Note · Law firms

What happens to a law firm’s new leads in the first 48 hours

Most people who hire a lawyer contact more than one firm, and four in five say they would move on after 48 hours of silence.

26% of personal-injury firms never replied

Hennessey Digital, a legal marketing agency, sent test leads through more than 1,300 law firm websites. In 2025, 25% replied in under five minutes, up from 13% in 2021, and 74% replied within a week. The other 26% never replied at all.

Replies to a test lead, personal-injury firms

Share of firm websites, 2021 vs 2025

Under 5 minutes, 2021
13%
Under 5 minutes, 2025
25%
Within 7 days, 2021
59%
Within 7 days, 2025
74%
Never replied, 2025
26%

Source: Hennessey Digital, 2025 fastest-responding personal injury firms. An agency study of 1,300+ firm websites. The under-5-minute share is part of the within-7-days share

In Clio’s test, a third of firms answered an email

In Clio’s 2024 secret-shopper test of law firms, only 33% answered an email and 40% answered the phone, down from 56% in 2019. 48% could not be reached by phone at all, per a summary of the Legal Trends Report. Of the firms that did answer by email, only 18% explained next steps and costs.

80% would call another firm after 48 hours of silence

In Martindale-Avvo’s 2023 consumer study, only 11% hired the first attorney they contacted, and 79% of people who hired a lawyer contacted more than one.

Lawyers bill 2.9 hours of an 8-hour day

Clio’s 2024 report puts average billable time at 2.9 hours of an 8-hour day, or 37%, across lawyers at all firm sizes. Client intake and follow-up live in the other five hours.

What we would look at first

Time to first reply by lead source, how many leads have a next step booked by day two, hours of document assembly per matter, and how often clients call asking where their case stands.

If you run a firm of 20 to 100 people and want to see those numbers for your own intake, it is a 20-minute call.

Talk to us

Sources