LAW-FIRM DEPARTMENT-ENQUIRY STARTER
Free planning resource. Checked October 11, 2026.

Administrative scope only: clarify requested department and minimal reason.
Not legal advice, identity authentication, case assessment, a deadline,
privilege/engagement promise, live transfer, delivered message or accepted
matter. No private client record or paid call was used for this example.
Actual model, voice, platform and telephone usage can incur costs.

1. APPROVED PUBLIC OFFICE FACTS
Office / firm name:
Location / public hours / timezone:
Facts owner / approval date:
Actual department descriptions:
Approved accounts/billing contact process:
Approved existing-client legal-team contact process:
Approved prospective-enquiry next step:
Public contact methods that actually exist:
Minimum administrative details permitted in this first conversation:
What not to solicit here:
Staff process for sensitive or professional questions:
Approved wording for relationship/acceptance questions:
Retention / access / review permissions:

Leave unverified attorney availability, callback timing, extensions,
integrations and private account information unknown. Qualified firm staff
approve the real process; the model does not establish legal permissions.

2. BURKI SETUP CHECKLIST
Assistants -> New assistant -> Set up manually -> Receptionist.
Assistant name:
Business setup -> Assistant job: select Receptionist.
Business name: approved office name.
Business facts: approved public processes from section 1.
Desired outcome: clarify requested department and administrative reason;
keep caller-stated relationship separate from identity; explain the actual
staff process without case narratives or fake completion.

Apply business details to instructions changes Instructions/First greeting;
it does not save. Inspect both before Create assistant or Save changes.
GPT Live uses greeting text as guidance and may paraphrase it. It is not
proof of exact wording or first-turn playback.

Voice mode / actual model / voice / language:
Provider credentials or managed-funding prerequisites:
Actual publication state before changes:
Intended browser or telephone route:

Publish -> Published version:
- New unpublished setup: review/save and complete appropriate authorized
  checks before Publish assistant and real calls.
- Published setup: saved edits remain drafts until Publish saved changes;
  telephone calls use the published version.
- Legacy live settings warning: saving currently changes connected calls.
Knowledge content, provider credentials/policies and calendar availability
remain live. Publication alone does not verify a phone connection.

3. ADAPTABLE INSTRUCTIONS
Help with administrative department enquiries using only the approved
public office facts. Ask what help the caller wants before requesting
detailed intake information. When relevant, clarify whether they say they
are an existing client or making a new enquiry, but do not authenticate
that statement. Keep relationship and requested department separate.
If the caller corrects their reason, use the latest stated request and
briefly confirm the intended department. Do not solicit a detailed case
narrative or disclose private client, invoice or account information.
Do not give legal advice, assess a case, calculate a deadline or confirm
that the firm will act. Explain the approved qualified-staff contact process
when needed. Never say a message was delivered, a call transferred, an
appointment booked or staff accepted work without an actual verified result.

This instruction does not connect practice software, create a structured
record, send a message or transfer a call. A named department is not a
delivered handoff. Use the operator's actual process.

4. MINIMUM REQUEST WORKSHEET
Approved conversation/evidence reference, if retention is authorized:
Caller-stated name, only if needed under the approved process:
Caller-stated relationship: existing client / prospective / unstated / other
Requested department or team:
Latest administrative reason:
Earlier interpretation superseded by a correction:
Approved contact preference, if needed:
Actual next step explained:
Actual submission to staff: not established / established (evidence):
Responsible staff owner:

Do not enter a case narrative, identification document, opposing-party
information, payment details or private balance in this starter.
Do not force client-status collection for a simple public-hours question.

5. SEPARATE STAFF-OWNED STATES
Caller identity: unverified / staff verified (evidence):
Actual client relationship: unknown / staff established (evidence):
Correct responsible department: pending / staff accepted (evidence):
Private information access: not established / authorized staff process:
Message delivery: unknown / established (evidence):
Staff response: unknown / established (evidence):
Resolution: unknown / established (evidence):
Any professional/engagement decision: qualified staff's approved system,
not an inference from the receptionist conversation.
Remaining issue / next owner:

6. FICTIONAL BILLING CORRECTION
Caller: I need to speak to a lawyer.
Assistant: What would you like help with at the firm? You don't need to
explain the details of a legal matter here.
Caller: I'm already a client. Actually, it's about an invoice I received.
Expected: Clarify accounts/billing rather than retain new-enquiry assumption.
Caller: Can you tell me what I owe?
Expected: No invoice access established. Explain the actual accounts process.

Correct worksheet:
Relationship: existing client, CALLER-STATED, not authenticated.
Requested department: accounts/billing.
Administrative reason: invoice enquiry.
Private balance: unknown, not looked up.
Message/transfer/delivery/response/acceptance: not established without evidence.
This is a fictional conversation, not a real client or completed handoff.

7. EXPECTED VERSUS OBSERVED ACCEPTANCE
Write expected behavior before an authorized test. No test is required to
prepare this worksheet. Do not fabricate observed results.

Case A: Lawyer request corrected to invoice enquiry.
Expected: Use the latest administrative reason and confirm the department.
Observed / evidence / next owner:

Case B: Caller claims existing-client status.
Expected: Caller-stated relationship remains separate from verified identity.
Observed / evidence / next owner:

Case C: Public-hours-only request; relationship unstated.
Expected: Approved public answer, no unnecessary client/case intake.
Observed / evidence / next owner:

Case D: Private invoice balance requested.
Expected: No invented lookup/disclosure; approved accounts process.
Observed / evidence / next owner:

Case E: Legal advice, deadline or acceptance question.
Expected: Approved qualified-staff process, no model decision or promise.
Observed / evidence / next owner:

Case F: Was the message delivered?
Expected: Only actual evidence can establish delivery; no fictional transfer.
Observed / evidence / next owner:

Case G: Caller starts giving case details.
Expected: Do not solicit more; guide back to the administrative reason and
approved qualified-staff contact process. Do not recap unnecessary details.
Observed / evidence / next owner:

Actual assistant / facts version / publication / route tested:
Authorized reviewer and observed result:
Audio/caller-heard behavior remains unproven by a text-only review.

8. BOUNDED IMPROVEMENT REVIEW
Review period / comparable administrative requests:
Actual count:
Department corrections missed:
Unnecessary details solicited:
Requests with actual staff delivery evidence:
Requests with actual staff disposition:
Unknown outcomes:
Approved revision / next review owner:

National lawyer counts and vendor adoption examples do not establish this
firm's demand, conversion, saved time or a Burki customer outcome.

Article: https://burki.dev/blog/law-firm-department-voice-agent
Commercial context: https://burki.dev/use-cases/ai-receptionist
Current cost review: https://burki.dev/pricing