Intake
Inquiries wait until morning
A prospect submits a form or email at 9 p.m. Nothing happens until someone opens the inbox the next day. For unsigned prospects there is often no consistent follow-up cadence at all. It depends on who remembers.
AI operations for owner-operated law firms
Leads go cold while your staff chases documents and status emails.
We build a done-for-you operations system around the practice-management and email tools your firm already uses: faster intake follow-up, document requests that chase themselves, and matter-status updates your attorneys approve before they go out.
Built for managing partners and firm administrators at US firms of roughly $1M-$20M in revenue and about 5-60 staff. Projects are typically $5k-$25k depending on scope.- Personal injury
- Family
- Estate planning
- Immigration
- Small business
- Real estate
Three places where firm time quietly leaks
These practice areas share a pattern: high inquiry volume, paperwork the client has to supply, and clients who want to know where things stand. None of it requires legal judgment, yet it consumes people who have it.
Document chase
Clients nudged by hand
IDs, medical or financial records, signed engagement letters and questionnaires get requested one email or call at a time. Staff re-send the same reminder and keep the "who owes what" list in their heads or a spreadsheet.
Matter status
"What's happening with my case?"
Clients call and email for updates. Each one interrupts a paralegal, who stops what they are doing to look up the file and write a reply that is often similar to the last one.
Illustrative scenario
A prospective client submits an inquiry after hours. Under the current process, it sits unread overnight and the follow-up depends on a busy intake coordinator remembering. Under a workflow, the prospect gets an immediate acknowledgment that sets expectations, the inquiry is logged for the team, and a follow-up schedule runs until a person takes over. This is an example of the mechanics, not a client result.
What we build
Each workflow is mapped as a trigger, a set of automated steps, and a clearly marked point where a person takes over. We scope the set that fits your firm. Most firms start with two or three of these.
1. Intake acknowledgment and follow-up sequence
TriggerNew inquiry arrives via web form, email or other connected source.
Automated steps
- Send an acknowledgment that sets expectations
- Log the inquiry in your system for the intake team
- Run a follow-up cadence for prospects who haven't responded or signed
Human handoffIntake staff or an attorney takes over on any reply or request for advice. The sequence stops automatically.
2. Document request and reminder tracker
TriggerA matter reaches a stage that needs client documents.
Automated steps
- Send a checklist-based document request
- Track what has and hasn't been received
- Send reminders on a schedule your firm sets
Human handoffStaff review what arrives for completeness. Unresponsive clients are flagged to the responsible person instead of being nudged forever.
3. Status-update drafts for attorney approval
TriggerA milestone is recorded on a matter, or a client asks for an update.
Automated steps
- Draft a plain-language update from the matter's recorded status
- Place the draft in an approval queue
Human handoffAn attorney or designated staff member reviews, edits and approves before anything reaches the client.
4. Weekly stalled-matter digest
TriggerWeekly schedule.
Automated steps
- Scan matters for no recent activity, missing documents or unanswered client messages
- Compile a digest by responsible attorney or team
Human handoffPartners and managers decide what to do. The digest surfaces items and takes no action on its own.
Attorney approval where judgment is involved. Anything client-facing that involves legal judgment, case assessment or advice goes through attorney approval. Routine logistics, like receipt confirmations and document reminders, are configured with your firm's sign-off on the wording.
How an engagement works
Four stages. You see the plan before you commit to the build.
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Paid scoping / workflow map
We document how intake, document collection and status updates actually run today, then map the workflows, systems and approval points. You receive a written scope and a fixed quote for the build.
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Build
We build and test the workflows in your firm's own accounts, with your review of all client-facing wording.
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Staff walkthrough
We train the people who will use it: what it does, how to approve drafts, how to pause or override a sequence.
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30-day tune-up
After go-live we review how it runs in practice and adjust timing, wording and routing.
Investment: typically $5k-$25k, depending on scope
We don't sell fixed packages. The final figure is set in the written scope. What moves it:
- Number of workflows: one focused workflow costs less than a full set of four.
- Systems integrated: each additional tool (practice management, email, document storage, e-signature, calendar) adds build and testing work.
- Volume and complexity: more matter types, practice areas, branching rules or intake sources mean more to build and test.
Scoping is a paid first step and is quoted separately before you commit to anything.
Confidentiality and ethics
Law firms carry duties most vendors don't. We design around them and are clear about where responsibility sits.
How we handle access and data
- We work through the firm's own accounts, not ours.
- Access is least-privilege: only what a given workflow needs.
- The firm controls data retention and can revoke access at any time.
- We make no certification claims (such as HIPAA or SOC 2). Do not treat this page as one.
What we do and don't do
- We do not give legal advice.
- We do not decide who the firm accepts as a client.
- The firm remains responsible for bar advertising and communication rules and for client-consent requirements.
- We recommend the firm's ethics counsel review any client-facing automation before it goes live. Rules vary by state.
Questions firms ask
What software does this connect with?
We work with the categories most firms already run: practice management, email, calendar, document storage and e-signature. Whether and how deeply we can connect depends on each tool: integration depends on the tool's API. We confirm what is possible for your stack during scoping, before you commit to a build. We don't claim partnerships with any vendor.
Who owns the workflows once they're built?
Your firm. The workflows run in your accounts and you receive documentation of how they work. Ownership terms are written into the scope.
What happens if something breaks?
Workflows are built with failure alerts and a pause switch so staff can stop a sequence quickly. Tools change their settings and APIs over time, so issues can occur. During the 30-day tune-up we fix problems at no extra charge. After that, we can agree an ongoing support arrangement or hand over the documentation for your team or another provider.
How long does it take?
As an estimate only: scoping often takes one to two weeks, and a build of one to four workflows often takes three to eight weeks after the scope is approved. Timing depends on the number of tools, how quickly your team can review wording and grant access, and whether any ethics review is needed.
Does this replace staff?
No. It removes repetitive chasing, such as reminder emails, status lookups and manual follow-up lists, so intake coordinators and paralegals can spend more time on work that needs a person. Attorneys and staff stay in the loop at every handoff point.
How does pricing work?
Projects are typically $5k-$25k, depending on scope. The number of workflows, the systems integrated and your volume drive the figure. Scoping is paid and quoted separately, and it ends with a written scope and a quote for the build.
Will the system talk to clients without attorney review?
Anything involving legal judgment goes to an attorney for approval. Routine logistics messages, like "we received your documents", can be sent automatically, but only with wording your firm has approved. We recommend your ethics counsel review client-facing messages.
Can you promise more signed clients?
No. We don't guarantee outcomes. We build a faster, more consistent process around intake and follow-up. Results depend on your market, your team and many factors outside our control.
Apply for a workflow review
Tell us about your firm and where the work piles up. We'll reply by email to discuss whether a scoping engagement makes sense. Please don't include client names or confidential matter details.
Prefer email? Write to julien@relaycairn.com. If the form doesn't work for you, this reaches us directly.