Xcho for Legal Professionals

Someone going through a divorce, a house move or the loss of a parent rarely contacts just one firm. They fill in a couple of web forms, leave a voicemail or two, and instruct whoever gets back to them first with a clear next step. For busy legal teams, that first reply is often the hardest thing to achieve.

Support staff should be helping fee-earners, not chasing enquiries that won't answer the phone. Xcho takes that job off their desks. It acts like an AI customer service assistant that works around the clock, following up on new and old enquiries so your team only speaks to people who are ready to instruct.

Xcho runs two-way conversations over SMS and WhatsApp, reaching people on the channels they actually check. Because it was built by a financial services firm, it was designed from day one to work inside a regulated environment. That makes it a natural fit for law firms, where what is said, and what isn't, really matters.

Below, we look at how Xcho helps solicitors, conveyancers and legal practices turn more enquiries into instructions.

Turn unanswered calls into conversations

Legal enquiries often arrive at awkward moments. A client books a consultation from their desk at lunchtime, then can't take your call back because they're at work, or don't want colleagues overhearing a conversation about their marriage ending. The result is a growing pile of voicemails that never get returned.

Xcho gets in touch within moments of an enquiry arriving, opening with a two-way SMS and moving to WhatsApp where available. People can reply privately, in their own time, without needing to step out of a meeting. That small change turns enquiries you couldn't reach into live conversations with someone who wants your help.

Be the first firm to reply, every time

Enquiries reach a law firm in many ways: referrals from estate agents and mortgage brokers, comparison and directory listings, paid search, social campaigns and the contact form on your own website. The source makes little difference to the outcome. What decides it is speed, and most enquiries are won or lost in the first few days.

Xcho runs a structured follow-up sequence across the critical first 72 hours. It replies instantly at any hour, answers straightforward questions about your services using only the information you provide, and keeps the conversation moving until the enquirer is ready to book.

In legal services, the line between helpful information and advice has to be clear. Xcho stays on the right side of it with firm, built-in rules:

• It never gives legal, financial or tax advice, and never comments on the merits of a case
• It makes no promises about outcomes, compensation, timescales or fees beyond what you've told it to share
• It says it's an AI in its opening message, and again whenever it's asked
• STOP and opt-out requests are honoured on every campaign
• Messages designed to trick it into breaking these rules are ignored

Know the matter before the first consultation Free initial consultations are a great way to win clients, but they're expensive when they go to the wrong people. A fee-earner can lose half an hour to someone whose matter falls outside your practice areas, who can't fund the work, or who only wants a quick answer to pass on to another firm.

Xcho gathers the essentials through a short, friendly exchange before anyone from your team picks up the phone. You choose the questions. They might cover:

• The type of matter, such as a sale or purchase, a contested or uncontested divorce, or a road traffic or workplace injury
• Key dates, like an accident date, a dismissal date, a completion target or a visa expiry
• Whether the matter is in England and Wales, or involves another jurisdiction
• How they expect to fund the work: fixed fee, hourly rate, no win no fee or legal expenses insurance
• The names of other parties, so your team can run conflict checks early
• How soon they need help

Once an enquiry fits your criteria, Xcho invites them to book a consultation. If it doesn't, your team hasn't lost an afternoon finding out. Fee-earners spend their time on matters they can take on, and enquirers get a faster, clearer answer.

Let consultations book themselves

How much of your reception team's day goes on finding a time that suits both the client and the fee-earner? Xcho removes that back-and-forth. It plugs into the calendars you already use, including Google Calendar, Microsoft 365 and Calendly, and books appointments wherever there's space.

Once an enquirer has answered the qualifying questions, Xcho shares the available slots by SMS or WhatsApp. The booking goes straight into the right diary, whether that's a conveyancing team, a private client solicitor or a partner in your employment department.

Calendars for multiple fee-earners and departments can be connected, and the Enterprise Plan supports unlimited users.

Win back missed appointments

People miss legal appointments for all sorts of reasons. Some are nervous about what they'll hear, some are juggling childcare or shifts, and some simply forget. Whatever the reason, a missed consultation rarely gets chased properly, and that potential client usually ends up instructing someone else.

Xcho spots no-shows and cancellations as they happen and sends a short, considerate message offering a new time. It's an easy way to recover instructions that would otherwise quietly slip away.

If someone asks not to hear from you again, Xcho adds them to your 'do-not-contact' list straight away. That list is checked before every single message on every campaign, including those your staff send by hand, so nobody is contacted against their wishes.

Revisit the enquiries that never instructed

Most firms' case management systems hold years of enquiries that never became instructions. A couple decided to try mediation first, a buyer's chain collapsed, or an employee wanted to see whether things improved at work. Few teams have the capacity to go back through those records, so the opportunities sit untouched.

Xcho runs reactivation campaigns that gently get back in touch with these contacts. Lives move on quickly: the house goes back on the market, a separation becomes final, a workplace dispute escalates. A short, well-timed message can bring those matters back to you, with no extra marketing spend.

Stay in touch as clients' lives change

A client who trusted you with one matter is often the easiest client to win again, but only if you're in touch at the right moment. Xcho handles that long-term follow-up for you. For example:

• Will reviews: check in with will clients every few years, or after a house move, marriage, divorce or new arrival, to suggest an update
• Lasting powers of attorney: offer LPAs to will and probate clients who don't yet have them in place
• Life-event cross-referrals: invite conveyancing clients to make or update a will once they've completed, and divorce clients to review their will and property arrangements
• Visa and status renewals: contact immigration clients well ahead of visa expiry dates or when they may become eligible to apply for settlement
• Business reviews: prompt commercial clients to review terms and conditions, contracts or shareholder agreements on an annual cycle

Spend your time and expertise more wisely

Solicitors and legal teams are at their best when they're advising clients, preparing documents and moving matters towards completion. Chasing voicemails and resending appointment links isn't a good use of that expertise.

Xcho takes care of the follow-up quietly in the background, turning missed calls, unanswered enquiries and dormant records into booked consultations and new instructions.

Want to convert more of the enquiries you already have? Explore Xcho early access for solicitors, conveyancers and legal practices - join our waitlist today.