Answering Legal is one of the most established names in the legal answering service market. Built specifically for law firms, their service emphasizes 24/7 live coverage, custom intake, bilingual support, and integrations with leading CRMs like Clio Grow and MyCase. For attorneys exploring their options, it’s important to understand how their model works – and how it compares to Veza Reception, which takes a more boutique, high-touch approach.
Company Overview
Answering Legal markets itself as a legal-only provider. Their receptionists are trained to handle legal-specific intake questions, capture case details, and connect qualified leads directly to your team.
Unlike generalist answering services that support a wide range of industries, Answering Legal focuses entirely on attorneys. They highlight round-the-clock coverage as a core feature, promoting the idea that no potential client inquiry should ever go unanswered.
Another selling point is their bilingual receptionist team (English and Spanish), which can be especially valuable in markets with diverse client bases. Combined with CRM integrations, their offering is positioned as an all-in-one solution for keeping the phones covered and intake consistent.
Standout Features
- 24/7 Live Answering: Calls are answered day or night, reducing the risk of missed opportunities.
- Custom Legal Intake: Receptionists follow your intake script, capturing key case details and qualifying leads.
- Bilingual Receptionists (English-Spanish): Expands accessibility for Spanish-speaking clients.
- Warm Transfers & Routing: Calls are patched to the right attorney or staff member once qualified.
- CRM Integrations: Intake notes flow directly into platforms like Clio Grow and MyCase.
- Free Trial: They promote up to 400 free minutes as part of their trial, giving firms a low-risk way to test the service.
- AI Intake Chatbot (new in 2025): A chatbot tool designed to capture leads on your website, offered alongside human receptionists.
Pricing & Value
Answering Legal uses a per-minute billing model. While they emphasize “no contracts” and “no setup fees,” detailed plan pricing is not published on their website. Most cost discussions happen during a sales consultation.
This lack of transparency can make comparisons tricky. Third-party review sites list ballpark ranges, but these aren’t official. The most reliable way to compare is to request a quote, then translate their per-minute rate into an effective cost per call using your firm’s call logs.
Key takeaways for firms:
- Predictability vs. variability: If your calls are short and consistent, per-minute billing may work well. But if you handle longer consultations, costs may rise quickly.
- Trial as entry point: Their free trial (up to 400 minutes) lowers the barrier for testing coverage.
- Comparisons matter: Since Veza Reception publishes transparent pricing ($159 for 100 minutes, $339 for 250 minutes, $625 for 500 minutes), it’s easier to benchmark your actual usage against Veza’s tiers.
For example, if your average call is 3 minutes and you take 100 calls per month, that’s ~300 minutes. On Veza’s Growth plan, that would cost around $400. With Answering Legal, depending on their per-minute rate, that same usage could be higher or lower — but you won’t know until after a consultation.
Performance & Reliability
Answering Legal positions itself as a performance-driven provider for attorneys. Their receptionists are trained with legal terminology, and their marketing emphasizes reliability during after-hours and weekends.
The integrations with Clio Grow and MyCase are practical. Intake notes flow into your CRM automatically, reducing manual data entry and improving follow-up speed. This makes them appealing for firms that already run their operations on these platforms.
Bilingual support is another strength. Many firms miss opportunities when prospects prefer to communicate in Spanish. Having trained bilingual receptionists can widen your pipeline and help build trust with more clients.
Customer Support
Firms onboarding with Answering Legal go through a white-glove setup process. Scripts are developed with their team, and adjustments can be made post-launch. Their support emphasizes responsiveness, especially during the first few weeks of service.
This mirrors the needs of busy firms that can’t afford downtime. The ability to tweak scripts, intake flows, or transfer rules quickly is a valuable feature for firms still shaping their client experience.
Pros and Cons of Answering Legal
Pros | Cons |
24/7 live answering for law firms | Pricing not clearly published online |
Bilingual (English–Spanish) receptionists | Larger receptionist pool → less personalized feel |
Legal-specific intake training | AI intake chatbot is new and untested |
Integrations with Clio Grow & MyCase | Firms wanting a smaller assigned team may find it too big |
Free trial with up to 400 minutes |
In summary: Answering Legal excels in coverage, legal focus, and integrations. But firms that prioritize personalization may find it less aligned with their needs.
How Answering Legal Compares With Veza Reception
This is where the contrast is most clear.
When Answering Legal may be a fit:
- You require 24/7 availability, especially for after-hours lead capture.
- You need bilingual support to serve Spanish-speaking clients.
- You rely heavily on Clio Grow or MyCase and want direct syncing.
Why many firms choose Veza Reception instead:
- 24/7 dedicated small team: At Veza, your account is handled by a compact group of receptionists, so callers hear familiar voices and your firm projects consistency. Veza also offers around the clock 24/7 coverage and availability so you can capture leads after hours.
- Human-crafted call flows: Instead of generic templates or AI-generated intake, our leadership team (with legal experience) builds nuanced call flows designed to capture context and minimize errors.
- Transparent pricing: Veza Reception publishes clear tiers — $159 for 100 minutes, $339 for 250 minutes, $625 for 500 minutes, with $1.25 per additional minute and no hidden or overage fees.
- Law-firm tailored workflows: From conflict checks to custom scheduling rules, every aspect is designed for legal practices.
The result is a more personal, predictable, and cost-efficient service for firms that value a consistent and quality client experience.
Start Your Free Trial with Veza Reception
Final Verdict
Answering Legal is a credible, established provider that delivers on its promises of 24/7 coverage, bilingual support, and CRM integrations. For most law firms, it’s a strong option.
Veza Reception, however, is ideal for attorneys who prefer a smaller-team feel, handcrafted call flows, and clear, minute-based pricing. Many law firms find this approach more cost-effective while still maintaining the high-quality service clients expect. Even with the smaller team Veza is able to offer 24/7 coverage to firms so they never miss a client call.
The right choice ultimately depends on your priorities. Answering Legal is a great service provider but if personalization, cost transparency, and consistent voices matter most, Veza Reception may be the better long-term partner.
FAQs About Answering Legal
- Does Answering Legal only work with law firms?
Yes. They serve law firms exclusively, and their receptionists receive training tailored to legal intake and workflows. - How much does Answering Legal cost?
Exact pricing isn’t listed on their website. They use a per-minute model, and you’ll need a consultation to get details. A free trial with up to 400 minutes is included. - Does Answering Legal integrate with Clio?
Yes. They integrate with Clio Grow and MyCase, making intake smoother for firms already using those systems. - What’s the difference between Answering Legal and Veza Reception?
Answering Legal is a much larger provider with hundreds of receptionists. Veza Reception offers smaller, consistent teams, handcrafted call flows, and transparent pricing. - Is Answering Legal good for solo or small firms?
It can be, but smaller firms sometimes prefer Veza Reception’s boutique approach. With fewer receptionists on your account, the experience feels more personal and predictable. - Does Answering Legal offer appointment scheduling?
Yes, depending on your setup and integrations. Veza Reception also provides scheduling with tools like Calendly and Clio, tailored for attorneys.
Next Steps
If you want to see how Veza Reception compares for your specific call volume, we can create a side-by-side cost projection using your actual call logs. This way, you’ll know exactly how the two services stack up in terms of cost per minute and value delivered.
