The first reply
You'll be able to: approve a first reply that goes out within a minute, in the person's language, and sounds like your firm.
Speed matters more than polish on the first contact. Research on online sales inquiries found that companies that tried to reach a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify that lead as companies that waited longer than an hour (Oldroyd, McElheran and Elkington, Harvard Business Review, 2011). That study was about businesses generally, not law firms, but anyone who has lost a consult to the firm that called back first knows the shape of it.
The first reply is the automatic message sent the moment someone submits a form or texts the firm. It has one job: let the person know a real firm received their message and what happens next. A good first reply:
- Names the firm and the attorney. Required anyway: your messages should identify the firm.
- Says what happens next, with a time. "Attorney Rivera will call you by noon tomorrow" beats "We'll be in touch."
- Asks for one thing, if anything. The best time to call, for example.
- Promises nothing about the case. No "you may be entitled to compensation," no "we win," no "strong case." See Rule 4-7.13 on misleading statements.
- Fits on a phone screen.
An illustrative PI first reply: "This is the Law Office of Ana Rivera. We got your message. Attorney Rivera will call you tomorrow by 12 PM. If another time is better, reply with it."
Why does this not count as solicitation? Because the person contacted you first. Rule 4-7.18(b)(2) says the written-solicitation requirements do not apply to communications at a prospective client's request, and Rule 4-7.20 exempts requested communications from the Bar's filing requirement. That is why every LegalCRM sequence begins with the person's own inquiry.
The packs include first replies for each practice, in both languages. Your job is to read them, edit them into your voice, and approve them. Nothing sends until you approve it.
Do it in LegalCRM
- Open Automations and find the first-reply workflow in each of your three packs.
- Read the English and Spanish replies. Change the attorney name, the callback promise, and anything that does not sound like you.
- Approve each one.
- Submit a test form and time the reply on your phone.
Ask the Guide
Paste this into the AI guide, without client names or matter facts:
"Here is my first reply for [practice]: [paste]. Make it shorter and clearer, keep the firm name, and remove anything that predicts a result."