What a virtual receptionist costs a law firm.
Published prices run from about £45 a month for a basic human message-taking plan to £635 for 300 calls, with AI receptionists from £49. The cheaper question is the price. The harder ones are confidentiality, urgency and whether the caller is told the truth.
A law-firm call is not a generic call.
Whoever answers for a firm has to do four things well. Each one changes what you should pay for.
Know the practice areas
Conveyancing, probate, family, employment, litigation. The receptionist should recognise the matter from a lay description and route it, not just write "legal enquiry".
Spot the call that cannot wait
A client at a police station, an exchange deadline, a court date tomorrow. These need a person now. Everything else needs a prompt call-back.
Take enough, and no more
Name, number, matter type, urgency, best time to ring. A receptionist does not need the facts of the case, and should not ask for them.
Say what you are
Callers to a solicitor are often anxious. If the voice is an AI, it should say so when asked. Cora does.
What providers publish, checked 4 Nov 2026.
Only providers with a public price page are listed. Moneypenny (which lists a legal sector service) and Verbatim quote individually.
| Provider | Who answers | Monthly fee | Included | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Face for Business | Person | From £49 / £99 / £115 | Taster, Message Only, Inclusive Minutes | 90-day minimum term, then 30-day rolling |
| Pocket Receptionist | Person | £75 / £145 / £230 / £635 | 30 / 60 / 100 / 300 calls | £2.99 a call over; 08:00 to 20:00; month to month |
| AnswerConnect | Person | £45/month to get started | Plans behind a form | 24/7 |
| Smith.ai (US, dollars) | Person | $300 / $810 / $2,100 | 30 / 90 / 300 calls | $8.50 to $11.50 a call over; integrates with Clio |
| Moneypenny AI Receptionist | AI | "From £49" | Quote for details | 24/7 |
| Klyp Starter | AI (Cora) | £49 | 100 minutes | 24/7; takes every caller's details; summary to your team in 60 seconds; we set it up for you in about 10 minutes; keep your number |
| Klyp Growth | AI (Cora) | £99 | 500 minutes | Adds call-back booking, caller confirmation text, routing to the right person, urgent calls put through live; we set it up for you in about 10 minutes; keep your number |
| Klyp Pro | AI (Cora) | £149 | 1,000 minutes | Several numbers and offices, links to your case or client system, priority changes and support; we set it up for you in about 10 minutes; keep your number |
Prices checked 4 Nov 2026 on each provider's own public price page, linked in the table. Klyp: No VAT added. Other providers may add VAT; check each page. Prices in US dollars are shown as published and not converted. Prices change, so treat the table as a starting point, not a quote.
Five questions for any provider.
Where are call recordings and notes kept, and for how long?
SRA Code paragraph 6.3 puts confidentiality on you, not your supplier. Get the answer in writing.
What does the caller hear if they ask who they are talking to?
Being upfront that it's an AI fits the SRA's requirement not to mislead clients (Code of Conduct, paragraph 1.4). Klyp's Cora says she is an AI if asked.
What counts as urgent, and who gets told?
You should be able to name the triggers and the people. On Klyp you choose what counts as urgent; on Growth and Pro those calls are put through live.
What happens outside office hours?
Ask whether evenings and weekends are included or extra. Pocket Receptionist's plans run 08:00 to 20:00; Klyp answers at any hour.
What is the minimum term?
Terms range from none (Klyp, Pocket Receptionist month to month) to 90 days (Face for Business). Nobody should need a long contract to find out whether it works.
Ring Cora as if you were a client.
The demo line answers as a fictional firm. Tell her you have a court date on Friday and see what she does. Klyp's first month is free, there is no contract and no VAT is added.
Common questions.
How much does a virtual receptionist cost a small law firm?
On published UK prices checked 4 Nov 2026: human answering services from about £45 to £115 a month at entry level and £145 to £635 for 60 to 300 calls (Pocket Receptionist, Face for Business); AI receptionists from £49 a month (Moneypenny AI, Klyp Starter). Klyp's Growth plan, which includes call-back booking and live transfer of urgent calls, is £99 a month with no VAT added.
Is it safe for an AI to take details from clients?
The SRA Code requires you to keep client affairs confidential (paragraph 6.3). A receptionist, human or AI, only needs the caller's name, number, the kind of matter and how urgent it is. Ask any provider where call records are stored, how long for, and who can see them.
Will a caller be told they are speaking to an AI?
With Klyp, yes: Cora says she is an AI if asked. Being upfront that it's an AI fits the SRA's requirement not to mislead clients (Code of Conduct, paragraph 1.4), so an assistant that pretends to be a member of staff is a risk you do not need.
Can it tell an urgent call from a routine one?
Yes. You choose what counts as urgent: a client in custody, a completion that is stalling, a bereavement. On Klyp's Growth and Pro plans, Cora puts those calls through live. On every plan, she takes every caller's details and sends a summary to your team in 60 seconds.