A client selling their home asks their conveyancer: "How long will this take?" The honest answer is "it depends", but that is not what they want to hear. A client in a family dispute asks the same thing, with even more at stake. Firms want to be honest without leaving clients in the dark.
Here are the common myths about explaining legal processes, and what works better.
Myth 1: it is safer to say nothing about timing
Saying nothing leaves clients anxious and more likely to call for updates. Explaining the typical stages, with typical timescales and what affects them, gives clients a framework without promising a date.
Myth 2: every matter is too different to describe
Most matters of the same type follow similar stages. A residential sale has recognisable steps. A divorce has recognisable stages. Describing them in general terms helps clients understand where they are.
Myth 3: explaining the process is giving advice
Describing how a type of matter generally proceeds is not advice about a specific case. It is information about the firm's process. Advice is telling a client what they should do in their situation. The distinction is covered in qualifying legal enquiries without giving advice.
Myth 4: clients only care about the end date
Clients also want to know what they need to do, when they will hear from the firm and what might cause delays. Answering these reduces anxiety and follow-up calls.
Myth 5: an assistant should avoid process questions
An assistant can share published process information, making clear that each matter is different. What it must not do is predict outcomes or promise timelines.
Client: How long does selling a house usually take? Assistant: The conveyancing page explains the typical stages of a sale and a general timescale, which is often a few months. The actual time depends on things like the buyer's position, searches and the chain. Your conveyancer will keep you updated at each stage.
What to publish
For each practice area, a short process page with:
- The typical stages, in plain language
- What the client needs to do at each stage
- A general timescale, with the main factors that affect it
- How the client will be kept informed
Property buyers ask many of these questions, as covered in conveyancing and legal process questions from buyers.
Updates during the matter
Once a matter is under way, clients want regular updates. Explaining on the website how often the firm updates clients, and how clients can check progress, reduces anxious calls. A simple promise, such as a short update at each stage and a reply to any message within a set time, is easy to keep and reassures clients that nothing is being forgotten.
Avoiding the long form
Process information also helps at intake. People who understand the process before they enquire need fewer questions answered later. Long, confusing forms have the opposite effect, as covered in intake forms that put off potential clients.
Location and practical details
Clients also ask where meetings happen and whether the firm can act for them if they live elsewhere. Clear answers about service areas help, as covered in answering service area questions.
How SpideyChat helps
SpideyChat for law firms answers process questions from your own pages at any hour, sharing the stages and typical timescales you publish. It does not give legal advice, predict outcomes or promise dates.
Setting it up
Write process pages for your main practice areas, then train the assistant on them. The guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain how.
Clients who understand the process trust the firm more, and call less.