Retainer-first criminal intake

Criminal calls need urgency, court routing, and retainer qualification.

LegalVoice separates court calls, existing clients, referrals, and new defendants before it starts intake, so a criminal defense lawyer does not waste paid attorney time on the wrong calls.

Build this call flow About LegalVoice

Retainer qualification before consults

Court calls routed out of intake

Fast disqualification when needed

24/7 intake coverage Never let nights, weekends, or overflow calls disappear into voicemail.

Human handoff when needed Escalate sensitive or low-confidence situations to staff without friction.

Reviewable call records Keep transcripts, summaries, and follow-up context in one place.

Why generic intake breaks

Not every caller is a lead; courts and existing clients need a different path.
Long PI-style intake creates friction when the lawyer needs fast qualification.
A caller who cannot pay the retainer should not consume the same workflow as a ready client.
When someone asks for the attorney by name, the receptionist needs judgment, not a script.

Call path

Classify the caller: Court, existing client, referral, vendor, opposing counsel, or new matter.
Run the criminal overlay: Charge, court date, custody status, warrant risk, prior attorney, and retainer fit.
Choose the outcome: Live route, urgent text, paid consult booking, callback, or concise message capture.
Deliver the record: Transcript, summary, tags, urgency, and follow-up instructions land in the firm workspace.

Criminal Defense intake overlay

What charge or legal issue are you calling about?
Is there a court date, warrant, arrest, bond issue, or deadline?
Are you currently represented by another attorney?
Are you prepared to pay a retainer if the firm can help?
Who referred you, and are you asking for a specific attorney?

Routing and escalation rules

Judge, court, clerk, probation, or prosecutor mentions route to the configured staff number.
Existing client or caller asking for the attorney by name can bypass new-client intake.
Urgent custody, warrant, same-day court, or arrest language can trigger escalation.
Low-fit retainer calls can be closed politely or placed into callback review.