (starts with a free plan; not included in USD paid figures)
- Trial: Free plan, card required; 25 calls/month, free forever (not a trial)
- Free trial without a card
- Pick: Balaay
- Why (from our data): 30-day free trial, no card, month to month. Legal wording in the record: "Vertical configs for home services, dental, beauty, legal, property and vet".
- Starting price as published: Starter $29/mo (250 voice min then $0.15/min); Optional Concierge Setup $199 once
- Trial: Free trial, 30 days, no card required
- Budget pick with legal software
- Pick: Upfirst
- Why (from our data): Lowest published US-dollar start among vendors that list tracked legal software ($24.95/mo). Legal software listed: Clio.
- Starting price as published: Starter $24.95/mo (30 calls, $1.50/extra)
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days
- Budget pick
- Pick: AI-Receptionist.com
- Why (from our data): Lowest published US-dollar start in the law firms tag ($14/mo). Legal software listed: none tracked.
- Starting price as published: Essential $14/mo (75 voice min)
- Trial: Free 7 days; trial includes plan features with a 30-minute trial minute cap per FAQ; no card required
Every law firm vendor in our directory
All 52 vendors tagged for law firms, A to Z. Prices are as published. A record with no price reads "Quote only" or "Not published". Setup or training fees in the record sit next to the start. A price in another currency names its currency, and a US-dollar price that is not a single comparable monthly start (a free plan, usage-based pricing) says why; both are left out of the US-dollar figures below. The human answering column quotes the vendor's own feature where it names people answering calls; everywhere else it reads "Not stated" (an escalation, handover or live transfer alone does not count), which is not the same as "not offered". The same vendors, with filters and sources, are on the full law firm AI receptionist list.
| Vendor | Starting price | Billing unit | Trial | Legal software listed | Human answering |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abby Connect | Starter $165/mo (50 Abby Minutes) | Per month | Free trial | None tracked | Human, AI or blended answering |
| AgentZap | Starter $109/mo (150 min, $0.85/min overage); $499 one-time training and setup fee (waived on a 6-month Professional term) | Per month | Not offered | Clio | 24/7 call answering with live agent backup |
| AI-Receptionist.com | Essential $14/mo (75 voice min) | Per month | Free 7 days; trial includes plan features with a 30-minute trial minute cap per FAQ; no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Amfion | Front Desk $249/mo (200 answered-call min then $0.49/min, phone number included) | Per month | Trial with conditions (not free) | None tracked | Not stated |
| AptaBook | Solo $49/mo (50 conversations) | Per month | Free trial, 15 days, no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Balaay | Starter $29/mo (250 voice min then $0.15/min); Optional Concierge Setup $199 once | Per month | Free trial, 30 days, no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| BuzzWisely | Nectar $289/mo (775 minutes) | Per month | Trial with conditions (not free) | None tracked | Not stated |
| CatchyVoice | Starter $199/mo list (AI voice receptionist, unlimited inbound calls, 1 phone number, SMS notifications and email summaries, without appointment scheduling or calendar integration) | Per month | Not stated | None tracked | Not stated |
| Dapta | Pro $99/mo (100k credits) | Per month | Not stated | None tracked | Not stated |
| Dialzara | Business Lite $29/mo (60 min, $0.48/min over) | Per month | Free trial, 7 days | None tracked | Not stated |
| dolfyn | From $179/month, priced to call volume | Per month | Free trial, 14 days, no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Estera | Voice plans: Lite EUR 49/mo (150 min) (priced in EUR; not included in USD figures) | Per month | Trial with conditions (not free) | None tracked | Not stated |
| FloGPT | Starter $49/mo (2,000 messages); Calls and SMS are metered on top of the plan: AI voice per minute at a carrier-dependent rate quoted on request, SMS $0.01/segment; Optional done-for-you setup $500 once for voice agents ($200 for chat) | Per month | Trial with conditions (not free) | None tracked | Not stated |
| Frontivo.io | Phone Lite $99/mo (120 voice min, about 40 calls; 60 automated texts; 1 user; live transfer to 1 person; same features as Phone Only; not part of Founding 50) | Per month | Trial with conditions (not free) | None tracked | Not stated |
| GreetKeeper | Starter $49/mo (200 answered calls, $0.45/call after) | Per month, per location | Free trial, 14 days, no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Hailey | Not published | Not published | Not stated | None tracked | Not stated |
| Intake Gateway | $149/mo flat | Per month | Free trial, 30 days, card required; Up to 15 minutes of test calls first | Clio | Not stated |
| Johnni AI | Pay As You Go A$49/mo monthly or A$44/mo paid annually (60 min, then A$0.50/min); Prices in AUD, ex GST (priced in AUD; not included in USD figures) | Per month | Trial with conditions (not free) | None tracked | Not stated |
| Kyros | Essential $49/mo (100 AI minutes; extra 100-minute pack $40) | Per month | Free trial and no setup fee: up to 14 days or 50 AI minutes, whichever comes first, on an assigned trial number; no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Marlie | Basic $49/mo (250 min, then $0.35/min) | Per month | Free trial, 14 days, card required | Clio, Clio Grow | Not stated |
| Mika | Starter $149/mo (250 min) | Per month | Free trial, 7 days | Clio Grow | Not stated |
| Moneypenny AI Answering | AI Answering (US): 25 calls $69/mo (extra calls $2.49) | Per month | Not stated | None tracked | Not stated |
| Neverclosed | Phone $59/mo or $590/year (AI phone line only, 250 call-minutes/mo, unused minutes roll over one month; no overage: at the limit callers are told you'll call them back and their number is texted to you; paid by card at sign-up, no free trial); Starter $149/mo (website chat plus AI phone line, set up for you, 600 call-minutes/mo, then $0.30/min) | Per month | Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day free trial, no card, on Starter and Pro only (the Phone plan has no trial) | None tracked | Not stated |
| Nextiva XBert | XBert AI Employee $99/mo for 100 interactions (calls, texts or chats), then $0.99 per interaction. A conversation counts when a call lasts 30+ seconds or a text/chat gets 3+ AI responses. No long-term contracts. Prices in USD (usage-based pricing; not included in USD monthly figures) | Per month, per interaction | Not offered | None tracked | Not stated |
| NextPhone | Pro $199/mo | Per month | Free trial, 7 days, card required | Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase | Not stated |
| Ody | Starter $15/user/mo, Growth $23/user/mo, Enterprise $35/user/mo (billed annually); AI agent on every plan; call summaries and recording from Growth. One local number per user included (priced per user; not included in USD monthly figures) | Per month, per user | Free trial, 7 days, card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Open Lines | Starter $99/mo (150 min, then $0.69/min) | Per month | Not stated | None tracked | Not stated |
| Phone Phoebe | Basic £39/mo (priced in GBP; not included in USD figures) | Per month | Free trial, 7 days, no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| PhoneAgent.ai | Monthly: Starter $89/mo (~150 calls), Professional $199/mo (~500 calls, 2 numbers), Practice $399/mo (~1,500 calls, 5 locations), Enterprise $798/mo (~3,000 calls) | Per month | Not offered | None tracked | Not stated |
| Phonely | Free $0 (100 min); Starter $50/mo (200 min on the plan card, 250 in the comparison table; $0.25/min over); Professional $150/mo (650 min on the plan card, 750 in the comparison table; $0.30/min over); Enterprise as low as $0.05/min (starts with a free plan; not included in USD paid figures) | Per month | Free plan; 100 minutes | None tracked | Not stated |
| Reception.ai | Basic $29/mo (75 phone min, $0.45/min overage); Prices plus tax | Per month | 14-day free trial with full access, 30 phone minutes and 1 phone number; no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| RevSystems | From $49/mo (plan tiers not published on site) | Per month | Free trial, 7 days | None tracked | Not stated |
| RingDispatch | Starter $107/mo billed annually or $129/mo monthly (250 minutes) | Per month | Not stated | None tracked | Not stated |
| Ringing.io | Starter $99/mo (250 min); Growth $299/mo (1,500 min, custom training, text links); $0 setup | Per month | 25 free call minutes to start; no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| RingReady | Professional $59/mo flat unlimited calls (no per-minute) | Per month | Free trial, 4 days, no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Rosie | Professional $49/mo (250 min) | Per month | Free trial, 7 days, no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Sarah 24/7 | $350/mo base for a single location with one channel, plus $100/mo per additional channel and usage from 15 cents per minute of conversation. Custom terms for larger accounts (usage-based pricing; not included in USD monthly figures) | Per month | No free plan or free trial; the live demo callback is free | None tracked | Not stated |
| Sayora | £49/mo flat, no VAT added, no setup fee, no contract (priced in GBP; not included in USD figures) | Per month | Free trial, 7 days, card required; Free test mode first (up to 15 calls or 30 connected minutes) | None tracked | Not stated |
| SentraVoice | Inbound: Starter $299/mo (100 min, 1 line) | Per month | Not stated | None tracked | Not stated |
| Skaala | Essential $60/mo US excl. VAT (50 min, then $0.20/min) | Per month | Trial with conditions (not free) | None tracked | Not stated |
| Smith.ai | Free $0/mo (25 calls, then $3.00/call); Pro $150/mo (75 calls at $2.00/call, larger call bundles discounted); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls at $1.67/call); custom plans available (starts with a free plan; not included in USD paid figures) | Per month | Free plan, card required; 25 calls/month, free forever (not a trial) | Clio | Human receptionist option (Human-first plans) |
| SwaraOS | One plan $299/mo per location | Per month, per location | Not offered | None tracked | Not stated |
| Synvola | Starter $49/mo (60 calls, then $0.75/call) | Per month | Free trial, 14 days, no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| TelAI | Core $249/mo (300 min included, bilingual EN/ES, managed setup); $49 one-time setup; Launch offer: first month free (300 min) after the $49 setup | Per month | Trial with conditions (not free) | None tracked | Not stated |
| Telyn | Starter $147/mo list, offered at $97/mo launch price locked for life (200 min, then $0.25/min); $0 setup fee | Per month | Trial with conditions (not free) | None tracked | Not stated |
| Tilk AI | Basic $59/mo, Standard $129/mo, Teams $299/mo, priced by calls with no overage | Per month | Free trial, 7 days, no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Trillet | AI Receptionist $49/mo (150 min, then $0.20/min) | Per month | Not offered | None tracked | Not stated |
| Upfirst | Starter $24.95/mo (30 calls, $1.50/extra) | Per month | Free trial, 14 days | Clio | Not stated |
| Voxgard | Basic $249/mo (300 min then $0.55/min) | Per month | Free 5-day pilot on real calls; no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Waboom AI | AI receptionist: NZ$130/mo platform fee (excl. GST) plus prepaid call credit, starting with NZ$500 of credit at NZ$0.95/min and dropping to as low as NZ$0.77/min with larger credit loads (priced in NZD and AUD; not included in USD figures) | Per month | Not stated | None tracked | Not stated |
| Yapper | Starter $199/mo or $1,990/yr (200 min, extra minutes $0.75 each on monthly plans, capped at 300 extra before answering pauses) | Per month | 7-day free trial with 50 minutes of answered calls; answering pauses at 50 minutes or day 7 without billing; no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
| Zovio | Starter $249/mo (50 calls) | Per month | 14-day free trial with 10 calls and a dedicated US number; no card required | None tracked | Not stated |
- Abby Connect
- Starting price: Starter $165/mo (50 Abby Minutes)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Human, AI or blended answering
- AgentZap
- Starting price: Starter $109/mo (150 min, $0.85/min overage); $499 one-time training and setup fee (waived on a 6-month Professional term)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not offered
- Legal software listed: Clio
- Human answering: 24/7 call answering with live agent backup
- AI-Receptionist.com
- Starting price: Essential $14/mo (75 voice min)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free 7 days; trial includes plan features with a 30-minute trial minute cap per FAQ; no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Amfion
- Starting price: Front Desk $249/mo (200 answered-call min then $0.49/min, phone number included)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- AptaBook
- Starting price: Solo $49/mo (50 conversations)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 15 days, no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Balaay
- Starting price: Starter $29/mo (250 voice min then $0.15/min); Optional Concierge Setup $199 once
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 30 days, no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- BuzzWisely
- Starting price: Nectar $289/mo (775 minutes)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- CatchyVoice
- Starting price: Starter $199/mo list (AI voice receptionist, unlimited inbound calls, 1 phone number, SMS notifications and email summaries, without appointment scheduling or calendar integration)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not stated
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Dapta
- Starting price: Pro $99/mo (100k credits)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not stated
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Dialzara
- Starting price: Business Lite $29/mo (60 min, $0.48/min over)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- dolfyn
- Starting price: From $179/month, priced to call volume
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days, no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Estera
- Starting price: Voice plans: Lite EUR 49/mo (150 min) (priced in EUR; not included in USD figures)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- FloGPT
- Starting price: Starter $49/mo (2,000 messages); Calls and SMS are metered on top of the plan: AI voice per minute at a carrier-dependent rate quoted on request, SMS $0.01/segment; Optional done-for-you setup $500 once for voice agents ($200 for chat)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Frontivo.io
- Starting price: Phone Lite $99/mo (120 voice min, about 40 calls; 60 automated texts; 1 user; live transfer to 1 person; same features as Phone Only; not part of Founding 50)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- GreetKeeper
- Starting price: Starter $49/mo (200 answered calls, $0.45/call after)
- Billing unit: Per month, per location
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days, no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Hailey
- Starting price: Not published
- Billing unit: Not published
- Trial: Not stated
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Intake Gateway
- Starting price: $149/mo flat
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 30 days, card required; Up to 15 minutes of test calls first
- Legal software listed: Clio
- Human answering: Not stated
- Johnni AI
- Starting price: Pay As You Go A$49/mo monthly or A$44/mo paid annually (60 min, then A$0.50/min); Prices in AUD, ex GST (priced in AUD; not included in USD figures)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Kyros
- Starting price: Essential $49/mo (100 AI minutes; extra 100-minute pack $40)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial and no setup fee: up to 14 days or 50 AI minutes, whichever comes first, on an assigned trial number; no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Marlie
- Starting price: Basic $49/mo (250 min, then $0.35/min)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days, card required
- Legal software listed: Clio, Clio Grow
- Human answering: Not stated
- Mika
- Starting price: Starter $149/mo (250 min)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days
- Legal software listed: Clio Grow
- Human answering: Not stated
- Moneypenny AI Answering
- Starting price: AI Answering (US): 25 calls $69/mo (extra calls $2.49)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not stated
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Neverclosed
- Starting price: Phone $59/mo or $590/year (AI phone line only, 250 call-minutes/mo, unused minutes roll over one month; no overage: at the limit callers are told you'll call them back and their number is texted to you; paid by card at sign-up, no free trial); Starter $149/mo (website chat plus AI phone line, set up for you, 600 call-minutes/mo, then $0.30/min)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days, no card required; 14-day free trial, no card, on Starter and Pro only (the Phone plan has no trial)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Nextiva XBert
- Starting price: XBert AI Employee $99/mo for 100 interactions (calls, texts or chats), then $0.99 per interaction. A conversation counts when a call lasts 30+ seconds or a text/chat gets 3+ AI responses. No long-term contracts. Prices in USD (usage-based pricing; not included in USD monthly figures)
- Billing unit: Per month, per interaction
- Trial: Not offered
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- NextPhone
- Starting price: Pro $199/mo
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, card required
- Legal software listed: Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase
- Human answering: Not stated
- Ody
- Starting price: Starter $15/user/mo, Growth $23/user/mo, Enterprise $35/user/mo (billed annually); AI agent on every plan; call summaries and recording from Growth. One local number per user included (priced per user; not included in USD monthly figures)
- Billing unit: Per month, per user
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Open Lines
- Starting price: Starter $99/mo (150 min, then $0.69/min)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not stated
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Phone Phoebe
- Starting price: Basic £39/mo (priced in GBP; not included in USD figures)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- PhoneAgent.ai
- Starting price: Monthly: Starter $89/mo (~150 calls), Professional $199/mo (~500 calls, 2 numbers), Practice $399/mo (~1,500 calls, 5 locations), Enterprise $798/mo (~3,000 calls)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not offered
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Phonely
- Starting price: Free $0 (100 min); Starter $50/mo (200 min on the plan card, 250 in the comparison table; $0.25/min over); Professional $150/mo (650 min on the plan card, 750 in the comparison table; $0.30/min over); Enterprise as low as $0.05/min (starts with a free plan; not included in USD paid figures)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free plan; 100 minutes
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Reception.ai
- Starting price: Basic $29/mo (75 phone min, $0.45/min overage); Prices plus tax
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: 14-day free trial with full access, 30 phone minutes and 1 phone number; no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- RevSystems
- Starting price: From $49/mo (plan tiers not published on site)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- RingDispatch
- Starting price: Starter $107/mo billed annually or $129/mo monthly (250 minutes)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not stated
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Ringing.io
- Starting price: Starter $99/mo (250 min); Growth $299/mo (1,500 min, custom training, text links); $0 setup
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: 25 free call minutes to start; no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- RingReady
- Starting price: Professional $59/mo flat unlimited calls (no per-minute)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 4 days, no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Rosie
- Starting price: Professional $49/mo (250 min)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Sarah 24/7
- Starting price: $350/mo base for a single location with one channel, plus $100/mo per additional channel and usage from 15 cents per minute of conversation. Custom terms for larger accounts (usage-based pricing; not included in USD monthly figures)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: No free plan or free trial; the live demo callback is free
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Sayora
- Starting price: £49/mo flat, no VAT added, no setup fee, no contract (priced in GBP; not included in USD figures)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, card required; Free test mode first (up to 15 calls or 30 connected minutes)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- SentraVoice
- Starting price: Inbound: Starter $299/mo (100 min, 1 line)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not stated
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Skaala
- Starting price: Essential $60/mo US excl. VAT (50 min, then $0.20/min)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Smith.ai
- Starting price: Free $0/mo (25 calls, then $3.00/call); Pro $150/mo (75 calls at $2.00/call, larger call bundles discounted); Enterprise from $500/mo (300 calls at $1.67/call); custom plans available (starts with a free plan; not included in USD paid figures)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free plan, card required; 25 calls/month, free forever (not a trial)
- Legal software listed: Clio
- Human answering: Human receptionist option (Human-first plans)
- SwaraOS
- Starting price: One plan $299/mo per location
- Billing unit: Per month, per location
- Trial: Not offered
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Synvola
- Starting price: Starter $49/mo (60 calls, then $0.75/call)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days, no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- TelAI
- Starting price: Core $249/mo (300 min included, bilingual EN/ES, managed setup); $49 one-time setup; Launch offer: first month free (300 min) after the $49 setup
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Telyn
- Starting price: Starter $147/mo list, offered at $97/mo launch price locked for life (200 min, then $0.25/min); $0 setup fee
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Trial with conditions (not free)
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Tilk AI
- Starting price: Basic $59/mo, Standard $129/mo, Teams $299/mo, priced by calls with no overage
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 7 days, no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Trillet
- Starting price: AI Receptionist $49/mo (150 min, then $0.20/min)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not offered
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Upfirst
- Starting price: Starter $24.95/mo (30 calls, $1.50/extra)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free trial, 14 days
- Legal software listed: Clio
- Human answering: Not stated
- Voxgard
- Starting price: Basic $249/mo (300 min then $0.55/min)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Free 5-day pilot on real calls; no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Waboom AI
- Starting price: AI receptionist: NZ$130/mo platform fee (excl. GST) plus prepaid call credit, starting with NZ$500 of credit at NZ$0.95/min and dropping to as low as NZ$0.77/min with larger credit loads (priced in NZD and AUD; not included in USD figures)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: Not stated
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Yapper
- Starting price: Starter $199/mo or $1,990/yr (200 min, extra minutes $0.75 each on monthly plans, capped at 300 extra before answering pauses)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: 7-day free trial with 50 minutes of answered calls; answering pauses at 50 minutes or day 7 without billing; no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
- Zovio
- Starting price: Starter $249/mo (50 calls)
- Billing unit: Per month
- Trial: 14-day free trial with 10 calls and a dedicated US number; no card required
- Legal software listed: None tracked
- Human answering: Not stated
Legal intake and human backup: what to check on the demo
Legal software names in our data are vendor-reported. A listed system tells you the vendor says it connects to it, not what reaches the matter or how. In our records, 7 law firm vendors list Clio or Clio Grow: AgentZap (Clio), Intake Gateway (Clio), Marlie (Clio, Clio Grow), Mika (Clio Grow), NextPhone (Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase), Smith.ai (Clio) and Upfirst (Clio). For the other tracked systems: Lawmatics: NextPhone; MyCase: NextPhone; PracticePanther: none in the integrations field; Filevine: none in the integrations field; Smokeball: none in the integrations field; Lawcus: none in the integrations field. See every vendor that names Clio on the Clio integration page. What the quick picks say, in their own words:
- Intake Gateway: legal software listed Clio. Legal wording in the record: "Law intake playbooks (PI, workers' comp, criminal, family)".
- NextPhone: legal software listed Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase. Legal wording in the record: "CRM sync (strong legal CRM support)".
- Smith.ai: legal software listed Clio. No legal or law wording in the record's features.
- Balaay: legal software listed none tracked. Legal wording in the record: "Vertical configs for home services, dental, beauty, legal, property and vet".
- Upfirst: legal software listed Clio. No legal or law wording in the record's features.
- AI-Receptionist.com: legal software listed none tracked. No legal or law wording in the record's features.
On the demo, call in as a new client with a real practice-area scenario and check four things: whether the intake questions match your practice areas, whether the AI collects every party's name so your team can run a conflict check before a consultation is booked, what lands in your legal software afterwards, and how an urgent or emotional caller reaches a person. Ask where call recordings and transcripts are stored and who can access them. Your professional conduct rules on confidentiality still apply when the assistant is software.
Price bands in our data
Of the 52 law firm vendors, 41 publish a comparable US-dollar monthly starting price. The median paid start among them is $99/month. The cheapest five: AI-Receptionist.com: Essential $14/mo (75 voice min), Upfirst: Starter $24.95/mo (30 calls, $1.50/extra), Balaay: Starter $29/mo (250 voice min then $0.15/min); Optional Concierge Setup $199 once, Dialzara: Business Lite $29/mo (60 min, $0.48/min over) and Reception.ai: Basic $29/mo (75 phone min, $0.45/min overage); Prices plus tax. Entry plans differ in minutes, calls and legal software access, so compare what each one includes.
Prices in other currencies stay in their own currency and are left out of the US-dollar figures: Estera (Voice plans: Lite EUR 49/mo (150 min); priced in EUR), Johnni AI (Pay As You Go A$49/mo monthly or A$44/mo paid annually (60 min, then A$0.50/min); priced in AUD), Phone Phoebe (Basic £39/mo; priced in GBP), Sayora (£49/mo flat, no VAT added, no setup fee, no contract; priced in GBP) and Waboom AI (AI receptionist: NZ$130/mo platform fee (excl. GST) plus prepaid call credit, starting with NZ$500 of credit at NZ$0.95/min and dropping to as low as NZ$0.77/min with larger credit loads; priced in NZD and AUD). Some plans bill per call or per minute on top of the monthly start, so check the billing unit column and the overage terms. For the full market picture, read the AI receptionist pricing report and the cost guide.
AI answering service, AI receptionist or a human service
Law firm buyers often search for an answering service, not a receptionist. The difference is mostly what happens after the call is answered: read AI answering service vs AI receptionist. If you already use Smith.ai or are weighing a human-first service, see Smith.ai alternatives, Abby Connect vs Smith.ai and NextPhone vs Smith.ai. For every tagged vendor with filters, use the law firm AI receptionist list. For trials, read the free trial guide.
FAQ
What is the best AI answering service for a law firm?
It depends on the job, so this page has no single winner. By our published rules the picks are Intake Gateway (built for law firm intake), NextPhone (broadest legal software list), Smith.ai (human answering for sensitive calls), Balaay (free trial without a card), Upfirst (budget pick with legal software) and AI-Receptionist.com (budget pick). Each rule is listed above, and each pick should still take a test intake call for your own practice area before you choose.
How much does an AI answering service for a law firm cost?
Among the 41 law-firm-tagged vendors with a comparable US-dollar monthly start, the median paid start is $99/month. The cheapest five: AI-Receptionist.com: Essential $14/mo (75 voice min), Upfirst: Starter $24.95/mo (30 calls, $1.50/extra), Balaay: Starter $29/mo (250 voice min then $0.15/min); Optional Concierge Setup $199 once, Dialzara: Business Lite $29/mo (60 min, $0.48/min over) and Reception.ai: Basic $29/mo (75 phone min, $0.45/min overage); Prices plus tax. Some vendors bill per call or quote only, so check the billing unit in the table above. See the pricing report for wider context.
Does an AI answering service work with Clio?
In our data, 7 law firm vendors list Clio or Clio Grow: AgentZap (Clio), Intake Gateway (Clio), Marlie (Clio, Clio Grow), Mika (Clio Grow), NextPhone (Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase), Smith.ai (Clio) and Upfirst (Clio). These integrations are vendor-reported, so ask each vendor to show a test intake reaching your own Clio account. The Clio integration page lists every vendor that names it.
Can a human take over sensitive legal calls?
3 law firm records name human or live answering: Abby Connect ("Human, AI or blended answering"), AgentZap ("24/7 call answering with live agent backup") and Smith.ai ("Human receptionist option (Human-first plans)"). For every other vendor the record does not name human or live answering (an escalation, handover or live transfer alone does not count), so ask how a caller reaches a person, during which hours, and whether that costs extra.
Which AI answering services for law firms have a free trial?
17 law-firm-tagged vendors list a free trial or free plan with no card required. Among those whose features name legal or law work: AptaBook (Free trial, 15 days, no card required), Balaay (Free trial, 30 days, no card required) and RingReady (Free trial, 4 days, no card required). Trial terms for every vendor are in the table above, and the free trial guide has more.
Related
- AI receptionist for law firms and AI receptionists that integrate with Clio
- Smith.ai alternatives, Abby Connect vs Smith.ai and NextPhone vs Smith.ai
- AI answering service vs AI receptionist
- AI receptionist cost, free trials and the pricing report
Picks are rule-based and never sold. Vendor facts are claims from each vendor's own record, with sources on its vendor page. Read our methodology before you buy.