The New-Enquiry Phone Script Every Law Firm Needs

17 August 2026·5 min read

Quick answer: The person who answers your phones is either winning new clients or quietly losing them — often within the first thirty seconds. A good intake script greets the caller warmly, asks a handful of qualifying questions, shows real empathy without giving legal advice on the phone, and closes by locking in a consult time. Steal the script below and start using it on your very next call. 📱

Here's the bit nobody likes to hear: you can spend thousands getting your phone to ring — Google Ads, SEO, referrals, the lot — and still lose the client in the first two minutes. Not because your firm isn't any good. Because whoever picked up wasn't trained for that exact moment. Someone rings mid-panic after a smash on the highway, or mid-tears because their ex just moved out, and gets a flat “can I take a message” instead of a human who sounds like they've got this handled. That caller hangs up and dials the next firm on their list. This script exists to stop that 💖

What most law firms get wrong on the phone

Whoever happens to be free answers the phone, with no training and no script
Sounding brisk or transactional with someone who's genuinely mid-crisis
Quoting fees or timelines before anyone actually understands the matter
Letting new-enquiry calls ring out to voicemail during business hours
Firing off five questions in a row so it feels like an interrogation, not a conversation

The copy-paste new-enquiry phone script

1. Opening
“Good morning/afternoon, [Firm Name], this is [Name] speaking — how can I help you today?”

2. Let them talk first
Don't interrupt with questions. Let the caller explain what's happened in their own words for the first minute.

3. Acknowledge
“Thank you for calling us about this. I can hear this has been a lot, and I want to make sure you're talking to the right person.”

4. Empathy lines (use naturally, not all in one breath)
“I'm really sorry you're dealing with this.” / “Take your time, there's no rush.” / “You've done the right thing calling.”

5. Qualifying questions (one at a time)
“Can I grab your full name and best contact number?” / “Roughly when did this happen?” / “Have you spoken with any other lawyers about it?” / “Is there a deadline we should know about — a court date, an insurance cut-off, anything like that?”

6. The no-advice line — every single time
“I'm not a lawyer myself, so I can't advise on that over the phone, but I can get you booked in with [Solicitor], who specialises in exactly this.”

7. The close
“I've got [day] at [time] free, or [alternative] — which suits you better?” Confirm it in writing straight after you hang up.

Family law firm: Caller is sobbing, her partner left three days ago, she doesn't know where to start. Skip straight to qualifying questions here — it'll land cold. Let her talk uninterrupted for the first minute, stack two empathy lines together, then steer gently: “Would it help to get you in with one of our family lawyers this week, just to talk through where things stand?” Save the questions about children or property until she's calmer.

Personal injury firm: Fresh accident, often just days old, caller still shaken. Add one extra question early: “Have you lodged anything with your insurer or CTP yet, or spoken to anyone else about this?” — it tells you how urgent the callback is. Never estimate a payout or say “you've got a good case” on the phone; use the no-advice line and get them into a consult fast. PI callers often ring three firms in one afternoon, so offer a same-day slot if you can.

Commercial/conveyancing firm: This caller is usually calmer and wants speed, not empathy lines — a settlement date is the real pressure point. Swap the acknowledgement for efficiency: “Thanks for calling — can I grab the contract date and property address?” Ask about timeframes early so urgent files get flagged, and give some indication of cost or scope where your firm's policy allows it — transactional callers expect clarity on price up front, not a dodge.

Turning the script into a habit

The words on the page are half the job — the rest is what happens around them. Everyone who might pick up your phone, not just the newest hire, needs to know this script exists and where to find it. Run it as a role-play in your next team meeting, with someone playing a distressed caller, until the empathy lines stop sounding read off a page. Log every enquiry straight away — name, matter type, urgency, callback time — in a shared sheet or your CRM, so nothing falls through the cracks between reception and the solicitor who needs to follow up. And set a hard rule: no new-enquiry call goes to voicemail during business hours if there's any way to avoid it.

💡 Heads up: A script taped to the reception desk doesn't change anything on its own. Your team needs to actually practise it out loud — role-play an upset caller, get comfortable with the pauses — or it'll sound stiff and read-from-a-page, which defeats the whole point.

Mistakes that quietly cost you the client

Quoting fees before you understand what the matter actually involves
Treating the no-advice line as a brush-off instead of a bridge to the consult
Not sending written confirmation straight after the call while it's still fresh
Leaving a distressed caller on hold with no update on what's happening

Frequently asked questions

Should reception mention fees straight away?

Not before they understand the matter. A quick “I'll get you the right information on cost once we know a bit more” holds the caller without sounding evasive, and the fee conversation happens properly at the consult.

What if the caller pushes for advice on the spot?

Stick to the no-advice line, every time. Redirect warmly: “That's exactly what [Solicitor] will talk you through at your consult — I want to make sure you get the right answer, not a guess from me.”

Can a script alone fix a firm that's slow to call people back?

Honestly, no. If your intake team sounds brilliant on the phone but consults don't happen for a week, or voicemails sit unreturned for days, the script won't save you — callers move on. The script gets the conversation right; your follow-up process has to back it up.

Who should actually be trained on this?

Anyone who might answer the phone — not just your dedicated intake person. Reception, paralegals, whoever covers lunch. A caller doesn't care who picks up; they just remember how it felt.