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Total screen and transfer is a premium feature used by law firms who want to speak only to high-value or urgent callers—without taking every single call themselves. Here's exactly how it works, what it offers, and how it compares to other call handling methods:

What Is Total Screen and Transfer?

In this setup, Answering Legal answers every incoming call, performs a complete legal intake, and then only attempts to transfer the call if it meets your pre-approved criteria.

How It Works

1. All calls are forwarded to Answering Legal—this can be via always-on, time-based, or rollover forwarding.
2. Our trained receptionist:
   1. Greets the caller with your law firm’s custom script.
   2. Collects essential details (name, contact, case type, urgency, etc.).
   3. Assesses the nature of the call.
3. If the call qualifies (e.g., a new personal injury lead), we attempt a warm transfer to you or your designated contact.
4. If no transfer is made, a detailed message is sent instantly.

Pros and Cons

Best Use Cases

• Attorneys who want to maximize their time and only speak to potential clients.
• Firms who receive frequent unqualified calls (spam, sales, wrong numbers).
• Lawyers who are often in court or meetings and want lead filtering.

Customization Options

• Define what counts as a “qualified” transfer (e.g., only criminal law leads, only new matters).
• Set availability rules—e.g., transfer during business hours only.
• Provide a fallback plan—if you're unavailable, do you want a voicemail, email, or scheduled callback?