Knockdown, Drag Out: Law Firms Require Two Stages of Intake
One of the things that came out of the pandemic was that it was clear that law firms needed to think more granularly about their intake processes. The convenience economy was accelerated by the pandemic, which means that any business intake process must now be tight as a drum.
Now, in thinking about your law firm’s intake process, understand that it comes in stages. The first stage is a basic qualification level = give us your contact information, tell us what your legal need is, let us know whether you live in our jurisdiction, etc. Of course, legal consumers want a speedy response, and transition to a next step (like scheduling an appointment), so they will only tolerate so many qualification questions – usually 7,10. But, that’s enough to get some basic answers, and to determine whether the potential client is a fit for the law firm.
But, there’s often a second level of intake, that’s probably just as important; and, that’s when you need to collect data to effectuate the representation of a client. That can mean gathering information to fill out a court form, or collecting fields for drafting a document. Whatever it is, you usually need to collect some things from a new client, to kick the representation off – and, that process needs to be as easy and streamlined, as your basic, initial intake program.
So, when it comes to intake, it’s: qualify, then collect.
. . .
If you want to talk over your intake program, to get your client journey right, just contact us!
The Rhode Island Bar Association offers free law practice management consulting services through Red Cave Law Firm Consulting.
To request a consult, visit the Rhode Island Bar’s law practice management page, and start running your law firm like a business.