Law Firm Intake Checklist Template

Most intake problems aren't about effort. They're about the same three or four things getting skipped on a busy day, like a missing phone number, a court date nobody wrote down, or a consult that never got a reminder.

A checklist fixes that. Below is the one we'd hand a new intake person on day one. It's organized by stage, so you can copy the whole thing into your CRM, a shared doc or a laminated sheet by the phone, and cut what doesn't fit your firm.

How to use this template

Treat it as a starting point. Every firm has its own practice areas, fee rules and escalation contacts, and you should fill those in before anyone uses it.

A few ground rules that apply at every stage:

Intake gathers facts and books consults. It never gives legal advice, predicts outcomes or quotes what a case is "worth."
If a caller asks a legal question, the answer is some version of "That's exactly what the attorney will go over with you."
Write things down while you're on the call, not after.

Stage 1: Before the phone rings

Set these up once, then review them every quarter.

[ ] List of practice areas you take, and the ones you don't
[ ] Referral list for matters you don't handle
[ ] Practice-area question sets (see Stage 5)
[ ] Escalation rules: what counts as urgent, who gets called and how
[ ] Consult types, lengths and who takes them
[ ] Consult fee policy, written in one sentence intake can repeat
[ ] Calendar access for whoever books
[ ] One place where every lead gets logged
[ ] After-hours coverage plan (see our after-hours intake guide)

Stage 2: Opening the call

The first 30 seconds decide whether the caller relaxes or keeps their guard up.

[ ] Answer with the firm name and your first name
[ ] Ask how you can help, then let them talk for a moment
[ ] Acknowledge what they said before asking anything
[ ] Set expectations for the call

"Thanks for calling. I'm going to ask you a few questions so the attorney has what they need, and then we'll find a time for you to talk with them. Is now a good time for about ten minutes?"

Stage 3: Contact details

Get these early. If the call drops, you can call back.

[ ] Full legal name
[ ] Best phone number, and whether texting is OK
[ ] Email address
[ ] Mailing address, or at least city and county
[ ] Safe times and ways to reach them
[ ] Whether it's safe to leave a voicemail
[ ] How they heard about the firm

The voicemail question matters more than people think. In family law especially, a message left on a shared phone can cause real harm.

Stage 4: Fit and conflict information

Before the caller gets into the story, confirm you handle this kind of matter and collect the names you need for a conflict check.

[ ] Type of matter in a sentence or two
[ ] Confirm the firm handles it (if not, refer out politely)
[ ] County or court where it's pending or would be filed
[ ] Caller's full name plus any former or maiden names
[ ] Opposing party's full name plus any former names
[ ] Other people or businesses involved
[ ] Run or request the conflict check before the attorney hears details

"Before you tell me what happened, I need a few names so we can make sure we're able to help. It's a standard step for every new caller."

We cover this stage in more depth in running conflict checks at intake.

Stage 5: Matter details by practice area

Keep this short. You need enough for the attorney to decide whether the case fits, not the whole file. Pick the block that matches the call.

Family law

[ ] Divorce, custody, support, modification or something else
[ ] Married or not, and roughly how long
[ ] Children and their ages
[ ] Is anything already filed, and has the caller been served
[ ] Any safety concerns or protective orders
[ ] Does the other side have a lawyer

Criminal defense

[ ] Who is charged, and is the caller that person
[ ] Where they are now (in custody, released, not yet arrested)
[ ] Charges as the caller understands them
[ ] Arresting agency and county
[ ] Next court date and time
[ ] Bond status

Remind family members not to discuss the facts of the case on jail phones.

Immigration

[ ] What the caller wants help with, in their words
[ ] Any notices or letters received, and the dates on them
[ ] Any upcoming hearing or interview
[ ] Whether they're in detention or know someone who is
[ ] Any prior applications or attorneys

Estate planning

[ ] What they want (will, trust, power of attorney, update to an existing plan)
[ ] Married, and any children or stepchildren
[ ] Rough picture of assets (home, retirement accounts, business, property in other states)
[ ] Who's calling, and if it's an adult child, whether the parent can join the consult

Probate

[ ] Name of the person who died and date of death
[ ] County where they lived
[ ] Was there a will or trust, and who has it
[ ] Caller's relationship to the person who died
[ ] Any deadlines, notices or disputes among family

Bankruptcy

[ ] What prompted the call (garnishment, lawsuit, foreclosure, repossession, collection calls)
[ ] Any sale date, court date or garnishment already happening
[ ] Household size and rough monthly income
[ ] Main types of debt
[ ] Any prior bankruptcy filings

Don't let intake try to answer whether someone "qualifies" for a chapter. That's an attorney call, and the rules change. Our post on what a law firm intake script should include has more script language for these questions.

Stage 6: Urgency check

Ask every caller, every time.

[ ] Any court date, hearing, interview or deadline coming up
[ ] Anyone in custody or detention
[ ] Any safety concern right now
[ ] Escalate per your Stage 1 rules if any answer is yes

"Is there anything happening in the next few days, like a court date or a deadline, that the attorney should know about right away?"

Stage 7: Book the consult

Don't end the call with "someone will get back to you" if you can avoid it.

[ ] Offer two specific times
[ ] Confirm phone, video or in person
[ ] Explain the consult fee policy, if any
[ ] Tell them what to bring or have ready
[ ] Confirm their phone and email one more time
[ ] Send a confirmation text or email before you hang up

Stage 8: Wrap up the call

[ ] Recap the next step in one sentence
[ ] Give your name and a direct number
[ ] Ask if they have any questions about the appointment itself
[ ] Thank them

Stage 9: After the call

This is where good calls quietly fall apart.

[ ] Log the lead with notes in your one shared place
[ ] Mark the lead source
[ ] Flag urgent items to the right attorney
[ ] Assign an owner for the next step
[ ] If no consult booked, schedule follow-up for the same day or next morning

Stage 10: Consult to retainer

[ ] Reminders before the consult (we like a confirmation, then 48 hours, 24 hours, the morning of and 30 minutes before)
[ ] Attorney reviews intake notes before the consult
[ ] Engagement letter or retainer sent right after the consult
[ ] Follow-up if unsigned at a few hours, one day and two days
[ ] Close the lead out as signed, declined or referred, with a reason

If no-shows are a problem, start with consultation show rate.

Where IntakeGenius fits

A checklist only works if someone follows it on every call. IntakeGenius builds your practice-area questions into an AI voice agent that answers 24/7 and books the consult. IntakeCRM then handles Stages 9 and 10 for you, with the five reminders, the retainer sent for e-signature within minutes of the consult and follow-ups if it sits unsigned. We do the setup.

Want to see your checklist running on a real call? Book a 15-minute demo. No slides.