Client Intake Process: What It is and Tools to Convert

 

By The MyCase Team

The client intake process benefits law firms and clients alike, pairing legal needs with the right firm.

A strong client intake process is integral to your law firm’s success. It acts like a compass, steering your case workload to client needs that match your expertise and resources. But how does one master the art of an efficient client intake process when you’re unsure where to start?

This blog will give you the answers you need to understand and optimize your firm’s client intake process. We’ll cover the core components of a legal intake form, share an overview of the process, and provide conversion tools that help you make the most out of your leads.

What is the Client Intake Process?

Your legal intake process should collect essential information from the client.
The client intake process is the first stage in the relationship between a law firm and potential clients. It uses a client intake form to gather essential information from individuals seeking legal aid. It also helps your firm identify any conflicts and determine if your capabilities (financial, time, speciality, etc.) align with their needs. 

Ultimately, the legal intake process ensures you’re equipped to take on the case and client before proceeding.

What Information Does the Client Intake Form Gather?

The intake form is a fundamental tool in the client intake process. It helps you collect the necessary information to assess the case appropriately. 

Here are some critical items to include in your intake form:

  1. Contact information: This includes the client’s name, address, phone number, and email address.
  2. Case details: Clients are asked to provide a brief description of their legal issue or case so you can understand the nature of the matter.
  3. Legal history: Clients may be required to disclose any previous legal matters or related cases, providing context for the current situation.
  4. Financial information: Some forms may request details about the client’s financial situation, which can be crucial for determining eligibility for legal aid or fee structures.
  5. Conflicts of interest: Clients should disclose any potential conflicts of interest, such as relationships with opposing parties or prior interactions with the law firm.
  6. Timeline and deadlines: Clients should provide information about important dates or deadlines related to their case.
  7. Documents and evidence: Depending on the case, clients may be asked to submit relevant documents or evidence to support their claims.
  8. Preferred method of contact: Clients can indicate their preferred mode of communication, whether it’s email, phone, or in-person meetings.
  9. Privacy and consent: The form often includes a section where clients grant consent for the law firm to collect, store, and use their personal and case-related information.
  10. Referral source: Clients may be asked how they learned about the law firm, helping the firm evaluate its marketing and outreach efforts.

How to Optimize the Client Intake Process

Enhance your law firm client intake by providing digital form options and eSignatures.
The next items are important to consider as you refine your client intake process. These items will help you convert potential clients into your next case.

Consultations

Don’t overlook the power of the initial consultation. One of the primary reasons for developing a legal intake process is to keep the relationships moving forward to the initial consultation. The attorney can then close the deal in person or via Zoom.

Legal Information

Many new clients are inquisitive about how the legal process works and what you will do for them. Your client intake process should share information about how the case will be handled and progress throughout its lifetime. You can discuss this information in greater detail over video, text, and phone.

It’s important to understand that educating the client is foundational to establishing a positive client-attorney relationship and trust.

Pricing Information

As part of the law firm client intake process, you’ll need to have transparent pricing. One way to do this is with a pricing sheet (including any discount rates you may want to offer). This ensures your clients understand your rates from the get-go. 

Without a price sheet, it’s difficult to set financial expectations. You should also give clients an idea of how many hours it may take if you’re performing work at an hourly rate.

Electronic Signature

Many law firms have gone paperless, and eSignatures are the new normal. Make sure your law firm also has a digital intake form that accepts electronic signatures. Without these digital options, your firm risks appearing outdated.

Engagement Agreement

Consider the law firm client intake form as the first part of your engagement agreement. Then, actually engage with your new client. An engagement agreement is a great opportunity to discuss how your practice works, the technology you use, communication protocols, and financial expectations. 

This is not the end of your engagement with the legal consumer; it’s just the beginning.

Tools for the Next Steps in Legal Intake

Grow your law firm's conversions with legal intake process software tools.
Legal client intake doesn’t stop after they’ve filled out the form. Your firm needs to have a process in place for turning these leads into clients. Here are some tools that can help boost your firm’s conversion rate:

Engagement Tools

A nightmare scenario for any law firm is when a lead exits due to a lack of interest or action. This can happen in many ways. Maybe no one picks up the phone or a contact form submission doesn’t receive a response. It could even be the fault of the law firm’s website if it’s not working properly. 

To prevent this, make sure your firm has practices in place to meet clients whenever they reach out for contact. For example, you can add a virtual receptionist service for incoming calls—even after hours. Live chat tools also allow potential clients to engage with your firm via a human or a chatbot’s scripted conversation.

As for their next visit, online scheduling tools allow qualified leads to schedule meetings at your firm. This process avoids the back-and-forth of email-based scheduling and allows them to pick from available times on your staff’s calendars.

Lead Management Tools

Customer relationship management (CRM) software can help manage leads and follow-up client communications. Modern-day CRM software no longer just includes client management features like a client portal. It will intake leads and run them through follow-up sequences, which can be automated to save you time.

Conversion Tools

Once you’re ready to work with a potential client, there are tools for helping your firm close the deal.

If your client is unable to make it into the office, video conferencing software, like Zoom, is an adequate replacement for addressing any questions before signing the engagement agreement.

You can also set up payment plans, making your legal services more accessible to a wider audience. 

Finally, familiarize your potential client with your firm’s client portal software. This shows clients how they’ll stay in contact with you, and their case, as you work together. This helps them feel at ease with the process of moving forward, showing that you and important information is always available.

Let MyCase Improve Your Law Firm’s Client Intake Process

MyCase is here to help your firm optimize workflows and win more clients. Our comprehensive client and case management software does the heavy lifting for you, so you can focus on what matters most: growing your business

Our digital client intake process eliminates manual work, helping you take on more clients and close more cases. Clients can fill out the legal intake form from any device, and your lawyers will receive a notification as soon as it’s submitted. You can also embed this form directly into your web design, so any website visitors can potentially become your next client.

As for follow-ups, our lead management tools help your team stay on top of conversion opportunities. Track and manage leads from a centralized location, making it easier for lawyers to integrate follow-up communications into their daily workflow. 

Try MyCase today with a 10-day free trial to see the difference for yourself. No commitment or credit card is required, and you can cancel anytime.