Law firms on email: fast intake and admin, with every legal question left to a lawyer
Most law firms get the same emails every week: do you handle this kind of case, how much is a will, can I book a consultation, has my completion date been set. Answering them quickly wins work, but each one pulls a lawyer or a secretary away from a file. An AI agent can handle the intake and admin side from your own mailbox, using notes you write. It never gives legal advice, and it never asks for the details of someone's matter before your firm has agreed to act. This playbook shows where that line sits, what to put in the notes, and how to start with drafts you review.
Why email is where enquiries land
People who need a lawyer often write before they call. They find you through a search, a referral or a directory, and send an email in the evening when they finally have a moment. Whoever replies first, clearly and kindly, is often the firm they choose.
Existing clients email too, mostly about admin: dates, documents, invoices and "what happens next?". Those emails matter to the client, but most of them do not need a lawyer to answer. An AI agent can reply from your file notes and diary, and leave the legal work to the people qualified to do it.
Where the line sits
The agent does intake and admin only. It never tells anyone what the law says, what their chances are, what they should do or how long they have. Even a friendly "that sounds like a strong claim" can be read as advice, so the agent should not comment on a matter at all.
It also asks for as little as possible. Before your firm has checked for conflicts and agreed to act, the agent collects contact details and the broad area of law, and asks people not to send the story or documents yet. Your lawyers decide what to ask next. That keeps confidential details out of the inbox until your firm is ready for them.
What customers ask on Email
- Do you handle employment disputes, and do you see clients in person?
- How much do you charge for a will, or for buying a house?
- Can I book an initial consultation, and is there a fee?
- What do I need to bring to my first appointment?
- Has a completion date been set on my purchase yet?
- How do I pay my invoice?
- I have received court papers, what should I do?
An example conversation
This illustration shows a new enquiry that arrives late in the evening. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Daniel | Hello, my landlord is refusing to return my deposit and has now said I damaged the flat, which isn't true. I have photos and emails. Can you help, and what are my options? |
| AI agent | Thank you for getting in touch, Daniel. We do handle landlord and tenant matters. A solicitor will need to check a few things before we can discuss your situation, so please don't send any further details or documents yet. |
| AI agent | Could you reply with your phone number and the best time to call? Our first consultations are 30 minutes and cost £95. Tuesday at 11:00 or Thursday at 3:30 are free if you would like to book one now. |
| Daniel | Thursday 3:30 works. 07700 900123, any time after 2. |
| AI agent | Booked for Thursday at 3:30 with Sarah Hughes. She will call you before then to confirm a few details. You will get a confirmation email shortly. |
What the agent answers
- Saying which areas of law you cover, and which you do not, from your list.
- Your fixed fees, how consultations work and what they cost.
- Booking consultations into the right lawyer's calendar.
- Telling new clients what identity documents to bring, from your checklist.
- Confirming that documents or payments have arrived, from your file notes.
- Admin updates from the file, such as whether a date is set, in words a lawyer has already approved.
What it always hands to you
- Any question about the law, someone's rights or options, or what they should do next.
- Court papers, deadlines and anything that sounds urgent, flagged to a lawyer at once.
- Conflict checks, engagement letters and the decision to take on a client.
- Any request to change bank details, payment instructions or where money is sent.
- Complaints about the firm, its fees or a lawyer.
- Anyone who seems distressed, unsafe or at risk.
Ask for less, not more
It is tempting to have the agent collect the whole story so a lawyer has everything at once. Resist it. Until your firm has checked for conflicts and agreed to act, the agent should ask only for a name, contact details and the broad area of law, and politely ask people not to send details or documents yet.
The Email limits that matter here
| Limit | Spaces limit per Email account |
|---|---|
| Messages | Up to 80 a day |
| Gap between messages | At least 30 seconds |
| New conversations you start | 8 an hour, 40 a day |
A new chat here is a new email thread. Replies on a thread someone started are not held back by the warm-up. Spaces sends one email at a time to one person, never bulk email.
Set it up in an afternoon
- Write an intake note: areas of law, fees, consultation rules, ID checklist, and the questions the agent must never answer. There is an example below.
- Ask the partner responsible for compliance to read and approve the note, especially the wording for new enquiries.
- Connect your enquiries mailbox in Spaces. You sign in to Gmail or Outlook through a secure link and approve the connection, or enter your mail server details for any other mailbox.
- Connect your AI agent using the steps for your client on our agents page, and give it the note and the lawyers' calendars.
- Start with drafts. If approvals are turned on for your workspace, replies wait for you to approve them; if not, ask the agent to save each reply as a draft or show it to you before it sends.
- Turn on sending for simple replies, such as booking confirmations, once the drafts read right. Keep anything else as drafts for longer.
- Tell the agent to answer during office hours in its notes, or pause sending when the office closes. Reminders you schedule can carry working hours of their own.
The intake note your agent works from
A short, firm note does most of the work. Write it the way you would brief a new receptionist who must never be drawn into a legal conversation.
FIRM NOTE (example)
We cover: residential property, wills and probate, landlord and
tenant, employment (for employees only).
We do not cover: criminal, immigration, family. Say so kindly and
suggest they look for a specialist firm.
Fees: wills from £250. Purchase conveyancing quoted on request.
First consultation: 30 minutes, £95, by phone or in the office.
NEW ENQUIRIES - ask only for:
- name, phone number, best time to call
- the broad area (for example 'landlord and tenant')
Then say: 'A solicitor will need to check a few things before we can
discuss your situation, so please don't send any further details or
documents yet.'
ID for new clients: passport or driving licence, and a recent
utility bill or bank statement.
NEVER: comment on a matter, say what the law is, what someone
should do, how long they have, or how likely they are to win.
Flag at once to the duty solicitor: court papers, deadlines,
anything urgent, anyone at risk.
Never act on a change of bank or payment details. Flag it.What intake should collect, and what it should not
| Fine for the agent to ask | Leave to a lawyer |
|---|---|
| Name, phone number and email | The facts of the dispute or matter |
| The broad area of law | Names of other people involved, until your firm decides to ask |
| How they heard about the firm | Documents, photos and correspondence |
| A preferred time for a call or consultation | Anything about money, health or family circumstances |
| Whether they are an existing client | What outcome they want and what they have already tried |
A second example: an existing client asking for an update
Status emails are where an agent saves the most time, as long as it only repeats what the file already says. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Mrs Clarke | Good morning. Do we have a completion date yet, and is there anything else you need from me? |
| AI agent | Good morning, Mrs Clarke. A completion date has not been agreed yet. We are waiting for the seller's solicitor to reply to our enquiries, and Ben will update you as soon as they do. We have everything we need from you for now. |
| Mrs Clarke | Thank you. Should I be worried about the delay? |
| AI agent | I have passed your question to Ben, who is handling your purchase, and he will reply to you personally today. |
The agent answered the status question from the file and stopped the moment the client asked for a view. Ben picks up a real question with the context already in the thread.
Payment details and fraud
Law firms handle client money, which makes them a target for emails that ask to change bank details. The agent must never act on such a request, never confirm bank details by email, and never send payment instructions that are not already on the file.
Tell it to flag any email about changed details, urgent transfers or new accounts to a named person, who checks by phone using a number already on the file. Put the same warning in your own email footer so clients know what to expect.
What if...?
| If | Tell the agent to |
|---|---|
| Someone mentions court papers or a deadline | Say a solicitor will contact them today, flag it to the duty solicitor at once, and say nothing about time limits. |
| The enquiry is in an area you do not cover | Say so kindly, and suggest they look for a firm that specialises in it. |
| An enquirer asks "do I have a case?" | Say only a solicitor can advise, and offer a consultation. |
| Someone seems frightened or at risk | Reply kindly, say a person will be in touch, and hand over at once. |
| A client asks to change where money is sent | Do nothing with the request and flag it to be checked by phone. |
Common mistakes
- Letting the agent sound helpful about the law. Even "you should be fine" reads as advice.
- Asking enquirers for the full story before a conflict check. Ask for contact details and the area of law only.
- Skipping the drafts stage. A few weeks of reviewing drafts shows you how the agent writes before clients see it.
- Sending the same email to a whole list. Spaces sends one email at a time to one person, and it is not for newsletters or marketing campaigns.
Who you message
In short
For a law firm, an AI agent on email is a careful helper for intake and admin. It answers enquiries quickly, books consultations, tells clients what to bring and confirms what has arrived. It never gives legal advice, never asks for the details of a matter before your firm is ready, and flags anything urgent to a lawyer at once.
Write the note, have it approved, start with drafts and read them for a few weeks. Spaces sends one email at a time inside your mailbox's limits, at least 30 seconds apart and no more than 80 a day, but Google and Microsoft can still restrict accounts that look like bulk senders, so keep it to real enquiries and your own clients.
Pricing
FAQ
Is it appropriate for a law firm to use an AI agent on email?
For intake and admin, many firms find it useful, as long as it never gives advice. Check your own regulator's and professional body's guidance on client communication and confidentiality before you start. Keep a lawyer responsible for everything the agent is allowed to say.
Can it run conflict checks?
No. The decision to act for someone, and the checks behind it, stay with your firm. The agent's job is to collect contact details and the broad area of law, so a person can start those checks quickly.
What if an enquirer sends documents anyway?
Tell the agent to thank them, not comment on the contents, and pass the email to the lawyer your note names. It should repeat the request not to send more until a solicitor has been in touch.
Can I review replies before they go?
Yes. Approvals are being turned on workspace by workspace; with them on, replies wait for you to approve. Until then, ask your agent to save each reply as a draft, or to show it to you before sending.
Does it work with Gmail and Outlook?
Yes. You sign in to Gmail or Outlook through a secure link, or enter your mail server details for any other mailbox. Replies go from your own address, in the same thread, so clients see nothing new.
What happens to urgent emails at night?
Tell the agent in its notes how to handle them: usually a short reply saying a solicitor will be in touch, and an immediate flag to whoever is on duty. If you pause sending overnight, make sure your website and voicemail say how to reach you urgently.
Can it chase clients for ID or signed documents?
Yes, one personal email at a time, to clients who expect to hear from you. A note that names the missing item works better than a general reminder. If a client replies or asks you to stop, the reminders stop.