Legal Intake Compliance

Last updated: April 6, 2026

Afterhours AI's legal vertical is designed to function as an intake assistant — not a legal advisor. Every aspect of the voice agent is built to stay on the right side of unauthorized practice of law (UPL) rules, State Bar advertising regulations, and attorney-client privilege boundaries.

Georgia State Law

Unauthorized Practice of Law (O.C.G.A. § 15-19-51 & 15-19-52)

Georgia law defines what constitutes the practice of law and makes unauthorized practice a misdemeanor. The AI is hardcoded to never cross the UPL line. It gathers facts, expresses empathy, assesses urgency, and routes callers to the right attorney. That is the full scope of what it does.

The AI never:

Gives legal advice or opinions on case merits
Says “you have a case” or “that sounds like negligence”
Predicts outcomes, chances of winning, or potential damages
States or applies statute of limitations deadlines to a caller's situation
Recommends whether to file, settle, or take legal action
Interprets specific laws, statutes, or regulations for the caller
Discusses specific fee amounts, retainers, or contingency percentages (unless the firm has explicitly configured fee ranges)
Uses language like “we advise” or “in our legal opinion”

State Bar of Georgia — Rules of Professional Conduct

Rule 5.3 — Supervision of Non-Lawyer Assistants

The AI operates as a non-lawyer assistant under the supervising attorney's responsibility. The firm configures what the AI can share (practice areas, consultation availability, intake questions), and the AI stays within those boundaries.

Rule 5.5 — Unauthorized Practice of Law

The AI never assists in the unauthorized practice of law. It does not provide legal analysis, case evaluation, or strategic guidance. When callers ask questions that would require legal judgment, the AI uses natural deflection responses that redirect to the attorney.

Rules 7.1–7.5 — Attorney Advertising

The AI's greeting and behavior are considered “communications about services” under Rule 7.1. The AI never makes claims about the firm's success rate, case outcomes, or capabilities that haven't been authorized by the firm. It identifies itself as an AI assistant and never uses outcome-implying language like “we win” or “we'll fight for you.”

Attorney-Client Privilege

Attorney-client privilege does not attach to conversations with an AI intake system. This is a critical distinction. The AI is designed with this in mind:

The AI never tells callers “this conversation is privileged” or “protected” — because it isn't
If asked about confidentiality, the AI responds: “The information you share helps the firm prepare to assist you. For questions about attorney-client privilege, the attorney can discuss that with you directly.”
All intake data is stored securely with encryption and access controls

Caller Safety Protections

Domestic Violence Callers

If a caller mentions domestic violence, safety threats, or a protective order, the AI activates safety protocols. It will never read back or confirm any address, location, or physical description — because someone may be listening. The call is flagged as critical urgency for immediate attorney notification.

Criminal Defense Callers

The AI does not tell criminal defense callers that their conversation is “confidential” because it is not. Information shared with the AI intake system may be discoverable. The AI gathers facts for attorney follow-up without creating a false sense of privilege.

Urgency Detection & Escalation

The AI automatically assesses urgency based on caller signals. Critical situations trigger immediate attorney notification via SMS:

Caller is in custody or just arrested
Active domestic violence or safety threat
Court date within 48 hours
Active medical emergency related to the case
Imminent eviction or deportation proceedings

HIPAA Considerations

Personal injury and medical malpractice intake calls may involve health information (injuries, medical treatment, hospital visits). While Afterhours AI is not a covered entity under HIPAA, we treat health-related intake data with elevated security:

Intake data is stored in encrypted database fields
Call recordings use signed URLs with 15-minute expiry
Access is restricted to the firm's authorized users
Data retention follows the firm's configured policies

TCPA & Recording Consent

The AI discloses call recording in every greeting. Verbal consent for follow-up contact is captured and logged before the call ends. The AI never makes outbound calls or sends unsolicited communications.

Caller Identity & Data Leak Prevention

The AI does not verify caller identity. It cannot confirm that the person calling is who they claim to be. To prevent data leaks:

The AI never shares case details, prior call summaries, or private notes with unverified callers
Returning callers are greeted by name only — the AI does not read back previous case information
If a caller asks “what did we discuss last time,” the AI redirects to attorney follow-up

AI Identity Disclosure

The AI identifies itself as an AI intake assistant in the greeting. If directly asked, it confirms it is not an attorney, paralegal, or human. It never implies legal credentials or uses language like “in our legal opinion.”

Built-In Compliance Controls

UPL Guard — pattern detection identifies when callers ask for legal advice and triggers compliant deflection responses
Practice Area Routing — the AI automatically triages callers to the correct practice area based on their description
Compliance Event Logging — every UPL deflection, urgency assessment, and consent event is timestamped and stored for audit
Full Call Recording & Transcription — every call is recorded and transcribed for firm review
Configurable Intake Questions — firms control exactly what questions the AI asks per practice area
Fee Boundary Controls — the AI only discusses fees if the firm has explicitly configured fee ranges to share

Questions?

If you have questions about our compliance practices or need documentation for your firm or state bar, contact us at compliance@getafterhours.ai.