The short answer
An AI receptionist for criminal defense lawyers built on HighLevel Voice AI costs about $0.32 per answered call, or $83 a month for 260 calls averaging 4 minutes, phone line included. Roughly 130 of those calls (50%) would come outside office hours, which is where an AI answering service earns its keep. Emergencies, complaints and anything needing judgment should go to a person.
What the AI should handle
Separate urgent from routine
Ask whether someone is in custody now or has court within a few days, and escalate those calls straight to the on-call attorney.
Collect limited intake details
Take the caller's name, the accused person's name, the county and the type of charge if known, without asking what happened.
Identify who is calling
Record whether the caller is the accused or a relative, and note who may pay, because the client and the payer are different people to the firm.
Book consultations
After conflicts clear, book a consultation following the firm's process and text the caller what information to have ready.
What to send to a person
- Anyone in custody or facing court within days
- Questions about whether to talk to police
- Calls from prosecutors, detectives or reporters
- Payment arrangements from people other than the client
HighLevel's voice agents can transfer a live call, create a task, or trigger a workflow that texts the owner. Set the handoff rules before the agent goes live.
Cost per call and per month
Assumptions for a typical criminal defense firm: 260 calls a month answered by the AI, averaging 4 minutes. Phone minutes are billed per call and rounded up, so each call bills 4 phone minutes at $0.01165.
| Setup | AI cost | Phone line | Per month | Per call |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pay per use, Standard voice, GPT-4.1 Mini | $70.72 | $12.12 | $83 | $0.32 |
| Pay per use, ElevenLabs voice, GPT-4.1 Mini | $91.52 | $12.12 | $104 | $0.40 |
| Pay per use, speech-to-speech (OpenAI) | $208.00 | $12.12 | $220 | $0.85 |
| AI Employee Unlimited, $97 flat | $97.00 | $12.12 | $109 | $0.42 |
The breakdown of every Voice AI charge is in our Voice AI pricing guide. Agencies can price this as a monthly service with the calculator's Price a client tab, preloaded for a criminal defense firm.
Compared with staff time
Those 260 calls take about 17 hours of talk time a month. At the US median receptionist wage of $18.27 an hour (May 2025, Bureau of Labor Statistics), that talk time alone is worth about $317, before hold time, breaks, benefits and the calls that come in after hours. An AI receptionist does not replace a good front desk; it catches the overflow and the evenings, and frees staff for the people in front of them.
Sample call
AI AGENTThank you for calling Delgado Defense. I'm the firm's virtual assistant. I can't give legal advice, and this call doesn't create an attorney-client relationship, but I can reach an attorney quickly. Is someone in custody right now?
CALLERYes, my brother was arrested about an hour ago.
AI AGENTI'm sorry. Which county or jail is he in, and what's his full name?
CALLERMaricopa County. His name is Luis Ortega.
AI AGENTThank you. Please don't tell me anything about what happened; the attorney will discuss that privately. What's your name and the best number to reach you tonight?
CALLERI'm Ana Ortega. This number is good.
AI AGENTThank you, Ana. I'm alerting our on-call attorney now, and they'll call you back as soon as they can. Do you know if he already has a court date?
CALLERThey said tomorrow morning.
AI AGENTI've marked that as urgent. Please keep your phone close tonight.
Prompt tips
- Tip 1Tell the agent to ask no questions about what happened and to stop callers who start explaining, using one kind, fixed line about speaking privately with the attorney.
- Tip 2Put the on-call attorney's transfer and alert rules in the prompt, including hours, so custody calls never wait until morning.
- Tip 3Have the agent record the caller and any payer separately from the accused person, and never describe the payer as the client.
Rules to watch
Never discuss the facts at intake. Model Rule 1.18 keeps what a prospective client shares confidential and can create conflicts for the firm. Callers may also be on recorded jail lines or have others nearby. Tell the AI to ask nothing about what happened and to say the attorney will discuss the case privately.
When someone else pays. Model Rule 1.8(f) lets a lawyer accept payment from someone other than the client only with the client's informed consent, no interference with the lawyer's judgment, and confidentiality protected under Rule 1.6. The AI should record the payer but make clear the attorney works for the accused.
Fees and advertising claims. Model Rule 1.5 prohibits contingent fees for representing a defendant in a criminal case, and Rule 7.1 bars misleading statements about a lawyer's services. The AI should never promise a dismissal or any result, and fee talk should stay in approved wording.
General information, not legal advice.
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Questions
Can an AI receptionist talk to someone calling from jail?
Will the AI tell callers whether to talk to the police?
Can the AI take payment for a retainer?
What does an AI receptionist cost a criminal defense firm?
Sources
- HighLevel pricing
- HighLevel help: AI Voice Agents overview
- HighLevel help: AI product pricing
- ABA Model Rule 1.18: Duties to Prospective Client
- ABA Model Rule 1.8: Current Clients, Specific Rules
- ABA Model Rule 1.5: Fees
- ABA Model Rule 7.1: Communications Concerning a Lawyer's Services
- HighLevel AI product pricing (help center)
- AI Voice Agents overview
- HighLevel Phone System pricing and billing guide
- BLS Occupational Outlook: Receptionists (May 2025 pay)