An AI assistant for small law firms
A small law firm's phone rings all day with questions that are not legal questions. What does a will cost? Is the first meeting free? Do you do traffic matters? What do I bring? A receptionist answers them between everything else, and after 5pm nobody does. Botsmith answers those questions from the pages your firm has already published, and draws a hard line at anything that would be legal advice.
What people actually ask a law firm's website
| The question | What the assistant does with it |
|---|---|
| "How much is a simple will?" | Quotes the fixed fee you publish, says whether GST is included, and notes that disbursements are extra if your site says so. |
| "Is the first appointment free?" | Repeats your first-appointment terms: length, cost, and whether it can be by phone or video. |
| "Do you handle criminal matters?" | Says plainly which areas you do and do not practise, and points to the referral service you name. |
| "What should I bring?" | Lists the identification and documents your intake page asks for. |
| "How long does conveyancing take?" | Describes the steps as your conveyancing page sets them out, without predicting a date for this buyer. |
| "Should I contest the will?" | Declines. It says this needs a solicitor who knows the facts, and offers the booking number. |
The last row matters most. A support bot on a law firm's site is only safe if it is useless on purpose for one category of question.
Try it on a sample firm
The assistant below belongs to Kingsford Lane Legal, a firm we made up for this page. The fees, the address, the phone number and the people are invented. Ask what a will or conveyancing costs, whether they are open on Saturday, or whether they can help with a speeding fine. Then ask it for advice on a dispute and watch it refuse.
Keeping it on the right side of legal advice
Botsmith answers only from the content you give it, and says it is not sure rather than filling a gap. On its own that is not enough for a law firm, so you add a standing instruction, in plain English, that applies to every reply the moment you save it. The one the demo firm uses reads, in part: never give legal advice, never say what someone should do about their own matter, never estimate the outcome or value of a claim, and send anything about a specific matter, deadline or court date to a person.
Two more lines are worth adding for most firms:
- Conflict checks come first. Tell it that the firm cannot discuss a matter with anyone until a conflict check is done. It will then explain why it will not engage with the details, which is true, rather than seeming evasive.
- Payment redirection warnings. Conveyancing is a target for emails that pretend to come from the firm with new bank details. If your site already warns clients about this, the assistant will repeat the warning when someone asks how to pay. The demo firm's does.
What it will not do for you
- It does not connect to your practice management software, your trust account or your document system. Enquiries arrive by email with the full conversation, and nothing is written into your matter records.
- It does not book appointments into a calendar. It gives the number or the booking link from your site.
- It does not know anything that is not in your published pages or the files you upload. If your fee schedule lives only in a PDF, upload the PDF.
- It cannot see the status of anyone's file, and it should never be allowed to guess one.
Setting it up for a firm
- Create a bot with your firm's website address. Botsmith reads your public pages, usually within minutes.
- Upload anything clients ask about that is not on the site: a fixed-fee schedule, a client intake checklist, a conveyancing information sheet.
- Paste your standing instructions: no advice, conflict checks, which matters go to a person, how to pay safely.
- Ask it the ten questions your receptionist hears most, in the dashboard preview. Fix the page, not the bot, when an answer is wrong.
- Add the script to your site, or put the chat link on your contact page. Our WordPress guide and Wix guide take a few minutes.
What it costs
A single-office firm with one website fits Starter at US$19 a month, which is one bot and 2,000 messages a month. A firm with several practice areas on separate sites, or several offices, can take Pro at US$49 a month for five bots and 10,000 messages. There is a 14-day trial with no card. Deciding between tools first? See how Botsmith compares with Chatbase or a full help desk such as Zendesk, and read how to write instructions for a support bot before you go live.
Frequently asked questions
Will the chatbot give legal advice to our clients?
Not if you tell it not to, and you should. Botsmith answers only from your published pages and uploaded files, and a standing instruction such as never give legal advice and send anything about a specific matter to a person applies to every reply as soon as you save it.
Does it connect to our practice management software?
No. Botsmith does not connect to practice management, trust accounting or document systems, and it does not book into a calendar. When a visitor leaves their details you get an email with the whole conversation, and the conversation is kept in your dashboard.
Can it tell a client how their matter is going?
No, and it should not try. It cannot see anyone's file. Set an instruction that questions about the status of a matter go to the office, and it will give your phone number or booking link instead of guessing.
How much does it cost for a small firm?
Starter is US$19 a month for one bot and 2,000 messages a month, which suits a single office with one website. Pro is US$49 a month for five bots and 10,000 messages. There is a 14-day trial with no card needed.
Sources
- Botsmith pricing — checked 21 September 2026