Why "Less" in Intake Often Means More Clients
In many law firms, the intake form is too long. The result is predictable:
- good inquiries abandon,
- data is still incomplete,
- routing becomes a gut decision,
- follow-ups happen "when there's time".
The goal is not "more information", but a reliable process: Status, owner, next step, SLA.
Principle: Intake captures only what routing and a clean initial response really need. Everything else follows in structured qualification.
The 7-Field Minimal Form (Copy/Paste)
| Field | Type | Why It's Included | Typical Mistakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1) Contact | Required | No return channel, no process | "Phone optional" and nobody reaches the lead |
| 2) Preferred callback time | Optional (but powerful) | reduces ping-pong & increases conversion | Free text instead of selection |
| 3) Category/Practice area | Required (dropdown) | enables routing | Free text ("Employment law??") |
| 4) Urgency/Deadline | Optional (dropdown) | prioritization + follow-up logic | Date field without validation |
| 5) Brief description (1–3 sentences) | Required | context for initial response | Novel texts without structure |
| 6) Location/Reference (if relevant) | Optional | routing by location/team | Required field without real benefit |
| 7) Privacy/Consent | Required | legal basis for contact | too long, unclear, "marketing" |
If you only want 5 fields: Remove location + callback time – but keep category and brief description.
Validation: What You Should Check at the Source
An intake rarely fails because of AI – but because of data quality.
Minimal checks (often enough):
- Email: Format validation + domain sanity check
- Phone: digits only + length
- Category: only from dropdown (no free text inventions)
- Brief description: minimum length (e.g., 30 characters) + maximum limit
Dedup (easy, but effective):
- same email within 7 days → treat as "update" instead of new case
Qualification: The 5 Questions That Come Later (Not in the Form)
These questions are important – but not required at first contact:
- Opposing party/employer/contracting party (for conflict check)
- Documents/uploads (only if necessary)
- Client's goal (expectation management)
- Budget range (if relevant)
- History details (structured, not in free text)
KPI Block: How You Know If Your Intake is Improving
- Median response time (target: <12h)
- Time to decision (target: <72h)
- Routing accuracy (target: >85%)
If you can't measure this, the form is almost always "too creative" (free text, no categories, no status logic).
Next Step
If you want, we'll review your current intake in 30 minutes along these points (fields, status model, follow-ups, KPIs) and suggest a minimal setup.
- Context: Team size + intake channels
- Goal: 1 KPI to stabilize
- Systems: 2–3 tools that must stay
More context (status model, follow-ups, KPIs):
Intake Routing in Law Firms