The boundary is the design
A chatbot on a law firm's site must never give anything that could be construed as legal advice. That is a regulatory matter and it shapes the entire configuration.
It explains how you work, not what someone should do. That distinction should be visible in the wording of every answer, not only in a disclaimer nobody reads.
What it can helpfully do
- Explain whether you handle this type of matter
- Describe your fee structure — fixed, hourly, conditional
- Explain the process and typical timescales
- Take initial enquiry details for a proper call
- Point to your published guides on common questions
What it must never do
- Answer “do I have a case” in any form
- Interpret a document or a situation
- Give a limitation period as advice
- Comment on the merits of anything
- Suggest a course of action
Conflict checks and confidentiality
Enquirers will type details of their matter. Handle those with the same care as any client information, keep retention short and control who can see the transcripts.
Conflict checking remains a human process. The bot should capture enough for it to be run properly, not attempt it.
Where it genuinely helps
Fee transparency and process explanation are what prospective clients most want and most struggle to find. Answering those well, at any hour, converts.
It also filters the matters you do not handle, politely, before anyone's time is spent.