AI for professional firms: faster first replies, and advice only from professionals
A small accountancy practice or law firm loses work in a quiet way. A prospective client sends an enquiry, waits two days for a reply while the partners are in meetings, and instructs someone else. Existing clients chase the same things: did you get my form, where do I send my receipts, when is the deadline. An AI agent can reply to all of those quickly on email, WhatsApp and LinkedIn, book a first call and keep the document chase moving. It must never give advice, because in these professions advice carries liability. This guide covers the whole firm, across every channel.
What clients and prospects ask
- Do you help small businesses with year-end accounts?
- How much is an initial consultation?
- Can we meet next week?
- Where do I send my documents?
- Have you received my signed form?
- When is my self-assessment deadline?
- Can I claim my car as an expense?
Most of these are about the firm, not the client's affair: what you do, what you charge for a first meeting, how to book, where to send things. Those have answers you can write down once. The last kind, "can I claim this" or "do I have a case", is advice, even when it sounds like a quick question. The whole set-up is built around keeping that line clear.
Document chasing is the hidden workload. Every return, completion or engagement waits on something from the client, and the polite reminder is easy to forget. An agent can send it to clients who are expecting it and log what comes back.
An example conversation
This illustration shows a new enquiry by email, written as a chat for clarity. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Sam | Hi, I run a small café and my bookkeeper has retired. Do you do year-end accounts for sole traders? |
| AI agent | Hi Sam, thank you for getting in touch. Yes, we prepare year-end accounts and tax returns for sole traders, including many hospitality businesses. Our first 30-minute call is free. Could you tell me roughly your annual turnover and your year-end date, so the right person takes the call? |
| Sam | About £180k, year end is March. |
| AI agent | Thank you. Here is our booking link for a call with Helen, one of our partners: [link]. Is there anything you would like her to look at first, such as last year's accounts? |
| Sam | I can send last year's. Also can I claim my van? |
| AI agent | Please attach last year's accounts here. Helen will go through expenses like your van on the call, as that depends on your circumstances. |
| → Note for Helen: new prospect, sole trader café, turnover about £180k, March year end, asks about van expenses |
Outcome: a booked first call within minutes of the enquiry. The agent took the details that help the partner prepare, collected a document and declined the advice question kindly, without guessing.
A second example: chasing a document
This illustration shows a reminder to an existing client who expects it. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| AI agent | Hi Anna, a reminder from Fieldhouse Accountants: we still need your P60 for last year to finish your tax return. You can reply here with a photo or attach it to this email. |
| Anna | Sorry! Attached now. |
| AI agent | Thank you, Anna, we've received it. Helen will be in touch if anything else is needed. |
| → P60 saved to Anna's file and noted for Helen |
The reminder went to a client with an open job who agreed to hear from the firm. The agent confirmed receipt and left any follow-up questions to the professional.
What the agent handles, and what goes to your team
The agent can handle:
- What the firm does, who it helps and what a first meeting costs
- Sharing your booking link and taking first details for a call
- Where and how to send documents, and confirming they have arrived
- Reminders about documents and deadlines, for clients who expect them
- Office hours, location and parking
It should pass these to a person, and then stay out of the chat:
- Every question that needs advice, however small it sounds
- Quotes for work beyond your published fees
- Anything about a dispute, a complaint or a fee query
- New matters that may raise a conflict of interest, until a person has checked
- Anything a client marks as urgent, such as a court date or an HMRC letter
The rules that matter in professional services
- No advice, ever. The agent answers questions about the firm, not about the client's tax, legal position or business.
- Do not treat a chat as an engagement. Taking details and booking a call does not make someone a client; your engagement letter does that.
- Check for conflicts before discussing a matter. The agent takes names and passes them to a person to check.
- Keep confidential documents where they belong. Your agent can download attachments from the chat for your file, but agree with clients which channel is right for sensitive papers.
Your regulator and professional body set rules about advice, client care and confidentiality. Check what they say about messaging apps and AI, and write anything that applies into the agent's note.
Which channels to connect
| Channel | Who uses it | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Most prospects and clients, for enquiries and documents | The main channel for almost every firm; one email to one person | |
| Small-business clients sending receipts and quick questions | Agree with clients what is suitable to send this way | |
| Business owners and referrers who message you directly | Replies to people who wrote in only; LinkedIn restricts automation |
Start with the enquiry mailbox. You connect it by signing in to Gmail or Outlook, or with your mail server details. Spaces sends one email at a time to one person, which is how client email should work anyway.
The notes to give your agent
Here is an example note for a small accountancy practice. Names and details are examples.
You answer messages for Fieldhouse Accountants by email, WhatsApp
and LinkedIn. We help sole traders, partnerships and small limited
companies with year-end accounts, tax returns, VAT and payroll.
First call: 30 minutes, free, with a partner. Booking link: [link].
Office: 3 Mill Lane, open Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm.
Documents: clients can attach them to an email or send a photo here.
For a new enquiry, take: name, type of business, rough turnover,
year-end date and what they need. Share the booking link.
Pass every name to Helen to check for conflicts before discussing
any detail.
Never give tax, accounting, legal or business advice, even if asked
directly. Reply: "That depends on your circumstances, so Helen will
go through it with you." Do not guess at deadlines for a particular
client; general deadlines are listed below.
Only send reminders to clients with an open job who agreed to hear
from us. Fee queries and complaints go to Helen.
Sign off as "Fieldhouse Accountants".Wording that works
| Situation | Weaker reply | Better reply |
|---|---|---|
| "Can I claim my van?" | "Yes, vans are usually allowable." | "That depends on your circumstances, so Helen will go through it with you on the call." |
| "Do I have a case?" | "It sounds like you do." | "A solicitor needs to look at the details. Here is the link to book a first call." |
| "How much will my accounts cost?" | "Around £500." | "It depends on the size of the business. Our first call is free, and Helen will give you a fixed quote after it." |
| Enquiry on Friday evening | Reply on Tuesday | "Thank you for getting in touch. Here is our booking link for next week, and we'll confirm your call on Monday morning." |
Set it up step by step
- Write down what you do, who for, what a first meeting costs and how to book it.
- Write the advice rule in one sentence, with the exact reply the agent uses.
- Decide which first details help the person taking the call, and which details you do not want in a chat.
- Add Spaces to the AI agent you already use. The agents page has the steps for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and others; you sign in through your browser and approve the connection. Chat apps such as Claude or ChatGPT act when you ask them in a chat, so for replies around the clock use an always-on agent such as Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw or Hermes.
- Connect the enquiry mailbox first, then WhatsApp or LinkedIn if clients use them.
- Test with a colleague: an enquiry, a document, an advice question and a complaint.
- Read every conversation for the first two weeks with the partner who owns client care.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Letting the agent answer "quick" technical questions. In these professions there is no such thing as harmless advice.
- Quoting fees for work nobody has scoped.
- Sending deadline reminders to everyone on the mailing list. Reminders are for clients who expect them; newsletters belong in an email marketing tool.
- Discussing a matter before a conflict check.
What if...
| If this happens | What the agent should do |
|---|---|
| A prospect describes a legal problem in detail | Thank them, say a solicitor will review it, share the booking link and hand over. |
| A client has an HMRC letter with a deadline | Ask them to attach it, mark the chat urgent and hand over. |
| Someone asks about another client | Say it cannot share details about other people. |
| A client is unhappy with a bill | Apologise once, say the partner will reply and hand over. |
| The other side of a dispute writes in | Do not engage. Hand over to the solicitor at once. |
Checklist before you go live
- The advice rule and its reply are in the note, and the agent follows them in a test.
- Conflict checks happen before any detail is discussed.
- First-meeting price and booking link match your website.
- Reminders are limited to clients with an open job who agreed to hear from you.
Where to start
Start with first replies to new enquiries in the main mailbox. That is where slow replies cost most work. Add document chasing once the team trusts the hand-over.
Advice always stays with your professionals, however good the agent becomes. While you build trust, ask your AI agent to hold replies as drafts, and nothing goes out until you approve it.
Who you message
Pricing
FAQ
Will the agent give advice?
It should not, and your note should say so in plain words with the reply it uses instead. It takes details, books calls and handles admin, and every question of advice goes to a professional.
Can clients send documents in the chat?
Yes. Your agent can download attachments from the chat for your file. Agree with clients which channel suits sensitive papers, and follow your regulator's guidance.
Does a chat with the agent create a client relationship?
That is for your firm and your rules, not the agent, so make it clear in your note and your replies that the first call and your engagement letter are where the relationship starts. Check your professional body's guidance.
Can we use LinkedIn for this?
For replies to people who message you, yes, but read LinkedIn's rules first, because they restrict automation. Spaces is not for cold outreach to people who have not contacted you.
Can the agent book calls in our diary?
If your AI agent can reach your calendar or booking tool through its own connection. Most firms simply share a booking link, which works without any extra set-up.
Can it send deadline reminders?
Yes, to clients with open work who expect to hear from you. Reminders to a whole list are a campaign, and that is not what Spaces is for.
What happens when a chat is handed to a partner?
The client stays in the same conversation and Spaces marks it as taken over by a person. The agent sends nothing more there until it is handed back.