Your attorneys are spending consult time on people you can't help. Wrong practice area, wrong state, or someone who just wanted a free legal opinion. Meanwhile real cases wait for a callback.
The short answer
Qualify law firm leads by checking four things on the first call: whether you handle the matter, whether it's in your jurisdiction, how urgent it is, and whether the person is ready and able to move forward. Leads that fit get a consult booked on the spot. Leads that don't get a kind referral or a follow-up plan, not silence.
The four checks
1. Do we handle this kind of matter?
The fastest check. A bankruptcy firm doesn't need a 20-minute call with someone who wants a will. Ask what's going on and confirm it's a matter your firm takes.
"Can you tell me a little about what's going on, so I can make sure we're the right firm for this?"
2. Is it in our jurisdiction?
Ask where the person lives and where the matter is. Depending on the practice area, that could be where a case is filed, where someone was charged, or where a person lived when they passed. Get your attorneys to define this so intake isn't guessing.
3. How urgent is it?
Timing changes everything. A court date next week, a garnishment that just started, a deadline on a notice. Urgent matters may need a same-day consult or an attorney callback. Matters with no deadline can book a normal slot.
"Is there a court date, a deadline or anything else coming up soon?"
4. Are they ready and able to move forward?
This is the hardest one to ask well. You want to know if the caller is the decision-maker, whether they're ready to act, and whether they understand there's a cost to hiring a lawyer. Be direct and kind.
"Our consultations are [free / $X]. Is that something that works for you?"
If an adult child is calling for a parent, find out whether the parent knows and will be part of the consult. That matters in estate planning and elder law.
What intake should not do
Intake qualifies fit. It doesn't judge the merits of the case. Don't tell callers whether they'll win, whether they have a case or what the outcome will be. That's legal advice, and it's the attorney's job.
Don't over-screen either. A caller who's vague or upset may still have a strong matter. When in doubt, book the consult and let the attorney decide.
Give every lead one of four outcomes
Give your intake team, human or AI, a clear decision for each lead:
- Book. Fits on all four checks.
- Book urgent. Fits, with a near-term deadline. Escalate to an attorney.
- Nurture. Fits, but not ready yet. Add to a follow-up sequence.
- Refer out. Doesn't fit. Give a referral if you have one.
Write those rules down per practice area. The questions behind each check belong in your script. See what a law firm intake script should include for how to structure it.
Track what happens next
Qualification only works if you check it against results. Once a month, look at booked consults that didn't sign and ask why. If a lot of them failed one of the four checks, tighten that question. Our post on lead-to-consultation rate shows how to measure it.
Where IntakeGenius fits
IntakeGenius runs your qualifying questions on every call. The AI voice agent asks the questions your attorneys set for each practice area, books consults for leads that fit, and flags urgent calls under the escalation rules you choose. IntakeCRM keeps the not-ready leads in a follow-up sequence instead of a forgotten notes file. We build and configure it for you.
Curious how it would screen your calls? Request a demo. It's a 15-minute call, no slides.
Common questions
Should I charge for consultations to filter leads? Some firms do, and it can filter out people who aren't serious. It can also scare off good clients in some practice areas. Decide based on your market and test it.
What do I do with leads that don't qualify? Refer them if you can. A good referral builds goodwill and sometimes comes back as a referral to you.
Can AI qualify leads? It can ask your qualifying questions consistently and book the leads that fit. Judgment calls on edge cases and the merits of a case stay with your attorneys.
How many questions should qualifying take? Usually a handful. If you need far more than that to decide fit, some of those questions belong in the consult.