Build a Voice AI Receptionist That Works For Your Firm
A small law firm should look for a voice AI provider that offers direct case management software integration. They also need a system that ensures full ownership of all call data and client transcripts.
The scope of a build depends on the complexity of your call routing and the specific legal software you use. A firm using Clio with simple routing for two practice areas is a straightforward project. A firm with custom intake forms and an on-premise case manager requires a more involved integration.
We built a voice receptionist for a 7-attorney personal injury firm whose two receptionists spent over half their day on call routing. The system went live in 4 weeks. It reduced average call handling time from 3 minutes to 45 seconds, freeing up receptionists for billable paralegal work.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Many law firms try off-the-shelf VoIP systems like RingCentral or Dialpad that have basic 'AI' features. These systems use simple keyword matching that fails with legal nuance. They cannot distinguish a potential client calling about a 'slip and fall' from an existing client calling for an update on their 'fall' case, leading to misrouted calls and frustrated attorneys.
A dedicated virtual receptionist service like Smith.ai seems like a better option, but they are human-powered with a technology layer. This introduces high per-minute or per-call costs that scale unpredictably. A firm handling 60 calls a day can see monthly bills exceed $1,500. Crucially, your confidential client call data resides on their third-party platform, creating significant data security and privilege concerns.
The core failure is that these are generic solutions. A real estate firm has different intake needs than a family law practice. For example, a potential divorce client might mention 'kids' or 'assets', signals a generic system isn't trained to use for routing. This forces partners to waste time on poorly qualified, misdirected intake calls.
How Does It Work?
We start by connecting to your phone system using the Twilio API, which lets you keep your existing firm number. We then use read-only API credentials for your case management platform, like Clio or MyCase, to pull a list of active clients and matters. This allows the system to instantly recognize existing clients by their phone number.
The core conversational logic runs on Anthropic's Claude 3 Sonnet API, accessed via a Python application built with FastAPI. When a call arrives, audio is transcribed in real-time. The text is fed to a custom prompt that understands legal context. The system can check the caller's number against your Clio client list in under 500ms. If there is a match, it routes the call to the assigned paralegal's extension.
For new callers, the AI executes a dynamic intake script based on the practice area they mention. It asks qualifying questions, and the full transcript and summary are written directly to a new lead record in your case management software via its native API. The entire system is deployed on AWS Lambda, which costs a typical 5-person firm handling 1,200 calls a month under $70/month to operate.
All call logs, transcripts, and metadata are stored in your own secure Supabase database, never on our systems. We configure structured logging using `structlog` to monitor for API errors from Claude or Twilio. If a critical error occurs, a fallback rule automatically forwards the call to a human receptionist's phone, ensuring no potential client is ever lost.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Live in 4 Weeks, Not 4 Quarters
A production-ready system integrated with your firm's software in under a month. Avoid long sales cycles and vendor implementations.
No Per-Call or Per-Seat Fees
A one-time build cost and a flat, predictable monthly hosting fee. Your bill does not increase when you hire another attorney or have a busy month.
You Own Your Client Call Data
All transcripts and logs are stored in your private database. You receive the full Python source code in your firm's private GitHub repository.
Fails Gracefully, Not Silently
If any part of the AI fails, the call automatically routes to a human. You get an immediate alert, not a complaint from a missed client.
Deep Integration with Clio or MyCase
The system creates new leads, checks for existing clients, and attaches transcripts to the right matter directly within your case management software.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Week 1: Systems & Workflow Audit
You provide API access to your phone system and case management software. We map your current call routing rules and intake questions.
Week 2: Core AI and API Build
We build the core FastAPI service and engineer the Claude API prompts for your practice areas. You receive a demo of the AI handling test calls.
Week 3: Integration & Testing
We connect the AI to your case management system and phone lines. Your staff tests the system with live calls on a dedicated test number.
Week 4: Deployment & Handoff
We switch the system to your main firm number. You receive the full source code, a runbook for common issues, and 90 days of included monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What factors determine the project cost and timeline?
- Scope is the main factor. A system that only routes calls is simpler than one performing multi-step client intake. Integrating with a modern, API-first case management tool like Clio is faster than connecting to an older, on-premise system. The number of unique call paths (e.g., new client, existing client, court clerk, opposing counsel) also affects complexity.
- What happens if the AI misunderstands a caller?
- The system has a confidence threshold. If the AI's confidence in understanding the caller's intent is below 90%, or if the caller says 'human' or 'receptionist', the call immediately transfers to a human operator. A transcript of the conversation up to that point is sent to the operator's Slack for context, so they can pick up seamlessly.
- How is this different from a service like Ruby Receptionists?
- Ruby Receptionists is a human-powered answering service. Syntora builds a fully autonomous AI system that your firm owns. This means no per-minute billing, deeper integration with your firm's specific software, and complete control over confidential client data. It's a technology asset you own, not an outsourced labor subscription.
- How do you ensure attorney-client privilege is protected?
- We never store your data. The AI system is deployed on your own private cloud infrastructure on AWS. Call transcripts are processed in memory and written directly to your secure Supabase database and your case management system. Syntora has no access to your client data after the system is handed off to you.
- Can the system handle callers with strong accents?
- Yes. We use modern speech-to-text models trained on millions of hours of diverse audio, including a wide range of global accents. During the testing week, we specifically encourage your staff to test the system with challenging or heavily-accented speech to ensure high accuracy before it goes live on your main phone number.
- What maintenance is required after the initial 90-day period?
- Very little is required from you. The only ongoing costs are for the cloud services (AWS Lambda, Claude API), typically under $100/month for a small firm. We offer an optional flat-rate monthly maintenance plan for monitoring and updates, but it is not required. You own the code and can have any Python developer manage it.
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