Out-of-hours client intake for solicitors, without legal advice
An AI receptionist for your firm takes the call or replies on WhatsApp, takes the first details (area of law, what happened and any deadline), flags urgent matters to your team and books the first consultation with the right solicitor. It never gives legal advice: anything that needs legal judgement goes to a lawyer.
Sofia takes the first details, never legal advice
What you’ll see in the video
- Not in office hours. Late at night
Legal problems don’t wait for office hours. Sofia, Zatio’s AI assistant, takes the call or replies on WhatsApp in seconds.
- The first filter, one question at a time
She asks for the area of law, what happened and any deadline. If a deadline is running, she flags it as urgent and alerts your team straight away.
- First consultation booked
She books the first consultation with the right lawyer, with the matter and a summary already written.
- Legal advice? A lawyer
Sofia never gives legal advice: as soon as legal judgement is needed, she passes the conversation to a lawyer.
Why first contact so often comes out of hours
A letter, a notice or a dismissal can land at any time, and people look for a solicitor that same evening. If your firm is closed, they often contact several firms at once and go with the first that replies.
First contact does not need a solicitor. It needs someone to take the details properly, spot whether it is urgent and book a consultation. An AI receptionist can do that, and your fee-earners step in when legal judgement is needed.
One question at a time
Area of law, what happened and any deadline. It is a conversation, not a long intake form, and the client can answer from their phone.
Urgent matters, straight away
If a deadline is running, Sofia flags it as urgent and alerts your team at once, out of hours too if you choose.
The first consultation, with a summary
She books with the right solicitor for the matter (Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Cal.com or Microsoft Bookings), with a summary of the matter already written.
It never gives legal advice
This is the most important rule, and it sits at the heart of the video. Sofia does not assess the matter, comment on prospects, work out deadlines or tell anyone what to do. She takes the facts, asks what your firm needs for the first consultation and, as soon as something needs legal judgement, says so clearly and passes the conversation to a lawyer.
She does not quote fees unless you have given them to her. And she introduces herself as an AI assistant at the start of every conversation, so the client always knows they are not yet speaking to their solicitor.
How to set it up, step by step
Give it your website
Zatio reads your site and drafts your assistant: services, area and common questions. You review everything before it goes live. It takes about 10 minutes.
Set your practice areas and fee-earners
Which areas you take on and which you don’t, which solicitor sees each, and the first questions to ask for each type of matter.
Decide what counts as urgent
What counts as urgent (a deadline running, a hearing date close) and who Sofia alerts, in and out of hours.
Connect the consultation diary
Zatio offers times from Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Cal.com or Microsoft Bookings and books with the right solicitor, with the matter and a summary.
Forward your calls
Keep your number: forward all calls, out-of-hours calls or only the ones you miss. During your hours your phone rings first, for 10 to 40 seconds, and Zatio answers if nobody does.
Checklist before you switch it on
- The practice areas you take on, and the ones you don’t
- Which solicitor handles each area
- Your first-contact questions: area of law, what happened, any deadline
- What counts as urgent, and who gets alerted
- Whether it shares the fee for a first consultation, and the exact wording
- The line it uses to explain it can’t advise and will pass the matter on
- When it answers: out of hours, when you can’t pick up, or always
Keep reading
Zatio for law firms
Everything Zatio does for law firms, from first contact to the booked consultation.
Plans and prices
From £69 a month excluding VAT, with 400 voice minutes plus WhatsApp and website chat included.
Out-of-hours enquiries for private clinics: a practical guide
The same approach for a clinic: clear ranges, a booking and never medical advice.
Questions
Does it give legal advice?
No, never. It takes the facts and the area of law, asks the questions you set and books the consultation. As soon as something needs legal judgement, it passes the conversation to a lawyer.
How does it flag urgent matters?
If the client mentions a deadline that is running, Sofia flags it as urgent and alerts your team straight away. You decide who is alerted and whether that applies out of hours.
Will clients know it’s an AI?
Yes. Sofia introduces herself as an AI assistant at the start of every conversation. Calls are transcribed, not recorded, data is stored in the EU and we sign a data processing agreement with every firm.
Do I have to change my number?
No. You forward calls to your Zatio line: all of them, out of hours, or only when you don’t pick up. During your hours your phone rings first, for 10 to 40 seconds, and Zatio answers if nobody does.
How much does it cost?
Zatio is £69, £129 or £259 a month excluding VAT, with 400, 1,000 or 2,000 voice minutes plus WhatsApp and website chat included. Month to month, with no minimum term.
Can I try it first?
Yes. Free 14-day trial with no card, including 30 voice minutes and 100 chat conversations. Your phone number and WhatsApp go live when you add your card.
Hear how Zatio would answer your firm
- Keep your number
- No annual commitment
- 60-day guarantee
Rather talk to a person? Book a 20-minute demo.