Twilio Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)
Lextiff offers an integrated telephony solution that enables law firms to make and receive phone calls and manage SMS communications directly within the platform. Powered by a Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) model, the integration allows firms to connect their own Twilio account and use its telephony services without paying additional calling or messaging markups to Lextiff.
Rather than relying on a third-party dialer or switching between multiple applications, legal professionals can communicate with clients, insurance adjusters, witnesses, and other case-related contacts directly from their Lextiff workspace.
By connecting your firm's Twilio credentials, you retain control over your telephony account and carrier billing while benefiting from Lextiff's native communication interface and case management integration.
1. How Lextiff's Native Telephony Works
Lextiff connects directly to your firm's Twilio account through a secure API integration. Once configured, the platform provides an integrated softphone experience within your browser.
Key Features
Native In-App Calling & SMS
Make and receive calls and manage SMS communications without leaving your Lextiff workspace. The integrated dialer allows staff to communicate while simultaneously accessing relevant case information.
Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) Model
Connect your own Twilio account using your API credentials. Your firm maintains control over its telephony services and pays Twilio directly according to its applicable usage rates and pricing plan.
No Additional Telephony Markup
Lextiff does not add a secondary markup to the underlying Twilio carrier usage charges. Your communication costs are billed through your own Twilio account.
Automated Call Routing
Configure incoming call workflows using extension-based routing, case-owner assignment, reception groups, and fallback handling.
Centralized Communication Logging
Keep communication records organized within Lextiff. Supported call recordings and voicemails can be associated with relevant client case records, reducing the need to manage communication files separately.
2. Connecting Your Twilio Account
To activate native calling and SMS functionality, your firm must first connect its Twilio account to Lextiff.
Once the integration is configured, administrators can manage the available telephony services through the integration settings.
Integration Controls
The telephony configuration panel provides the following controls:
Twilio Connection Status: View whether your Twilio account is successfully connected.
Enable SMS: Enable or disable SMS functionality.
Voice Enabled: Enable or disable voice calling functionality.
Call Recording: Configure whether supported calls should be recorded.
Recording Disclosure: Set a customized disclosure message for callers where applicable.
For example, a firm may configure the following recording disclosure:
"This call may be recorded for quality and training purposes."
The disclosure should be reviewed and configured according to the applicable consent, recording, and wiretapping laws in the jurisdictions where the firm operates.
3. Native In-App Softphone Workspace
Lextiff provides a browser-based softphone that opens directly within the application. Its interface is designed to make everyday communication accessible without interrupting case management activities.
3.1 Agent Status and Dialer Information
At the top of the softphone interface, users can view important telephony information, including:
Current availability status (e.g., Available).
Assigned office extension.
Firm's configured outgoing phone number.
Access to the dialing interface.
This allows team members to identify their calling status and extension before initiating or receiving communications.
3.2 Navigation and Communication Tabs
The softphone provides quick navigation between the following sections:
Recents: Access recent call activity and communication history.
Contacts: View available contacts.
Keypad: Manually enter a phone number and initiate an outgoing call.
3.3 Teams and Cases Directory
The directory is organized into two primary views:
Teams
Access internal team members and their assigned extensions. This makes it easier for staff to communicate with colleagues within the firm.
Cases
Access client-related contacts associated with active matters. Users can search for a case and initiate communication with relevant parties directly from the case directory.
4. Matter-Centric Contact Management
One of the key advantages of Lextiff's native telephony system is its integration with case records.
Instead of manually searching through individual case files to locate contact information, users can access relevant phone numbers through the softphone's Cases directory.
Case Search and Contact Access
The Cases view provides a searchable directory of active matters, displaying relevant case names and primary contact numbers.
When a user selects a case, the associated contact panel displays available phone numbers organized by contact category.
Depending on the information maintained in the case record, these categories may include:
Client: Contact details of the injured party or primary client.
Insurance: Phone numbers of insurance companies, claims representatives, and assigned adjusters.
Witnesses: Contact details of individuals associated with the incident or matter.
Vendors: Contact information for medical providers, investigators, and other external service providers connected to the case.
Users can select an available phone number to initiate a call directly through the integrated dialer.
This matter-centric approach helps legal teams maintain communication in the context of their ongoing cases.
5. Configuring Incoming Call Routing
Lextiff supports a multi-level incoming call routing system that helps firms direct calls to the appropriate team members.
Administrators can configure a sequence of routing rules that determine how incoming calls are handled when someone contacts the firm's main business number.
The routing workflow can include the following five stages.
Step 1: Extension Prompt (IVR)
When a caller reaches the firm's main number, an automated greeting welcomes them and prompts them to enter the extension of the person they wish to contact.
Administrators can customize the greeting message.
Example greeting:
"Welcome to the Morgan Law Firm. Please enter the extension of the person you wish to reach."
A configurable waiting period allows callers to enter their desired extension before the system proceeds to the next routing rule.
Step 2: Case Owner Routing
If the caller does not enter a valid extension or no extension is selected, the system can attempt to identify the caller through their phone number and associate the incoming call with a relevant client or case record.
When a matching case and assigned case owner are identified, the call can be routed to the responsible attorney or team member.
Administrators can configure the ring duration. For example, the case owner's extension may ring for 15 seconds before the system moves to the next stage.
This helps ensure that client calls reach the appropriate case-handling professional whenever possible.
Step 3: Reception Group Routing
If the case owner does not answer, the system can forward the incoming call to a designated reception or support group.
Administrators can choose between the available routing options and select specific team members to receive incoming calls.
Example configuration:
John Morgan (Extension 101): Selected
Matt Morgan (Extension 102): Selected
Vick Gates (Extension 103): Not Selected
In this example, calls will ring John Morgan and Matt Morgan simultaneously.
The ring duration can be customized. For instance, the selected reception members may receive the call for 20 seconds before the system proceeds to the final fallback stages.
This provides additional opportunities for incoming calls to be answered even when the primary case owner is unavailable.
Step 4: No-Answer Message
If no team member answers the incoming call, the system can play a predefined automated message.
Administrators can customize the message according to their firm's communication preferences.
Example message:
"No one is available to take your call right now. Please try again later. Thank you."
This informs callers that their call has not been answered and prepares them for the voicemail stage.
Step 5: Voicemail Capture and Case Association
Lextiff allows callers to leave a voicemail instead of disconnecting immediately when no team member is available.
Administrators can enable voicemail capture and configure a customized voicemail greeting.
Example voicemail greeting:
"Please leave a message after the tone. When you are finished, you may hang up."
The following voicemail settings can be configured:
Voicemail Availability: Enable or disable voicemail capture.
Maximum Recording Duration: Configure the maximum voicemail length (e.g., 120 seconds).
Voicemail Greeting: Customize the automated message played before recording begins.
Storage Destination: Supported voicemail recordings are automatically uploaded to the relevant client case record under the native Voicemails section.
This keeps client messages accessible within the corresponding case file rather than requiring staff to search through separate email inboxes or external communication systems.
6. Call Recording and Legal Compliance
Lextiff includes configurable call recording functionality through its telephony integration.
When enabled, supported calls can be recorded and associated with the relevant communication records.
Administrators can also configure a custom recording disclosure message that informs callers about call recording.
Example disclosure:
"This call may be recorded for quality and training purposes."
Important Compliance Considerations
Call recording and SMS communications are subject to different legal and regulatory requirements depending on the jurisdiction.
Law firms should ensure that their recording disclosures, consent mechanisms, retention policies, and communication practices comply with applicable federal and state laws.
Configuring a disclosure message alone does not guarantee legal compliance. Firms remain responsible for determining and implementing the appropriate consent requirements.
7. Saving Your Call Routing Configuration
After configuring the incoming call workflow, administrators must save their changes to apply the updated routing settings.
To finalize your configuration:
Review the extension prompt and greeting.
Verify the case-owner routing settings and ring duration.
Confirm the selected reception group members.
Review the no-answer message.
Verify voicemail settings and recording duration.
Click the Save Routing Settings button at the bottom of the configuration page.
Your updated routing configuration will then be saved.
We recommend testing the complete incoming call workflow using an external phone number to verify that each routing stage behaves as expected.
8. Benefits of Lextiff's Native Telephony Integration
By combining telephony functionality with legal case management, Lextiff helps law firms streamline their communication processes.
Key benefits include:
Unified Workspace: Make and receive calls without switching between separate applications.
Direct Carrier Billing: Use your own Twilio account and pay applicable carrier charges directly.
Matter-Centric Communication: Access client and case-related contacts through the integrated dialer.
Improved Call Distribution: Route incoming calls to case owners, reception teams, and designated extensions.
Centralized Voicemails: Associate supported voicemail recordings with relevant case records.
Flexible Configuration: Customize extensions, routing rules, ring durations, and voicemail greetings.
Greater Cost Transparency: Maintain visibility and control over telephony usage through your own Twilio account.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do I need a separate Twilio account to use Lextiff telephony?
Yes. Lextiff uses a Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) model, which requires your firm to connect its own Twilio account and configure the necessary API credentials.
2. Does Lextiff charge additional fees for calls and SMS?
Lextiff does not add a secondary markup to Twilio's underlying carrier usage charges. Your firm is billed directly by Twilio according to its applicable pricing and usage.
3. Can I make calls without leaving Lextiff?
Yes. The integrated browser-based softphone allows users to initiate calls directly from the Lextiff workspace.
4. Can I call clients directly from their case records?
Yes. The Cases directory allows users to access phone numbers associated with clients and other case-related contacts and initiate calls through the integrated dialer.
5. Can incoming calls be routed to specific attorneys?
Yes. The incoming call routing system supports case-owner routing, allowing calls to be directed to the responsible attorney when a matching client or case can be identified.
6. Can multiple reception members receive an incoming call simultaneously?
Yes. Administrators can select specific team members for reception group routing. Selected members can receive the incoming call simultaneously based on the configured ring duration.
7. What happens if nobody answers an incoming call?
The system can play a customized no-answer message and then allow the caller to leave a voicemail, provided voicemail capture is enabled.
8. Where are incoming voicemails stored?
Supported voicemail recordings are automatically associated with the relevant client case record and made available under the case's native Voicemails section.
9. Can I customize the incoming call greeting and voicemail message?
Yes. Administrators can configure custom IVR greetings, no-answer messages, and voicemail greetings according to their firm's requirements.
10. Can I enable or disable call recording?
Yes. Administrators can configure the available call recording settings through the telephony integration. Ensure that your firm's recording practices comply with applicable consent and disclosure requirements.
Need assistance?
If you need help connecting your Twilio account, configuring incoming call routing, or troubleshooting your native telephony integration, contact the Lextiff Support Team for assistance.