A practical intake checklist for law firms

A good first contact gives a law firm enough information to route a potential matter without asking the caller to recite the entire story. This checklist helps a team design a consistent intake path. It is an operations guide, not legal advice.

Start with routing facts

Record the caller’s name, preferred contact method, general matter type, relevant location, and any imminent deadline they mention. Explain that sending an inquiry does not create an attorney-client relationship. Avoid promising representation before the firm completes its checks.

Protect confidentiality

Use an approved intake channel. Do not ask for a long narrative or sensitive documents until the right person has reviewed the request. Tell the caller how the firm handles information and who can access it. Where a conflict check is required, collect only the facts needed for that check.

Decide who responds

Create a routing rule for urgent deadlines, existing clients, new matters, and inquiries outside the firm’s practice. Assign an owner and a target response time. If the firm cannot help, provide a clear, courteous response without giving case-specific advice.

Review the process

Each week, look at missed inquiries, duplicate entries, unanswered messages, and the time between first contact and follow-up. Update the intake prompts when they create confusion. The goal is a reliable handoff, not a longer form.

Teams exploring a structured intake workflow can review Archivar.