Cost guide · Updated 11 November 2026
Virtual Receptionist Cost for Law Firms: Per Minute, Per Call or Per Hour
Law-firm receptionist services price by the minute, the call or the hour. A dedicated receptionist at $8/hour costs $693 at 20 hours a week and $1,387 at 40, whatever your call volume. Shared services scale with calls. Use the calculator to find where the lines cross for you.
Calculator: what each provider costs at your volume
Shared services are priced from their published plans at calls × min. Dedicated staff are priced at hrs/week (52 weeks ÷ 12). Nothing is estimated where a provider publishes no price.
| Provider | Model | Monthly | Unit cost | How it's priced |
|---|
Monthly cost at 4 volumes
Same maths as the calculator, at fixed volumes with 3-minute calls. "On request" means no published price.
| Provider | Model | 100 calls | 150 calls | 300 calls | 500 calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HireParalegals | Hourly, dedicated | $1,040–$2,080 | $1,040–$2,080 | $1,040–$2,080 | $1,040–$2,080 |
| Virtual Legal Assistants | Hourly, dedicated | $1,040 | $1,040 | $1,040 | $1,040 |
| Veza Reception | Per minute (shared) | $515 | $773 | $1,421 | $2,219 |
| Responsive Answering | Per minute (shared) | $358 | $535 | $1,009 | $1,699 |
| Posh | Per minute (shared) | $630 | $900 | $1,755 | $2,850 |
| PATLive | Per minute (shared) | $479 | $759 | $1,475 | $2,344 |
| Get Staffed Up | Monthly, full-time | $2,145 | $2,145 | $2,145 | $2,145 |
| Answering Legal | Quote only | On request | On request | On request | On request |
| Abby Connect | Per minute (shared) | $899 | $1,349 | $2,484 | $4,140 |
| LEX Reception | Quote only | On request | On request | On request | On request |
| Smith.ai | Per call (shared) | $915 | $1,440 | $2,100 | $3,800 |
| Ruby | Per minute (shared) | $1,725 | $1,725 | $1,725+ | $1,725+ |
| Back Office Betties | Per minute (shared) | $1,179 | $1,364 | $1,364+ | $1,364+ |
First-year cost at our reference scenario
300 calls/month at 3 minutes (or 30 hrs/wk dedicated). Monthly price × 12, plus any published one-time setup fee.
| Provider | Monthly | Setup | First year | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responsive Answering | $1,009 | $75 | $12,183 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| HireParalegals | $1,040 | — | $12,480 | 30 hrs/wk × published rate |
| Virtual Legal Assistants | $1,040 | — | $12,480 | 30 hrs/wk × published rate |
| Veza Reception | $1,421 | — | $17,052 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| PATLive | $1,475 | — | $17,700 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| Posh | $1,755 | — | $21,060 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| Smith.ai | $2,100 | — | $25,200 | 300-call plan |
| Get Staffed Up | $2,145 | — | $25,740 | full-time price (no published part-time rate) |
| Abby Connect | $2,484 | — | $29,808 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| Answering Legal | Pricing on request | no public price | ||
| LEX Reception | Pricing on request | no public price | ||
| Ruby | No published plan covers this volume | above the largest published plan (500 min) | ||
| Back Office Betties | No published plan covers this volume | above the largest published plan (500 min) | ||
Dedicated receptionist: cost by hours
| Provider | 20 hrs/wk | 30 hrs/wk | 40 hrs/wk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HireParalegals | $693 | $1,040 | $1,387 | Entry $8/hr; mid $12–$14; senior about $16 |
| Virtual Legal Assistants | $693 | $1,040 | $1,387 | From $8/hr |
| Legal Soft | $1,733 | $1,733 | $1,733 | From $10/hr, full-time only |
| Get Staffed Up | $2,145 | $2,145 | $2,145 | Full-time; +$150 for Spanish |
| Back Office Betties | $886–$1,025 per 20 hrs/month | — | — | US-based; hour bundles, $399 onboarding |
Hourly prices use 52 weeks ÷ 12. Full-time-only providers are shown at their full-time price whatever hours you select.
Shared receptionist: cost by calls
At 3-minute calls:
| Provider | 100 calls | 150 calls | 300 calls | 500 calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Responsive Answering | $358 | $535 | $1,009 | $1,699 |
| PATLive | $479 | $759 | $1,475 | $2,344 |
| Veza Reception (legal-only) | $515 | $773 | $1,421 | $2,219 |
| Posh | $630 | $900 | $1,755 | $2,850 |
| Abby Connect | $899 | $1,349 | $2,484 | $4,140 |
| Smith.ai | $915 | $1,440 | $2,100 | $3,800 |
| Ruby | $1,725 | $1,725 | over plan | over plan |
Ruby's largest published plan is 500 minutes; beyond it, ask for a quote.
What changes the price
- Call length. Each extra minute per call adds 33% to a 3-minute call's cost on per-minute plans. Smith.ai's per-call pricing ignores length.
- Rounding. Services that round each call up to the next minute effectively add 30 seconds per call.
- Spanish. Smith.ai +$1/call; Get Staffed Up +$150/month; most others no stated surcharge.
- Setup. Back Office Betties $399, Responsive $75; most others none.
- Scope. A dedicated receptionist's price includes the admin between calls. A shared service's doesn't; that work stays with your staff.
A worked example
A three-attorney family-law firm gets 220 calls a month, about half of them status calls from existing clients, averaging 3 minutes. A paralegal currently spends about 90 minutes a day on the phones.
- Shared (Veza, legal-only): 660 minutes = $789 + 160 × $1.58 = $1,042/month. The paralegal still makes the call-backs and does the follow-up.
- Dedicated (HireParalegals, 30 hrs at $8): $1,040/month. The receptionist answers, makes the status call-backs, books consultations and sends document requests, freeing about 30 paralegal hours a month.
At this volume the two cost almost the same. The difference is the work that comes off the paralegal's desk.
How each provider's price is calculated
HireParalegals — From $8/hour
Entry-level rate of $8/hour, mid-level $12–$14/hour and senior about $16/hour, per the pricing page. Model: Hourly, dedicated. Minimum: Part-time or full-time; hire for the hours you need. Setup: Starting rate stated as inclusive of all fees. Source ↗
Virtual Legal Assistants — From $8/hour
Support starts from $8/hour; the exact rate is confirmed before interviews. Model: Hourly, dedicated. Minimum: Schedule agreed per hire. Setup: No deposit and no placement fee; you pay only after choosing a candidate. Source ↗
Veza Reception — From $200/month (100 minutes)
100 minutes $200 (extra minutes $2.00), 250 $429 ($1.72), 500 $789 ($1.58), 1,000 $1,479 ($1.48). Model: Per minute (shared). Minimum: 100 minutes/month. Setup: No hidden fees stated. Source ↗
Responsive Answering — From $29/month
Basic $29 (0 min, $1.25/min), Standard $149 (125 min, $1.20), Premium $299 (250 min, $1.18), Elite $549 (500 min, $1.15); $75 setup. Model: Per minute (shared). Minimum: None. Setup: $75 one-time. Source ↗
Posh — From $65/month
Chïc $65/month with 0 minutes ($2.30/min); 50 min $130; 100 $215; 200 $420; 350 $700; 500 $975; 1,000 $1,900. Model: Per minute (shared). Minimum: None. Setup: Not stated. Source ↗
PATLive — From $49/month
$49/month with no included minutes ($2.99/min); 50 min $99, 100 $189, 200 $349, 300 $479, 500 $759, 1,000 $1,499, 2,000 $2,899. Model: Per minute (shared). Minimum: None. Setup: Not stated. Source ↗
Get Staffed Up — From $2,145/month
Legal Assistant $2,545/month (+$200 for English/Spanish), Intake Specialist $2,395 (+$150), Receptionist $2,145 (+$150), Executive Assistant $2,245 (+$150), Client Happiness Coordinator $2,245, Billing Assistant $2,145, Marketing Assistant $2,645. Model: Monthly, full-time. Minimum: Full-time placement (a part-time option is mentioned on request). Setup: Not stated on the pricing page. Source ↗
Answering Legal — Pricing via calculator form
Pricing is shown after submitting a form with your minute usage. Model: Quote only. Minimum: Not stated. Setup: No setup fees. Source ↗
Abby Connect — From $164/month (50 minutes)
50 Abby Minutes $164/month, 100 $329, 200 $599, 500 $1,380. Model: Per minute (shared). Minimum: 50 minutes/month. Setup: No setup fee. Source ↗
LEX Reception — Pricing on request
Plans from 150 minutes (0–3 calls/day) to 2,500 minutes (39–47 calls/day); prices given on a consultation. Model: Quote only. Minimum: 150 minutes. Setup: Not stated. Source ↗
Smith.ai — From $300/month (30 calls)
30 calls $300/month (overage $11.50/call), 90 calls $810 ($10.50), 300 calls $2,100 ($8.50). Model: Per call (shared). Minimum: 30 calls/month. Setup: No setup fees. Source ↗
Ruby — From $250/month (50 minutes)
50 minutes $250/month, 100 $395, 200 $720, 500 $1,725. Model: Per minute (shared). Minimum: 50 minutes/month. Setup: No setup or onboarding fees. Source ↗
Back Office Betties — From $338/month (answering) · $886/month (assistant)
Answering plans: 100 minutes $338–$375/month, 200 minutes $630–$700, 400 minutes $1,179–$1,310, 500 minutes $1,364–$1,515 (lower figure with yearly billing). Model: Per minute (shared). Minimum: 20 hours/month (assistant) or 100 minutes (answering). Setup: $399 one-time 30-day onboarding. Source ↗