How Do I Create an Intake Form?

When creating a legal client intake form, you should keep it concise, organize it logically, make it accessible to your leads, and ask questions that will generate the answers you need to decide whether to extend legal representation. You can use a paper version, offer the form online through a web form service, or use legal client intake automation to simplify and streamline the process.

What Should be Included in an Intake Form?

A legal intake form should include a series of questions that allow an attorney to collect critical information about a potential client and their legal matter. The form should reassure prospective clients that the information they provide will remain confidential and clearly state what happens next—typically a follow-up call or initial consultation. The information gathered should be relevant to client needs and desired outcome.

What is the Basic New Client Intake Form?

A basic new client intake form can be created manually using Google forms, Microsoft Word, or another platform and then converting the form to PDF format. At a minimum, the form should gather the following information from a potential legal client:

• Personal information: name, address, date of birth, phone number, email address, and preferred method of contact
• Background information: the client’s occupation, employer, and marital status
• Conflicts: a conflict check ensures there are no conflicts of interest that would prevent an attorney from representing the potential client
• Case information: a concise explanation of the client’s legal issue, type of matter, parties involved, and the date, time, and location of the event
• Insurance information: insurance company contact information, type of policy (auto, homeowners, health), and policy limits
• Evidence: documents or evidence in the client’s possession that might be relevant to the case, including the name, address, and contact information for any potential witnesses

In addition to these basic questions, the client intake form pdf should ideally be tailored for specific practice areas, e.g., personal injury, family law, criminal defense, and more. This is not easily done with time-consuming manual processes. However technology can be maximized to streamline the intake process, reduce manual effort, and efficiently build customizable intake forms by incorporating:

• Online intake forms with automated data capture
• Interactive form builders that adjust in real time based on the desired outcome
• Seamless submission of client inquiries
• Automated responses to acknowledge receipt of inquiries

How Do You Create an Effective Intake Form?

You can create a basic intake form by generating a physical document or using a digital platform and then tailoring it to each specific practice area, or you can build a customizable intake form for all practice areas and matter types with legal intake software. Specialized intake software can create an effective intake form that accelerates and simplifies the process for you and your prospective clients.

Can I Use Google Forms as an Intake Form?

Using Google Forms or Microsoft Word Forms as a legal client intake form is possible. However, there are several important considerations that must be made to ensure compliance with legal, ethical, and security standards. Here are some things to contemplate:

• Confidentiality and security: Google Forms encrypts data in transit and at rest. However, you must verify that this level of security is sufficient for the sensitive information being collected.
• Attorney-Client Privilege: Ensure your Google intake form maintains the confidentiality required to uphold attorney-client privilege.
• Mobile-Friendly: Ensure the form is accessible and easy to use on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
• Format Compatibility: Ensure the data in Google Forms can be exported in a format that is compatible with your case management software or other systems.
• Case Management Software: Check if Google Forms integrates with your existing case management software or other tools you use for managing client information.

Although addressing these concerns will be a labor-intensive process, it will help ensure you can use Google Forms as a part of your client intake process in a secure and compliant manner. But for those who want to save paper, shave hours off their workday, and avoid busy work, automated client intake form templates are a great option.

What is the Best Way to Create an Intake Form?

Creating an intake form unique to your practice’s needs is a breeze with Lawmatics’ drag ‘n drop custom form builder. Custom forms make qualifying new prospects, organizing contact information, and feeding new matters into your automated processes a snap. Optimize your firm’s website conversions with custom intake forms embedded directly into your website. Are you ready to learn how to create custom intake forms that will make your process more seamless than ever before? Request a demo today.