When the Other Side Calls: AI Receptionists and Opposing Party Calls at Law Firms

Every law firm gets calls from the other side. Sometimes it is an opposing attorney. Sometimes it is a represented person calling directly, or a witness, or someone involved in a matter who is upset. An AI receptionist needs a separate, short script for these callers, because the usual intake questions are wrong for them.

What the script should do

It should identify that the caller is connected to an existing matter on the other side, take a name and a callback number, note who they say represents them if they offer it, and end the call politely. It should not confirm details about your client, discuss the matter, or ask the caller to explain their position.

Train the routing on matter names and client names your staff provide. When a caller mentions a name on that list in an opposing context, the call should move to the short script. Review that list whenever a big matter closes, since stale names create false alarms.

Confidentiality runs in both directions

Most firms think about protecting their own client information, which the guide on confidential intake for law firms covers in detail. Opposing party calls add a second risk: recording a long, unguarded account from a represented caller can create work and exposure your attorneys did not ask for. Short calls with clear limits protect everyone on the line.

Tell callers early that the call is answered by an automated system and that a staff member will return the call. People who feel tricked into talking complain louder than people who were told the setup at the start. Our broader law firm guide covers disclosure choices for regular intake as well.

A setup checklist for partners

Agree who reviews these messages each day and how fast. Agree what the system says if a caller becomes abusive, and at what point it ends the call and flags it. Then place test calls posing as an opposing attorney and as an unrepresented caller in an active dispute. Listen to the full recordings with a partner before the system goes live, not after the first real call goes wrong.