Verdict
Back Office Betties — From $338/month (answering) · $886/month (assistant). Best for: firms that need US-based receptionists
Wrong choice if: Budget is the deciding factor, or you need Spanish-language answering as standard.
Our take for Chambers Front Desk readers
Back Office Betties is the US-based option, with both answering plans and dedicated assistant hours. Expect to pay more per hour than offshore staff, plus $399 onboarding.
Pricing as published
| Plan | Price | Extra minutes | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 minutes | $338/month | — | $3/min |
| 200 minutes | $630/month | — | $3/min |
| 400 minutes | $1,179/month | — | $3/min |
| 500 minutes | $1,364/month | — | $3/min |
Source: https://backofficebetties.com/pricing/, checked 11 November 2026.
What it costs at different volumes
| Monthly volume | Back Office Betties | How it's priced | HireParalegals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 calls | $1,179 | 400-minute plan | $1,040–$2,080 |
| 150 calls | $1,364 | 500-minute plan | $1,040–$2,080 |
| 300 calls | $1,364+ | above the largest published plan (500 min) | $1,040–$2,080 |
| 500 calls | $1,364+ | above the largest published plan (500 min) | $1,040–$2,080 |
Phone scenarios assume 3-minute calls. Dedicated staff are priced at 30 hrs/week regardless of call volume.
What Back Office Betties publishes
- 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).
- Virtual legal assistant plans: 20 hours $886–$1,025/month, 40 hours $1,661–$1,950, 60 hours $2,325–$2,860.
- All plans start with a $399 one-time onboarding covering 100 minutes or 30 days.
- Receptionists are US-based and legal-trained.
Terms at a glance
| Model | Per minute (shared) |
|---|---|
| Minimum | 20 hours/month (assistant) or 100 minutes (answering) |
| Contract | Monthly or yearly billing |
| Setup / fees | $399 one-time 30-day onboarding |
| Team location | United States |
| Hours | US business hours |
| Spanish | Not stated on its pages |
| Replacement | Not stated |
| Time to start | 30-day fit-to-firm onboarding |
| Roles | Legal assistant, Receptionist, Intake specialist |
How we scored it
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Legal specialisation | 9/10 | Works only with law firms or recruits for legal roles |
| Ownership of follow-up | 9/10 | A named person you manage works your leads and follow-ups |
| Cost at our reference scenario | 3/10 | No published price covers this scenario |
| Spanish / bilingual | 3/10 | No Spanish offer stated |
| After-hours coverage | 4/10 | One person on one US-hours shift; no overnight cover |
| Flexibility of commitment | 7/10 | Monthly plans, but a $399 onboarding first |
| Total | 35/60 | Scoring method |
Our assessment, criterion by criterion
Legal specialisation: 9/10
Works only with law firms or recruits for legal roles. Legal-only providers already know conflict checks, limitation dates and the line between taking facts and giving advice, so your script and training can be shorter.
What we measure: Whether the provider works only with law firms, or recruits specifically for legal roles. Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (9), Virtual Legal Assistants (9), Veza Reception (9).
Ownership of follow-up: 9/10
A named person you manage works your leads and follow-ups. One person keeps each lead until it books or is closed: call-backs, document chasing and engagement letters stay with them.
What we measure: Whether one named person owns the lead after the call: chasing documents, booking the consultation, sending the engagement letter. Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (9), Virtual Legal Assistants (9), Get Staffed Up (9).
Cost at our reference scenario: 3/10
No published price covers this scenario. More expensive than most options at our reference scenario; check whether its strengths justify the premium for you.
What we measure: What the provider would cost at the site's reference scenario, using only published prices. Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (10), Virtual Legal Assistants (10), Responsive Answering (10).
Spanish / bilingual: 3/10
No Spanish offer stated. Spanish is either extra or not offered. Check the cost before you rely on it for PI, immigration or workers' comp callers.
What we measure: Whether Spanish-speaking staff are standard (9), available at a surcharge (7) or not offered (3). Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (9), Virtual Legal Assistants (9), Veza Reception (9).
After-hours coverage: 4/10
One person on one US-hours shift; no overnight cover. Nobody answers outside the shift. Pair it with a pay-as-you-go after-hours service if your call log shows evening or weekend enquiries.
What we measure: Whether a live person answers outside business hours. Highest on this criterion here: Veza Reception (10), Responsive Answering (10), Posh (10).
Flexibility of commitment: 7/10
Monthly plans, but a $399 onboarding first. Expect a full-time commitment, a setup fee or an unpublished minimum. Read the terms before you start a trial.
What we measure: How easy it is to start small and leave: part-time hours, no setup fees and no long contracts score highest. Highest on this criterion here: HireParalegals (9), Veza Reception (9), Posh (9).
What Back Office Betties costs over a year
Twelve months at each volume, plus any published one-time setup fee.
| Volume | Monthly | One-time setup | First 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 calls | $1,179 | $399 | $14,547 |
| 150 calls | $1,364 | $399 | $16,767 |
| 300 calls | No published price covers this volume | ||
| 500 calls | No published price covers this volume | ||
Where it gets cheaper or dearer than a dedicated hire
At 3-minute calls, Back Office Betties costs less than a full-time dedicated person from HireParalegals ($1,040/month at 30 hrs/week) up to about 60 calls a month. Above that, the dedicated person is cheaper, and also does follow-up and admin between calls.
Pros
- US-based staff
- Both answering and part-time assistant plans from one vendor
- Legal-specific intake scripting and CRM integrations
Cons
- $399 onboarding before the monthly plan
- Higher per-hour cost than offshore staffing
- Plan prices quoted with yearly-billing discount as the headline
How Back Office Betties compares on price
Every provider on Chambers Front Desk at our reference scenario (300 calls/month at 3 minutes (or 30 hrs/wk dedicated)), cheapest first. "On request" providers don't publish a price.
| # | Provider | Monthly | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Responsive Answering | $1,009 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| 2 | HireParalegals | $1,040–$2,080 | 30 hrs/wk × published rate |
| 3 | Virtual Legal Assistants | $1,040 | 30 hrs/wk × published rate |
| 4 | Veza Reception | $1,421 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| 5 | PATLive | $1,475 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| 6 | Posh | $1,755 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| 7 | Smith.ai | $2,100 | 300-call plan |
| 8 | Get Staffed Up | $2,145 | full-time price (no published part-time rate) |
| 9 | Abby Connect | $2,484 | 500-minute plan + 400 extra min |
| 10 | Answering Legal | On request | no public price |
| 11 | LEX Reception | On request | no public price |
| 12 | Ruby | $1,725+ | above the largest published plan (500 min) |
| 13 | Back Office Betties | $1,364+ | above the largest published plan (500 min) |
Questions to ask Back Office Betties before you sign
- What US law-firm experience does the candidate have, and in which practice areas?
- Which case-management and phone systems has the candidate used (Clio, MyCase, Filevine, Lawmatics, RingCentral)?
- Is the quoted rate all-in, or are there platform, payroll or equipment fees on top?
- What hours will the person work, and who covers sickness and holidays?
- What happens if the hire doesn't work out: is replacement written into the agreement?
- How is client data protected: company devices, VPN, virtual machines, confidentiality agreements?
- Who is the legal employer, and who handles payroll and local labour obligations?
- What is the notice period to end the engagement?
- Can you guarantee a Spanish-speaking candidate, and at what price?
Alternatives to consider
- HireParalegals — From $8/hour; Dedicated, mostly bilingual legal staff from Latin America on US hours, billed hourly.
- Virtual Legal Assistants — From $8/hour; A hiring service focused only on virtual legal assistants for US law firms.
- Veza Reception — From $200/month (100 minutes); Virtual receptionist service built only for law firms, no long-term contracts.