The reception workspace
The screens a receptionist works from, what the context panel shows, and how availability decides what is routed to you.
For: OwnerStaff
On this page
The Reception workspace is where calls, callbacks, voicemail, text messages, prospects and appointments are handled. It is built so a receptionist can do almost all front-office work without leaving the screen, and always knows which firm a caller dialed.
Live carrier service is not available yet. The workspace is built and tested end to end against a simulated carrier. Connecting your real phone lines and text messaging through the carrier service (Twilio) is in early access until it is certified. See Phone, email, payment and calendar providers.
Who uses it
Receptionists and intake staff. These can be the firm's own employees or a shared workforce authorized for the firm; LegalBook-staffed teams are not available yet. Supervisors see the same screens read-only, plus their own console.
The screens
| Sidebar item | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Home | Your availability, what is waiting, your callbacks, your unread messages, today's service levels and the firms you serve |
| Queue | Everything waiting in the reception queues you are eligible for. Each waiting call shows the firm line the caller dialed, so a call forwarded to the wrong firm is visible. Below: new voicemails, unassigned message threads and unassigned callbacks |
| Messages | The text-message inbox, with assignment, approved templates, opt-out state and internal notes |
| Voicemails | New, assigned and handled voicemails, each with its audio and, where available, a transcript |
| Callbacks | Callbacks due now, upcoming, attorney callbacks, overdue and done |
| Call history | Past calls with their notes and dispositions |
| Intakes / Prospects | The prospects you are working with and their intakes |
| Appointments | Booking and today's appointments |
| Contact search | Look up a caller by name, phone or email |
| Complaints | Log a complaint from a caller |
On a phone, the main screens sit in a tab bar at the bottom: Home, Queue, Messages and Callbacks.
The active call screen
When you accept a call, the active call screen opens:
- The call controls stay docked: hold, mute, keypad, transfer, add a participant and end.
- The centre holds the caller, caller verification, the caller's matters, the playbook for this kind of call, quick actions, your internal notes and proposed follow-ups.
- The context panel on the right shows the firm line that was called, the caller's flags and warnings, what you may disclose to this caller, their prior contacts and the call's event log.
The firm's identity (name, brand, local time and any standing instruction) is always on screen.
When the call ends, the wrap-up replaces the centre. See Handling calls, callbacks and voicemail.
Caller match and context
When a call arrives, LegalBook looks up the caller's number against the firm's contacts, prospects and clients, and attaches what it finds: preferred language, existing matters, assigned attorney or team, prior calls, open requests and outstanding documents. If the lookup takes too long, the call goes ahead as an unknown caller with a warning rather than waiting.
Until a caller is verified, status details stay locked. Verification asks the questions your firm configured; the answers themselves are never stored, only whether each one passed.
Your availability
Your availability decides what is routed to you. Set it from the control in the top bar:
| State | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Available | Ready for calls and work items |
| Busy | On a call or a work item; nothing new is routed |
| Wrap-up | Finishing notes after a call |
| Offline | Off shift; nothing is routed |
If your connection drops during a call, the call goes back to the queue rather than ringing a dead line.
Playbooks in the call
The playbook panel shows the step-by-step script your firm approved for this kind of call, in the caller's language where available. It changes as you answer its questions. See Playbooks and procedures.