How an Immigration Firm Tripled Intake Without Adding Staff
A boutique immigration practice serving four language communities automated client intake with voice AI, letting attorneys focus on billable work while capturing every potential client—regardless of when they call or what language they speak.
About A Boutique Immigration Law Firm
This boutique immigration firm specializes in family-based petitions, employment visas, and asylum cases. With 8 attorneys and 12 support staff, they've built a reputation serving Spanish, Portuguese, and Mandarin-speaking communities alongside English speakers. Referrals drive their growth, but that growth was breaking their intake process.
The Challenge
Success became the problem. More prospects were calling than the team could handle, and attorneys were burning billable hours on consultations that went nowhere.
- Attorneys averaged 2.5 hours daily on initial consultations—many with prospects who couldn't afford services or had cases outside the firm's expertise
- 30% of calls went unanswered during peak immigration court deadline periods, with potential clients calling competitors instead
- Prospects had to explain their situation three separate times: to the receptionist, to a paralegal, and again to the attorney
- International callers from different time zones reached voicemail, and return calls often missed them again
- No standardized way to collect case details upfront—attorneys spent consultation time gathering basic information
- Language coverage depended on who was in the office: Mandarin speakers could only call Tuesday-Thursday when Li was available
The Solution
The firm deployed an Arbol voice agent configured for legal intake, operating 24/7 across all four languages with custom qualification logic for each case type.
The voice agent answers in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or Mandarin, detecting language preference automatically from the caller's first response
Custom intake flows collect case-specific information: current immigration status, visa type sought, family relationships, employer details, previous denials, and deadline urgency
Each response is extracted as a contact property, building a complete client profile the attorney can review before any consultation
Based on case type, urgency, and complexity, the agent schedules consultations with the appropriate specialist attorney via calendar integration
Detention cases, imminent deadlines, or signs of emotional distress trigger immediate warm transfer to a human with full conversation context
The knowledge base includes firm policies, service descriptions, and fee structures—so prospects understand what to expect before committing to a consultation
Implementation
2 daysCase Type Mapping
Documented all practice areas, required intake information per case type, and attorney specializations
Intake Flow Design
Built conversation flows for family petitions, employment visas, asylum, and general inquiries—each with specific qualification questions
Multi-language Configuration
Configured voice settings and legal terminology for all four languages, ensuring accurate pronunciation of immigration terms
Calendar & Routing Setup
Connected attorney calendars with consultation types, durations, and automatic matching based on case complexity
Escalation Protocol
Defined human transfer triggers: detention mentions, court deadlines within 30 days, emotional distress indicators
Knowledge Base Upload
Added firm documents covering fee structures, required documentation, and process timelines for each case type
The Results
The intake bottleneck became a competitive advantage within 60 days.
Intake capacity tripled without a single new hire. Attorney consultations became dramatically more productive—they now review complete case profiles before every meeting, eliminating the information-gathering phase entirely. The Mandarin-speaking community noticed: inquiries in that language increased 140% once 24/7 coverage became available. The managing partner tracked that recovered attorney time translated to 12 additional billable hours per attorney per week. Perhaps most telling: client satisfaction scores improved because prospects felt heard from their very first interaction, even at 2am.
Before
- Attorneys spent 2.5 hours daily on unqualified consultations
- 30% of calls unanswered during peak periods
- Prospects repeated their story 3 times before attorney meeting
- Mandarin service limited to 3 days/week
- No visibility into intake metrics or conversion rates
After
- Attorneys only meet prospects with complete case profiles
- 100% of calls answered instantly in preferred language
- Single intake creates complete case brief for attorney review
- 24/7 coverage in all 4 languages without staffing constraints
- Dashboard shows calls, conversions, and case type distribution
Key Takeaways
Legal intake benefits from structured information gathering that AI handles consistently across languages
24/7 language coverage unlocks underserved client communities
Pre-consultation case profiles eliminate wasted attorney time on information gathering
Proper escalation triggers ensure sensitive situations always reach humans
Recovered attorney hours translate directly to increased revenue capacity
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