Only 12% of the prospective clients in Clio's 2024 secret-shopper study said they were likely to recommend the law firms they contacted, and only 7% of law firms were using a chatbot on their website (Clio, 2024 Legal Trends Report, as reported by 2Civility). The first number describes the experience prospects are getting. The second describes a gap most firms have not noticed: clients are more open to an automated front door than lawyers assume.
Do prospective clients actually accept AI at intake?
Mostly yes, with one condition. In the same 2024 Clio research, 51% of prospective clients agreed that chatbots can be a helpful starting point for exploring legal options, and only 7% of lawyers believed clients would prefer to communicate with firms through a chatbot (Clio, 2024, via 2Civility). Three out of five potential clients said they would only use a chatbot if they had the option to switch to a human when needed (Clio, 2024, via 2Civility).
The condition is the human: three in five would only use a chatbot with a way to reach a person. A tool that traps a caller away from a lawyer is the version this data suggests clients will not accept.
Is the problem a chatbot, or the unanswered phone?
The phone is still where the loss happens. In the same Clio 2024 secret-shopper study of 500 U.S. firms, 40% of firms answered a live prospective-client call, 33% responded to an email inquiry, and 48% were unreachable by phone entirely, neither answering nor calling back (Clio, 2024). Clio also found that prospects who got a phone contact were more than three times as likely to be willing to recommend the firm as the average across all channels, and nearly eight times as likely as those who received only a voicemail follow-up (Clio, 2024, via 2Civility).
Note the scope: a website chatbot is not a voice receptionist, and Clio's chatbot figures are about text. They show openness to automation, not proof that any specific product converts. The phone result shows why speed and a real conversation matter, whoever or whatever starts it.
What should a solo firm require from an AI front door?
Use this five-point test with any tool, Presently included:
- A human path, stated early. The caller hears or sees how to reach a lawyer or staff member, and the tool never pretends to be a person.
- Disclosure of what it is. Tell callers they are speaking with an automated assistant.
- Intake, not advice. It collects name, contact details, matter type and urgency. It does not tell anyone what their rights are.
- A fast, owned callback. Every captured lead lands with a named attorney or staff member, with a target callback time you can check.
- Your language mix. If you serve Spanish-speaking clients, test the tool in Spanish before you trust it.
Run a test call at 9pm on a Saturday. If you cannot answer "who calls this person back, and when?", the tool is a voicemail with better manners.
How does Presently fit this?
Presently answers missed and after-hours calls, runs intake in English and Spanish, emails your team a structured intake summary, and calls the lead back. It is built for solo-to-five-attorney firms that want revenue recovered from calls that would otherwise go to voicemail. Presently Core is $799 a month, or $8,150 a year plus a $499 setup fee.
FAQ
What share of prospective clients are open to chatbots? In Clio's 2024 research, 51% said chatbots can be a helpful starting point for exploring legal options.
Do clients want a human involved? Yes. Three out of five potential clients said they would only use a chatbot if they could switch to a human when needed (Clio, 2024, via 2Civility).
How many law firms use chatbots? Only 7% of law firms used chatbots on their websites in Clio's 2024 data.
Is a chatbot the same as an AI receptionist? No. A chatbot handles text on a website. An AI receptionist answers calls. Clio's chatbot figures should not be read as evidence about voice tools.
Sources
- Clio 2024 Legal Trends Report secret-shopper findings, reported by 2Civility
- Clio, Legal Trends Reports (the primary source; Clio's own 2024 pages were not accessible when this was checked, so the 2024 figures above were confirmed through the 2Civility summary)