Website chat for law and accounting offices
A law firm's or an accounting office's website chat has one job: turn a visitor's question into a booked consultation, by answering the office facts (services, fees for a first meeting, languages, documents to bring) and never the question itself. Advice depends on facts, documents and a professional's judgement that a chat line cannot supply, so every substantive question gets the same polite reply: "That is a question for one of our [lawyers or accountants]; let's book you a time." This guide gives you that wording, the twelve enquiries offices really receive, and a calm way to share the inbox.
The one rule, written down
Put this in your team's notes and at the top of your knowledge base:
> "Chat is for enquiries. We describe our services and book consultations. We do not give legal, tax or financial advice by chat, and we do not say whether a case is strong, a deadline has passed or a filing is needed."
Everyone who answers chats follows it, including the partner who picks up a chat at night.
Twelve enquiries offices receive
| Visitor asks | Answer pattern you fill in | Professional takes over? |
|---|---|---|
| Do you handle [type of matter]? | "Yes, our [department] handles [matter types as published]. Shall we book a first consultation?" | Yes, to book |
| How much is a consultation? | "A first consultation is [published fee] for [length]." | No |
| Can I speak to a lawyer / accountant now? | "Let me find the first free time with the right person. Which day suits you?" | Yes |
| Do you speak Arabic / Hindi / Urdu? | "Our team speaks [languages]." | No |
| Is the consultation online or at the office? | "[Online by video / in person at [area] / both]." | No |
| What documents should I bring? | "For a first meeting about [matter type], please bring [published checklist]." | No |
| What are your fees for the whole case / the yearly accounts? | "Fees depend on the work; [name] will explain them at the consultation." | Yes |
| Can you tell me if I have a case / if I owe tax? | "That needs one of our [lawyers or accountants] to look at your situation. Shall we book a time?" | Yes, always |
| Is my deadline still open? | "Please book a consultation as soon as possible so a professional can check. We can't confirm deadlines by chat." | Yes, at once |
| Do you work with companies in free zones? | "We work with [types of clients, as published]." | No |
| Is what I tell you confidential? | "Please don't share case details in chat; our [lawyer or accountant] will discuss them with you directly." | Yes |
| I'm unhappy with your service / my invoice | "I'm sorry to hear that. The office manager will reply to you today." | Yes, always |
Never answered automatically, or by a junior
- Any advice: legal, tax, accounting or financial, however general it sounds.
- Opinions on a case, a contract, a filing or a deadline.
- Fee estimates for a full matter, beyond the published consultation fee.
- Complaints, invoice disputes and refund demands, which go to the office manager. StayReplied hands complaints and refund demands to a person.
StayReplied sets the answer mode per channel: off, drafts only, or answer. For a professional office, keep web chat off or on drafts only, so a person reads and sends every reply. No plan includes AI today; AI drafts need your own Anthropic key.
Three welcome lines
- "Hello, this is [Firm]. Ask about our services or book a consultation."
- "Welcome. We can tell you which of our team handles your matter and book a time to talk."
- "Hi, looking for help with [accounts, VAT returns, company set-up, a dispute]? Let's book you a consultation."
Starter questions: "Book a consultation", "Our services", "Consultation fee", "Languages we speak".
Add a short line under the welcome: "Please don't share confidential details here; we'll discuss them in your consultation." What not to ask for in chat explains why.
After office hours
Nothing replies automatically today, so put your reply hours in the welcome line, switch on "Ask for name and email before chatting", and have reception offer a consultation time to every evening enquiry first thing.
A busy week: deadlines and year-end
Accounting offices see a rush before filing deadlines and at year-end; law offices before court dates and holidays. In the shared inbox:
- The receptionist or office manager owns every unassigned chat. Professionals do not pick chats from the queue.
- Chats are assigned to a professional only after the consultation is booked, with an internal note: "Company VAT question, consultation Tuesday 11:00".
- Urgent deadline questions are escalated at once, as tickets with a same-day due time.
- Internal notes never reach the visitor, and each chat has one owner; roles and permissions limit who can open what.
Set it up in one week
- Create the workspace; invite the receptionist and the office manager.
- Write the one rule above and publish your services, consultation fee, languages and document checklists.
- Publish the widget on service and contact pages, with your site in the allowed origins.
- Write the welcome lines, the confidentiality line and the after-hours reply in English and Arabic.
- Test a "do I have a case" question and check it gets the booking reply, not an answer.
- Agree who escalates deadline chats.
- Read the week's chats and tighten the wording wherever someone said too much.
When this is not for you
If you need client-portal messaging with document exchange and matter files, StayReplied is not that: it handles enquiries in a shared inbox. Web chat is the channel you connect today; WhatsApp is coming soon (see channels). Read who StayReplied is not for. Starter is AED 70 a month plus 5% VAT for 2 seats; see pricing.
Questions and answers
Can a law firm's chat answer legal questions?
It should not. It describes services and books a consultation; a lawyer gives the advice.
Should an accounting office use AI in chat?
Many keep web chat off or on drafts only, so a person sends every reply. The mode is set per channel.
How do we keep chats confidential?
Ask visitors not to share case details in chat, give access only to the people who answer, and use internal notes for the team.
Can the chat take payment for a consultation?
No. It books the request; your office handles payment the way it already does.
Turn website questions into booked consultations.
start your free trial, 14 days, no card needed.