In every industry, the main problem all businesses face is eliminating routine, time-consuming work. The legal industry is no exception. From dealing with open cases to attending trials, lawyers already have a lot on their plate to have time for entertaining potential clients or doing administrative work. That said, the solution that chatbot technology presents is automating the manual processes that usually take up your law firm’s day-to-day.
A chatbot is a program that can automatically respond to messages from users. There are many types of chatbots. Some, like simple chatbots, have limited capabilities and can only perform a specific task. But a smart chatbot, one powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, can understand customers, process transactions, and perform various tasks. Here are the many ways that a smart chatbot can help your law firm:
1. Accessibility and ease of use
A chatbot can be integrated into your website or any messaging platform so clients can conveniently access it for information or assistance. Visitors can directly chat with your website chatbot or message your firm via WhatsApp or Messenger, the two most popular messaging apps that you can use to reach an infinite number of clients. Moreover, a chatbot provides a conversational interface that users will easily know how to use and navigate.
2. 24/7 availability
According to the 2018 Legal Trends Report by Clio, 67% of customers choose a law firm that promptly answers their first call or email. Since lawyers cannot physically be available at all times, especially when they’re with another client or in court, a chatbot can be the one on the frontlines to accommodate potential clients. With a chatbot that functions 24/7, you can answer inquiries right away no matter the time of day and leave a good impression on prospective clients. By improving customer satisfaction, you can then increase your firm’s profitability.
3. Saving time and money
Marketing and administrative tasks are what usually interrupt lawyers’ billable hours. But with a chatbot that can take on these easy yet time-consuming routine tasks such as answering inquiries and setting appointments, lawyers can focus all their time and energy on actual billable work. Firms no longer need to hire additional employees for a chatbot can serve as both a virtual receptionist and assistant that can make lawyers’ jobs 10x easier. Not only will this increase lawyers’ efficiency and productivity but will also eliminate unnecessary costs.
4. Lead generation and qualification
A chatbot can streamline the lead generation and qualification process that most law firms struggle with. Due to their conversational structure, chatbots can easily gather the required information from prospective clients by simply asking questions. Instead of filling out tedious online forms, clients can just answer questions like they would in a normal conversation. This lets you foster more engaging interactions and provide clients with a positive initial experience of your law firm. Meanwhile, lawyers don’t have to sift through dozens of emails anymore to pre-qualify leads as your chatbot will have client information readily available.
5. Client intake and onboarding
With a chatbot, you can also automate the client intake and onboarding process. Users can provide their information and book a legal consultation through your chatbot. You can program your chatbot to have access to lawyers’ calendars so it can directly schedule appointments and provide clients with instructions, required documents, and other information they need to proceed with their transactions. And since chatbots retain client information, returning clients can also book follow-up appointments and pick up right where they left off.
6. Client communication
Smart chatbots are powered by natural language processing which allows them to recognize and answer various kinds of questions through certain keywords and phrases. This means that your chatbot will be able to take care of queries like services offered, office hours, legal fees, list of requirements, and other frequently asked questions. You can also provide quick case updates as well as reminders for appointments via the push notification feature of messaging apps to ensure that clients are consistently informed. By having a chatbot, you can deliver effective client communication and make way for more client-centric experiences.
7. Generating Legal Documents
Lastly, chatbots are effective tools for collecting customer information. You can connect your chatbot to a dashboard or database system and use it to generate reports and legal briefs to help lawyers save time on processing paperwork. You can also upload contracts, NDAs, and other legal documents that clients can sign through your chatbot. More importantly, no need to worry about privacy and security as all data generated by your chatbot is encrypted.
Ultimately, chatbots can make lawyers’ lives undeniably easier and make your law firm more profitable. Not only can a chatbot help your law firm become more accessible and constantly available to clients but it can also help you generate and qualify leads, onboard and communicate with clients, and process legal documents more efficiently while saving time and money. Get a chatbot for your law firm today! Alfafusion is the Philippines’ pioneer chatbot solutions provider for big brands and enterprises. Book a bot demo with us!