Imagine you urgently need a plumber. You contact three firms. One replies within 20 minutes, another after a day, the third never. Who do you hire?
That is exactly how your potential clients think.
The difference: with a plumber, we are talking about a few hundred pounds. With legal advice, often five- or six-figure sums. The expectation of speed and professionalism is correspondingly higher.
The Numbers Most Firms Don't Know
From B2B sales research comes a widely cited finding: those who respond within 5 minutes of an enquiry are 21 times more likely to qualify the lead than those who wait 30 minutes.
Now, a law firm is not a sales call centre. Nobody expects a partner to produce an opinion in 5 minutes. But the first response — a signal that the enquiry has arrived and is being handled — makes the difference.
What clients perceive as a "fast response":
- Under 1 hour: "Very professional, they have their house in order"
- 1–4 hours: "Acceptable, I will wait"
- 4–24 hours: "Did I use the right address? Perhaps I should write to another firm"
- Over 24 hours: "They obviously do not want my instruction"
Note: this is not the expectation for a substantive legal assessment — just for an acknowledgement.
What Slow Response Times Actually Cost
Take a firm with 50 enquiries per month and an average response time of 36 hours.
Conversion rate at 36h response time: Typically 25–30% (enquiry → consultation)
Conversion rate at under 4h response time: Typically 45–55%
The delta: with 50 enquiries, that is 10–12 additional consultations per month. At an instruction rate of 50% and an average matter value of $4,000, that yields:
$20,000–24,000 additional revenue per month — purely from faster responses.
Per year: $240,000–288,000. Same marketing budget, same visibility, same enquiry volume.
Why Firms Are Still Slow
It is not about laziness or lack of commitment. The causes are structural:
1. The best lawyers are the busiest.
Partners at full capacity simply have no free slots for enquiries. Existing client work (understandably) takes priority over business development — even though both matter equally in the long run.
2. Enquiries arrive through multiple channels.
Contact form, email, phone, LinkedIn, personal referrals. Each channel has its own "inbox", nobody has the complete picture.
3. There is no clear first responsibility.
When the question "Who responds to this?" is renegotiated every time, time passes. And when things get hectic, the enquiry falls through.
4. No safety net.
Without an automatic reminder after 24 hours or an escalation after 48 hours, everything depends on individual memory. That works with 5 enquiries per week. Not with 15+.
Four Measures for Faster Response Times
Measure 1: Automatic Acknowledgement (Effort: 30 Minutes)
The simplest and most effective measure: every enquiry receives an automatic acknowledgement within seconds.
"Thank you for your enquiry. We have received it and will be in touch within 24 hours. If the matter is urgent: [phone number]"
This sends two signals: the firm is organised. And the client need not wait anxiously.
Technically: Most contact forms and email systems support this. Gmail auto-responders, contact form plugins with confirmation emails, or a simple workflow that reacts to new entries.
Measure 2: Morning Enquiry Review (Effort: 15 Min/Day)
Designate one person (paralegal, assistant, junior associate) who every morning by 9:30 AM reviews all new enquiries. No substantive work — just:
- Is the enquiry relevant to us? (Yes/No)
- Who is the right specialist?
- Forward to the responsible person with a brief note
The responsible lawyer receives a pre-qualified, assigned enquiry instead of a raw email — and can respond significantly faster.
Measure 3: 24-Hour Escalation (Effort: 1 Hour Setup)
Rule: if an enquiry has not been answered after 24 hours, an automatic reminder goes to the responsible lawyer. After 48 hours, to the managing partner.
No blame, no micro-management — simply a safety net so nothing slips through.
Technically achievable via simple calendar reminders, task tools (Todoist, Asana), or — if you want it systematic — an automated workflow.
Measure 4: Measure Response Time (Effort: 30 Min/Week)
"What you don't measure, you can't improve."
Once per week: take the last 10 enquiries. Measure the time between receipt and first response. Calculate the average. Record it in a spreadsheet.
After 4 weeks, you will see the trend. Going down? Good, carry on. Stagnating? Implement the next measure.
What If Fast Responses Alone Are Not Enough?
Response time is the first lever — but not the only one. If your conversion rate remains low despite fast responses, the causes lie elsewhere:
- Unclear positioning: The client does not understand why they should instruct you specifically
- No structured consultation process: The initial meeting does not systematically lead to an instruction decision
- Missing follow-up: The prospect says "I will think about it" — and nobody follows up after a week
If you want to optimise the entire process from enquiry to instruction, our guide to lead intake automation describes the complete path.
How to Start — Today, Not Next Week
- Set up an acknowledgement email now. 30 minutes, one-off.
- Assign first-review responsibility for tomorrow morning.
- Set a calendar reminder for Friday: "Review this week's response times."
Three measures, under an hour of total effort. The impact will show in your conversion numbers — usually within the first week.
If you find that manual measures reach their limits and you want to set up the process systematically: get in touch. We help law firms shorten the path from enquiry to instruction — with clear processes and, where it makes sense, with automation.