Why Your International Law Firm Needs an Answering Service

The words “international law” conjure up images of treaties signed at sea, legal negotiations to end hostilities between nations, and more. The truth is that international law firms can represent clients in an incredibly broad range of situations, including:

• International security

• Treaty negotiations

• Prisoner of war swaps

• Security council matters/security law

• Military cooperation

• Diplomacy

• International intellectual property law

• International taxation

• International nonprofit operations

International law firms might be employed on behalf of national governments, international businesses, nonprofit organizations, and many others. In many cases, working with clients and conducting due diligence requires legal teams to travel. That can mean missed phone calls, late replies to emails, and missed opportunities to secure other clients. A legal answering service may be the solution you need to these issues.

How a legal answering service changes the paradigm for international law firms

Tired of missing calls? Sick of potential clients not leaving voicemails? Struggling to reply to emails within a reasonable time? You’re not alone. Most law firms find these challenging, but international law firms in particular face issues here simply due to the amount of time team members must spend out of the office or communicating with clients in drastically different time zones. A legal answering service can deliver key capabilities that address these problems.

24/7 phone answering

International law firms can work with clients around the world. While that ensures you’re able to cast a wide net, it also means that you’ll be receiving calls at all hours of the day and night. If you don’t have a dedicated 24-hour receptionist in-house, then a significant number of those calls go to voicemail. And we all know that once that happens, there’s a very good chance you’ll never get in touch with the potential client again. 

With a legal answering service, your firm benefits from experienced virtual receptionists who answer calls 24 hours per day, seven days a week. That means you never need to worry about missing calls ever again. By capturing more leads, you’ll convert more clients, and build a more profitable law firm.

Lead screening and intake

International law is vast and varied. Some law firms focus on patent law, while others prefer to specialize in taxation or collaboration between governments. The problem is that potential clients often don’t realize your firm specializes in a particular area of international law, which can lead to a high number of calls and emails from organizations, agencies, and individuals you cannot help. Spending even a few minutes per phone call or email adds up to an immense waste of time and resources. 

With an experienced legal answering service, you can say goodbye to that waste and hello to recaptured billable hours, efficiency improvements, and productivity enhancements. Expert virtual receptionists pre-qualify each potential lead based on the criteria you provide. That ensures that your team members only spend time with leads who are the best fit for your firm. 

Blocking spam and sales calls

While your international legal team might spend minimal time in the office, how many sales calls do they field while doing so? How many spam calls do they answer? Spam calls in particular are on the rise, with billions of them made every year, particularly to businesses. And these calls aren’t just wastes of time and money. They can pose security risks in many instances. 

A legal answering service can provide spam and sales call blocking. For instance, Smith.ai uses a powerful, proprietary system to automatically detect and block over 20 million robocalls and spam callers. On the off chance that one is not blocked, our virtual receptionists stop the call from reaching your team members and then add the number to the block list. The upshot is that you’re able to recapture lost time and money and protect your firm against security issues while we handle spam and sales call blocking.

Appointment booking made simple

How complicated is your appointment booking process? If yours is like most international law firms, “complex” doesn’t begin to describe the contortions someone has to go through to get an appointment on the books. You must balance other appointments, travel needs, work/life balance requirements, and more. With a legal answering service, you can simplify that process.

Virtual receptionists can book appointments with new leads or existing clients directly on your calendar. That ensures other appointments are worked around. Plus, they will send automatic appointment reminders on your behalf to reduce late attendance and no-shows.

Get paid on time more often

If there’s one area where most international law firms struggle, it’s billing. Getting payment from governments, private businesses, and nonprofit organizations that might be located on the other side of the planet is never a simple process. Add in net payment terms and things become even more complicated. 

A law firm answering service can handle payment processing, billing, and even late payment collections for you. That frees up your team members to focus on more important matters, while an experienced virtual receptionist ensures that clients pay on time, and those who don’t are contacted and payments are processed immediately.

Fueling your law firm’s success

As our world becomes ever more interconnected, the need for experienced international legal teams grows exponentially. That need means your firm is very likely to see an influx of calls and emails from prospective clients. Working with an experienced legal answering service can offset that increase and ensure your team members can focus on mission-critical tasks.

Smith.ai’s virtual receptionists ensure that you never miss a call with around-the-clock service. We can also book appointments, handle payment collection, prevent spam and sales calls, offer bilingual service, and so much more.

To learn more, schedule a consultation or reach out to hello@smith.ai.

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