Legal intake isn’t easy. Especially not for small firms trying to balance marketing their services, answering their phones, and working on existing cases.
Our receptionists are legal intake professionals, and understand how important it is for firms to get their intake process right.
Without further ado, here are our best tips for legal intake to help you capture and impress every new lead.
Call back within an hour
How long does it take you to follow up with a new inquiry? Every minute matters, as studies show that calling a new lead within an hour makes it 7x more likely to qualify them compared to those called after an hour has passed.
Avoid distractions
Intake is a chance for you to make a good impression. If there’s one thing that callers hate, it’s speaking to someone who sounds distracted. If you work in a busy office, or you’re in the middle of working on a case, it isn’t always easy to avoid. Whether you need to take the phone into a quiet space or pass it to another person on your team, it’s important to focus on the intake.
Active listening
The intake call isn’t just about finding answers, it’s also about building trust with a potential client. This means it’s vital that you sound engaged.
Active listening is a practice used by legal intake professionals to make sure that you really hear what the client is saying. It will help you respond with empathy and mirror their tone.
Ask for permission
A structured question framework keeps the call focused and ensures nothing important is missed. These four categories cover everything a law firm needs to assess a new enquiry with confidence.
The questions to ask on every first intake call
A structured question framework keeps the call focused and ensures nothing important is missed. These four categories cover everything a law firm needs to assess a new enquiry with confidence.
What is your full name, and the best number to reach you on? Collecting this at the start of the call protects against disconnections and ensures follow-up is always possible. It also signals to the caller that their time – and continued contact – matters.
Can you briefly describe what’s happened, and when it occurred? This gives your firm a clear picture of the matter before any assessment begins. It respects the caller’s need to be heard while gathering the information required to move forward.
Have you sought legal advice on this before, and do you know what type of lawyer you need? Understanding prior contact and awareness helps identify whether the firm is the right fit – or whether a referral would serve the caller better. It avoids wasted time on both sides and reflects well on your firm’s integrity.
Are you available to speak with one of our attorneys on [date and time], to discuss your matter further? Securing a next step before the call ends keeps the potential client engaged and reduces drop-off. A confirmed appointment is the clearest signal that an enquiry is becoming a relationship.
Avoid overpromising
People calling law firms will be naturally impatient. They may tell you that their issue is urgent, or ask for a specific date to receive an answer by. However, unless you are speaking for your own case, try not to promise more than your team can deliver. Avoid language like ‘as soon as possible’, or ‘shortly’. These are too vague and can be understood differently by different people.
Instead, tell them that you will explain the urgency of their case and their attorney will call them back. By doing this, you reassure the client that you understand their concerns while avoiding making promises on someone else’s behalf.
Do you need help delivering excellent legal intake? Our receptionists are legal intake professionals and can confidently quality and convert your leads for you. Get in touch to find out how we can help.
