THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL 84 | SEPTEMBER 2025 Law Practice Tips By Julie Bays Answering the Call: Why Responsiveness Is Critical for Law Firm Success HOW MANY POTENTIAL clients is your firm losing simply because no one answered the phone? Throughout the legal industry, law firms are losing a notable proportion of client inquiries, leading to revenue loss. This challenge extends from solo practitioners to mid-sized firms, where the inability to respond to or return calls promptly represents more than a customer service issue. It constitutes a systemic intake concern with tangible financial and ethical implications. As competition intensifies and clients increasingly demand prompt communication, firms that do not address these shortcomings risk falling behind. THE PROBLEM According to Clio’s 2024 Legal Trends Report, the number of law firms answering an incoming call from a prospective client has dropped sharply from 56% in 2019 to just 40% in 2024. Even more concerning, of the firms that missed a call, only 20% returned it. This communication breakdown is so severe that nearly half of all firms (48%) were unreachable by phone, meaning they neither answered calls nor returned messages.1 The problem isn’t limited to phone calls. Clio’s research shows that a staggering 64% of prospective clients received no follow-up at all, whether by phone or email.2 This means nearly two-thirds of legal inquiries go unanswered, a significantly missed opportunity. This lack of responsiveness has a direct effect on business. In the same study, 73% of secret shopper clients said they would not recommend the firms they contacted. In stark contrast, those who reached a real person on the phone were significantly more likely to endorse the firm, with a 39% recommendation rate versus much lower rates for email or voicemail-only interactions.3 THE FINANCIAL IMPACT This widespread communication breakdown can have effects that extend beyond immediate inconvenience, potentially impacting a law firm’s financial stability. A study by Law Leaders estimates that U.S. law firms collectively let approximately 195 million incoming calls slip through the cracks each year. To put this in perspective, each missed call isn’t merely a lost voice on the line – it represents a prospective client seeking help, sometimes urgently. With an average conversion rate of 7% and a typical client value of $8,000, the math is striking. This oversight translates to nearly 13.6 million lost clients and an astounding $109 billion in potential revenue vaporized annually.4 For solo practitioners and small firms, the effects are more pronounced. Unlike larger firms with resources for dedicated staff or comprehensive automated systems, solo attorneys typically manage all aspects of their practice. LexHelper’s recent analysis indicates that solo attorneys miss over 35% of incoming calls during business hours, and this figure increases to 90% after hours when clients may require assistance. Voicemails are not always effective as a backup. More than half remain unanswered for 72 hours or longer, which may result in prospective clients not receiving timely responses.5 When a prospective client’s call goes unanswered, it often triggers a chain reaction: The client moves down their list, quickly dialing another attorney until they reach someone who can assist them in real time. In the current legal market where clients can easily find multiple alternatives online, this may result in losing not only
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