New-matter screening
Asks your intake questions in order, captures the parties involved so you can run conflicts, and books the consultation onto a real slot.
How the receptionist worksThe week
Each one is a client, a claim or a job that went to whoever picked up.
Hires whoever answered. The other two left voicemails that were never returned.
A two-minute answer that becomes a missed-call callback loop with the paralegal.
Landed in a voicemail nobody checked until Monday.
Criminal defense is decided at 11am on a Saturday.
Setups by size
Pick the shape of your business. Every feature below links to its own page; every setup is one you can build in an afternoon.
A firm number that isn't your cell
A firm number rings the app on your phone; in court or in a meeting, the receptionist runs your intake script, books the consult and texts you the summary. Clients text the firm number, and your callbacks show the firm's name.
Inside your hours the line rings your phone and the receptionist picks up if you don't. Outside them it answers first ring, runs the same intake questions and books consults for the week.
With auto recording on the line, each answered call is recorded, transcribed with speaker labels and summarized, so the consult starts from a transcript, not a sticky note. Growth and above; add a recording notice to your greeting where consent laws require it.
Register the firm name as outbound caller ID on your US local number so a prospective client picks up "Marlowe & Chen" instead of ignoring an unknown number. 15 characters; propagates over a few days.
One local number is included with your seat. Bar directories and clients get the firm number; your cell stays yours.
AI receptionist
You describe practice areas, intake questions, consult policy and what to say and not say. The receptionist runs intake from that, books consults and never gives legal advice.
Asks your intake questions in order, captures the parties involved so you can run conflicts, and books the consultation onto a real slot.
How the receptionist worksTakes the message for the attorney or paralegal and tells the client your callback policy. Never speculates about the case.
Shared inboxCaptures the matter, the deadline and the caller's details and creates a priority task, so a Friday 5pm deadline call is seen.
How the receptionist worksGives the consult policy and fee structure you've written into its instructions, and nothing else.
How the receptionist worksTexts the document checklist you provide for that practice area.
Business textingAnswers first ring, runs intake, routes urgent criminal matters to the on-call attorney per your ring order, texts back anyone who hung up.
How the receptionist worksThe record
On Growth and above, each recorded call is transcribed with speaker labels and summarized into the caller, the matter, the parties and the next step. The attorney walks into the consult having read it. Voicemail transcripts are on every plan.
Your stack
Native integrations are listed as such. Legal practice platforms have no native connection yet, so Ody reaches them through Make, webhooks or the REST API.
Push intake summaries and call records to the matter via Make or the REST API webhooks
import clients and opposing parties so callers show up by name
new intake and deadline calls posted to the firm channel
callbacks and deadlines as tasks
connect the rest of your stack
Browse all 43 integrations, or connect anything else through Make and the REST API.
Trust
Calls, transcripts and messages are encrypted in transit and at rest and never used to train third-party models. Recording is per line and off by default, so you decide which lines record and where a recording notice is required. The receptionist collects only what your intake script asks.
Rollout
No hardware, no consultant, no call-flow diagram. Four steps and the line is answered.
Bring the firm's number over, or start with a new local one. Porting is free and the old line keeps working until cutover.
Practice areas, the questions in order, consult policy, what never to say. Plain sentences, not call flows.
A menu for new matters and existing clients, ring orders per attorney, and what the receptionist does after hours.
Tighten the script, then let the receptionist book more of the consult calendar.
Resources
The concepts behind this setup, explained without the jargon.
FAQ
More industries
Firms where the first call decides who gets hired.
Comparing options? Ody vs Ruby · Ody vs Smith.ai · Answering service comparison
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