Law firm intake script: what to ask before anything else

A law firm intake script is the order your front desk follows on every new caller's call, so the attorney gets the same facts each time and nobody spends 40 minutes on a matter your firm doesn't take. Here is one for the first five minutes, written for firms with 1 to 10 lawyers, line by line.

Picture a Monday before lunch. Six new callers ring in: one wants a quick question answered for nothing, one has a landlord dispute your firm doesn't handle, one is opposing counsel who pressed the wrong button, one is a law student, one was rear-ended on Friday, and one wants to start from the very beginning. Only the rear-end crash belongs on an attorney's calendar. The script is what lets the intake team spot it in the first few minutes.

Remember who is on the other end, too. Plenty of callers are frightened: an arrest last night, a custody hearing next week, a letter from immigration. A good script keeps the call kind and short at once. Have an attorney at your firm approve it before anyone uses it; this post is practical information, not legal advice.

Step 1 of 10 The greeting

Open with the firm, then who you are, then a single question that sorts the caller. Clients and other lawyers go one way, new callers another.

• “Good morning, Dunleavy Law, Avery speaking. Is this about something new, or are you already working with us?”

An existing client or another attorney gets a message or a transfer to whoever handles it. A new caller keeps going. Use your own firm's name; the sorting question stays.

Step 2 of 10 Who's calling, and how to call back

Get these before the story starts. If the call cuts out at minute four, a name and a number turn a lost caller into a callback.

• “Before we go any further, can I get your full name and a good number to reach you, in case we get cut off?”
• “And is it all right if we text you at that number about today's call?”

Read the number back digit by digit. The second line is consent, and the follow-up text in step 10 depends on it.

Step 3 of 10 The reason for the call

Ask for a sentence or two, never the whole history. At this point you need the practice area, not the details.

• “In a sentence or two, what's going on?”

When a caller starts back in 2009, steer gently:

• “I want to hear all of it, and the attorney will too. So I can get you to the attorney who handles this, can I ask a few quick questions first?”

This answer also routes the call: the car crash to one attorney, the will to another. A matter your firm doesn't handle goes straight to step 9.

Step 4 of 10 Names for the conflict check

Collect the names of everyone else involved before the caller says much more. If your firm already represents the other side, each detail you hear can become your firm's problem, because what a potential client tells a firm stays confidential even when they never hire it (ABA Model Rule 1.18).

• “Before you tell me more, I need the names of the other people involved, so we can make sure we're free to help you. Who's the other party?”
• “Could you spell that for me? Have they gone by any other names?”

Which names, by practice area: the other driver and their insurance company; the spouse or the other parent, with any earlier last names; the employer's company name and the manager's; anyone charged alongside the caller. The call gathers the names. Your attorney runs the real check in your case software before the consultation.

Step 5 of 10 The questions that decide fit

Each practice area gets three or four questions, no more. They tell the attorney whether the matter fits your firm and what the consultation needs. Everything else waits for the consultation or the intake form.

• Personal injury: When and where did it happen? Were you hurt, and have you seen a doctor? Has another lawyer worked on it?
• Family law: Divorce, custody, support or something else? Which county? Is a court date already set?
• Criminal defense: What's the charge, and in which county? Is anyone in custody right now? When is the next court date?
• Estate planning: A will or trust for yourself, or help after someone died? Married, with children? Property in another state?
• Immigration: Are you in the US right now? Do you have a notice or a hearing date? What are you hoping to apply for?
• Employment: Do you still work there, and if not, when did it end? About how many people work there?
• Bankruptcy: Is a foreclosure, repossession or wage garnishment happening now? Have you filed before?

Note each answer the way the caller said it. The attorney decides who is a fit; the script only brings the facts in the same order every time.

Step 6 of 10 How soon it matters

One question catches the calls that can't wait for Thursday:

• “Is there a court date, a hearing or any deadline coming up? When is it?”

An arrest last night, a hearing tomorrow, a crash this morning: put those through to the on-call attorney before the call ends.

• “I'm going to bring Attorney Dunleavy on now. If we lose each other, I'll call you right back at the number you gave me.”

Never guess how much time a caller has left. Deadlines belong to the attorney, and a wrong guess from the front desk is the worst kind of comfort.

What never to say on the call

Every intake specialist hears two questions: do I have a case, and what is it worth? Answering either one is legal advice, and a guess from the front desk stays with a caller longer than anything the attorney says later. Keep these lines ready instead:

• “That's exactly the question for the attorney, and it's what the consultation is for.”
• “I'm not able to say what it might be worth. The attorney will go through that with you.”
• “I can't tell you what to do yet, but I can get you in front of someone who can.”

Also off the list: promising the firm will take the matter, quoting a fee the firm hasn't set, and telling anyone they have plenty of time.

Step 7 of 10 Book the consultation in the call

A caller who hangs up to check a calendar is a callback you now owe. Give two times to choose from, never “when works for you?”

• “I can put you with Attorney Dunleavy on Thursday at 2:00 or Friday at 10:30. Which of those is better?”
• “Would you rather meet at the office or by video?”

Read the time back, say who they'll meet and say what to bring: the police report, the court papers, the notice. If they can't decide, book the earlier slot; moving it later is easy.

Step 8 of 10 The consultation fee

Say the fee before you book, never after, and say it the same way on every call.

• “The consultation is $150 for 45 minutes, and if you hire the firm, it's credited toward your fee. Does that work for you?”
• For personal injury callers: “There's no charge for the case evaluation.”

If your firm takes the fee at booking, text a pay link during the call. Ask your attorney which account a fee paid before the consultation goes into, since states treat it differently.

Step 9 of 10 When the caller isn't a fit

Say no in two sentences and stop there. Each extra reason you give is one more thing for the caller to argue with.

• “Thank you for calling. This isn't the kind of matter our firm handles, so I don't want to hold you up.”
• “Your state bar's lawyer referral service can point you to someone who does. Please call them soon, since some matters have deadlines.”

If the caller asks why again, repeat the first line kindly and close the call. Then mark the decline on the record that day; many firms also put it in writing with a non-engagement letter.

Step 10 of 10 The follow-up text

Send it before the caller dials anyone else, ideally before you hang up. Name the firm, the time and the person they'll meet, and leave the matter out, since a lock screen is public.

• “Hi Renata, this is Avery at Dunleavy Law. You're booked with Attorney Dunleavy at our office this Thursday at two. Answer YES if that still works; send NEW and we'll find a different day. Text STOP to unsubscribe.”

Never “your custody consultation”. A video meeting gets its link in the text, and so does any form they should complete ahead of the meeting. Text only the people who called your firm and said yes in step 2.

Keeping it human

Read the script word for word for the first week, then say it in your own words. What matters is the order of the questions, not the exact words. Let the caller finish a sentence before the next question, and use their name once or twice. If you take Spanish-speaking callers, have someone fluent write the Spanish version rather than a translation app.

None of this helps when nobody is free to answer. RetainerBooked saves your fit questions, one set per practice area, on the intake form and on the caller's card, and its AI receptionist asks the same ones at night, at lunch and when every line is busy, in English or Spanish. It tells each caller up front that it is your firm's AI assistant, gives no legal advice, books the consultation and sends the follow-up text.