The UK Client Enquiry Problem
Most UK law firms handle enquiries the same way they did a decade ago: emails arrive, someone manually triages them, response times vary wildly, and potential clients fall through the cracks.
The firms winning new business have solved this. Here's how.
What Good Intake Looks Like
Speed
Research consistently shows: the first firm to respond meaningfully wins the instruction. Target response times:
- Acknowledgement: <15 minutes (automated)
- Substantive response: <4 hours (business hours)
- Follow-up if no response: 24 hours
Consistency
Every enquiry should receive:
- Professional acknowledgement
- Clear next steps
- Appropriate follow-up
- Proper record keeping
Compliance
UK solicitor requirements for intake:
- Conflict checking before taking instructions
- Client ID verification (Money Laundering Regulations)
- Clear engagement terms
- Fee transparency (SRA Transparency Rules for certain work types)
Automated Intake Workflow
Stage 1: Capture
Multiple channels, one process
- Website contact forms
- Email enquiries
- Phone enquiries (via reception logging)
- Referral sources
- Legal aid applications (where applicable)
All routes feed into the same automated workflow.
Stage 2: Initial Processing
Within seconds of receipt:
- Extract key information (name, matter type, urgency indicators)
- AI-assisted categorisation (employment, family, conveyancing, commercial, etc.)
- Preliminary conflict check against client database
- Priority scoring (urgency, matter value, referral source)
Stage 3: Acknowledgement
Immediate automated response:
- Confirms receipt
- Sets expectations for response timeframe
- Provides relevant information (e.g., initial consultation booking link)
- Includes required regulatory information
Stage 4: Routing
Intelligent assignment:
- Route to appropriate practice area
- Consider fee earner capacity and specialisation
- Flag conflicts for manual review
- Escalate high-value or urgent matters
Stage 5: Follow-Up
Systematic persistence:
- If no response within 24 hours: follow-up email
- If no response within 48 hours: phone call task created
- If no response within 7 days: final follow-up, then archive
- Track reasons for no-instruction for analysis
UK-Specific Considerations
SRA Transparency Rules
For certain work types (conveyancing, immigration, employment tribunal, etc.), the SRA requires upfront pricing information. Your intake workflow should:
- Identify applicable transparency requirements
- Include appropriate pricing information
- Document compliance
Legal Aid Matters
If your firm accepts legal aid work:
- Early financial eligibility screening
- Evidence requirements communication
- LAA portal integration where possible
Conflict Management
The SRA takes conflicts seriously. Automated preliminary checks should:
- Search existing client database
- Check related parties
- Flag potential conflicts for manual review
- Never automatically clear genuine conflicts
Metrics That Matter
Conversion Tracking
- Enquiry to first contact rate
- First contact to instruction rate
- Conversion by source
- Time to conversion
Response Performance
- Average time to acknowledgement
- Average time to substantive response
- Response time by practice area
- SLA compliance rate
Quality Indicators
- Client satisfaction with intake process
- Complaints relating to initial contact
- Instructions won vs lost (with reasons)
Implementation Priorities
Quick Wins (Week 1-2)
- Automated acknowledgement emails
- Basic categorisation
- Single enquiry inbox
Core System (Month 1)
- Full workflow automation
- Conflict check integration
- Routing logic
- Follow-up sequences
Optimisation (Month 2-3)
- AI-enhanced categorisation
- Advanced routing rules
- Analytics dashboard
- Process refinement
Common Mistakes
- Over-automation: Don't automate the human touchpoints that clients value
- Generic responses: Acknowledgements should feel personal, not robotic
- Ignoring no-instruction reasons: Lost enquiries contain valuable data
- Set and forget: Intake workflows need regular review and refinement
We help UK law firms build intake systems that convert more enquiries to instructions while maintaining professional standards.