AI Receptionist for Law Firms
Johnni answers every new client enquiry the moment it arrives, runs your intake questions, takes the names a conflict check needs, and books the consultation before the caller works their way down the search results to the next firm.
Plans start at $44/mo No contract.
Why legal enquiries are won by whoever answers
People ring a lawyer when something has gone wrong. They call several firms, and most retain the first one that takes them seriously.
Callers ring three firms before lunch
A new matter goes to the first firm that answers, not necessarily the best one.
Johnni answers every new enquiry immediately and books the consultation before the caller moves on.
Intake takes fee earner time
Taking details from new callers pulls lawyers away from billable work.
It runs your intake questions and captures the names you need for a conflict check.
Some callers want advice on the phone
People ask for legal advice that only a lawyer should give.
It never gives legal advice. It takes the details, explains the next step and books the consultation.
Existing clients need a different path
Clients chasing updates get mixed in with new enquiries.
It recognises existing clients and routes them to their lawyer or takes a detailed message.
Legal work is bought in a state of stress.
Somebody who has just been served, had an accident or separated from their partner does not shop carefully. They ring the first few firms they find and retain whichever one answers properly and sounds like it can help.
Which means the firm that lets the call go to voicemail at 5:15pm has usually lost the matter, no matter how good it is. The enquiry does not come back. It has already been booked somewhere else.
An AI receptionist that handles intake your way
Johnni asks what your intake form asks, keeps within the boundaries you set and books the consultation.
- Answers every call 24/7 in your firm’s name
- Runs your intake questions for each practice area
- Captures the names you need for a conflict check before booking
- Books consultations into the right lawyer’s calendar
- Routes existing clients and takes detailed messages
- Never gives legal advice, only the next step
What it will do, and what it will not.
It will not
- Give legal advice, and it says so if asked
- Decide a conflict check. A person does that
- Confirm or discuss an existing client’s matter
- Guess at costs beyond your published fee information
It will
- Answer at 9pm on a Saturday, when enquiries actually arrive
- Run your intake questions by practice area
- Escalate a caller in crisis on your rules, immediately
- Book the consultation while they are still on the line
It asks what your intake form asks.
Matter type
Family, criminal, personal injury, employment, conveyancing, commercial, or wills and estates. Routed to the right practice area rather than a general callback queue.
The names a conflict check needs
The caller’s full name and the other parties. Johnni captures them so somebody can run the check before a consultation is confirmed. It captures, it does not decide.
Dates that matter
Court dates, limitation periods, settlement dates, anything already served. A matter with a date on it is flagged rather than left in a queue.
The right consultation
A fifteen minute initial phone call and a one hour paid conference are different appointments in different diaries. Johnni books the right one with the right lawyer.
Served on a Friday evening.
I have just been served with papers and I do not know what to do.
I can help you get in front of the right person. Can I ask what the papers relate to, so I book you with the right lawyer?
It is my ex. Something about the house and the kids.
Okay, that is a family law matter. Is there a date on the papers, a court date or a date you have to respond by?
It says 21 days.
Thank you, that matters and I will flag it. Can I take your full name, and the full name of your former partner? That is so the firm can check there is no conflict before we confirm.
Sure, it is Daniel Reid, and she is Melissa Reid.
Thanks Daniel. Rachel handles family matters and has Monday at 9:30 for an initial consultation. I will book that and text you the confirmation now. If anything changes over the weekend, reply to that text.
Not every call is a new matter.
| The caller | What Johnni does | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Existing client, sensitive matter | Takes a message, confirms nothing | Confidentiality intact |
| Court registry or opposing solicitor | Takes the message and the matter reference | Routed to the right lawyer |
| Caller in distress | Follows your escalation rules straight away | A person, now |
| Fee question | Gives published fee information only | No guessing about costs |
| After-hours new enquiry | Intake, conflict names, consultation booked | Retained before Monday |
Works with the systems your firm already uses
Google Calendar is included on every plan. CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce, and practice software with an API, connect as a custom integration.
If your software has an API, Johnni can usually work with it. Ask us about yours.
A tax and accounting firm runs its front desk through Johnni.
There is no law firm case study on the site yet. The closest is a professional practice that books new client appointments from the call. A small tax and accounting practice put Johnni on its main line. Every call is answered, new client enquiries are captured in full and existing clients are routed to the right person.
Simple plans. No lock-in contract.
Start with phone answering, then add your website and follow-up calls when you need them.
Phone
24/7 answering, Google Calendar bookings, warm transfers and your full call history.
60 minutes included, then 50c a minute
Phone and website
Everything in Pay As You Go, plus a website assistant your visitors can type or talk to.
200 minutes included, then 45c a minute
Phone, website and follow-ups
Adds outbound calls: new lead callbacks, quote follow-ups and reminders.
600 minutes included, then 40c a minute
Every plan has a 7 day free trial and no lock-in contract. Pay annually and plans start at $44 a month. Growth ($899) covers bigger call volumes. Outbound calling is included from Starter, or add it to Pay As You Go or Solo for a one-off $750. SMS confirmations are a $50 a month add-on, and job software connections are quoted to your setup. See full pricing
Frequently asked questions
Will it give legal advice?
No. It is set up explicitly not to and says so if asked. It answers questions about the firm, the practice areas, your consultation process and published fee arrangements, and it books the appointment. Anything that is actual advice goes to a lawyer.
Can it run a conflict check?
It captures what a check needs, the caller’s full name and the other parties, and passes them through. The check itself is a decision for a person in your firm.
What about confidentiality?
Calls are recorded and transcribed into your portal and that data stays yours. For existing clients Johnni takes a message rather than discussing matter details, and you set exactly what it may say.
Does it handle after-hours enquiries?
Yes, and that is where most firms see the return. Legal enquiries arrive in the evening and at the weekend because that is when people deal with a problem they have been avoiding. Those calls currently go to voicemail at most firms and rarely come back.
Can it book different consultation types?
Yes. It books the right appointment type into the right lawyer’s diary based on the matter type.
How much does it cost?
Plans start at $49 a month plus GST, or $44 a month paid annually, up to $899 for the highest call volumes. Every plan includes a set number of calls and minutes, then a per minute rate, with a 7 day free trial and no lock-in contract.
Answer the enquiry before the next firm does.
Seven days free. Give it your intake questions and your practice areas, then ring it after hours.
Plans from $49 a month plus GST, or $44 paid annually. No lock-in contract.