Most intake scripts are either a blank notes field or a 40-question form nobody finishes. Neither works. The caller gets frustrated, the notes are thin and your attorney ends up redoing the intake on the consult.
The short answer
A law firm intake script should include a warm greeting, contact details captured early, a quick check that you handle the matter, practice-specific fact questions, an urgency check, a clear boundary on legal advice and a booked consultation at the end. Keep it short enough to finish in one call. The goal is to give your attorney what they need to decide if the case fits, not to run the consult on the phone.
The seven parts of a good script
1. Greeting
Name the firm, give your name and invite them to talk. Keep it human.
"Thanks for calling [Firm]. This is [Name]. How can I help you today?"
Then let them talk for a minute. People calling a lawyer usually need to get the story out before they can answer questions.
2. Contact details, early
Get a name, the best number and permission to text before you go deep. If the call drops, you can call back.
"In case we get cut off, what's the best number to reach you, and is it okay if we text you there?"
3. Do we handle this?
Confirm the practice area and location fit. If you don't handle it, say so kindly and refer out if you can. Don't spend fifteen minutes on a matter you'll decline.
4. Practice-specific facts
This is the core, and it's different for every practice area. A few examples of what you might ask:
- Family law: Is a case already filed? Are there children? Is anyone in danger?
- Criminal defense: Who's charged, with what, and is there a court date? Are they in custody?
- Estate planning: Who is the plan for, and what prompted the call now?
- Probate: Who passed, when, and was there a will?
- Bankruptcy: What's driving the call? Garnishment, lawsuit, foreclosure?
- Immigration: What's the person's current situation and are there any deadlines on paperwork they've received?
Keep it to the five to ten questions that decide fit. The rest can wait for the consult. Our longer law firm intake checklist template has fuller question sets.
5. Urgency check
Every script needs one question that catches emergencies.
"Is there a court date, deadline or anything happening in the next few days that we should know about?"
Decide in advance what happens when the answer is yes, and who gets the call.
6. The advice boundary
Callers will ask "Do I have a case?" or "What will happen to me?" Intake staff and AI agents shouldn't answer that. Give them a line that's honest and still helpful.
"That's exactly what the attorney will go over with you. What I can do is get you on the calendar so you get a real answer."
7. Book the consult and confirm
End with a time, not a promise to call back.
"I have Thursday at 10 or Friday at 2. Which works better? I'll text you a confirmation with the address and what to bring."
What to leave out
- Questions your attorney won't use to decide fit.
- Anything that sounds like legal advice or a prediction.
- Fee negotiations. Give your consult fee if you have one and leave the rest to the attorney.
- Long hold times while someone checks a calendar. Have availability ready.
Where IntakeGenius fits
When you work with IntakeGenius, we build your intake script with you for each practice area you handle, then the AI voice agent runs it on every call and books the consult. The answers land in IntakeCRM so your attorney walks into the consult already knowing the basics. We handle the setup.
If you'd like to hear your own intake questions asked out loud, request a demo. It's a quick 15 minutes, no slides.
Common questions
How long should an intake call take? Long enough to decide fit and book. For most routine matters that's a short call. If calls routinely run long, your script is probably doing the consult's job.
Should I use one script for every practice area? Use one structure, with a different fact section per practice area. Generic questions get generic notes.
Can the script quote fees? It can share your consult fee if you have one. Case fees depend on the facts, so leave those to the attorney.
What if the caller is too upset to answer questions? Slow down, let them talk and come back to the questions. We cover this in how to handle emotional callers.