The Most Common Problem: Too Many Fields
In almost every initial consultation with law firms, we see the same pattern: The contact form has 10-15 fields. Practice area, case description (500 characters required), file number if available, preferred contact time, and so on.
The result: 60-70% of prospects abandon before submitting.
Why Less is More
An intake form is not a retainer agreement. It's the first step in a process. All you really need is enough information for a qualified response.
The rest can be clarified in the initial consultation or via automated follow-up.
The 5 Required Fields
1. Name
Why: Personal address and assignment.
Best Practice: Just one "Name" field, not first and last name separated. Saves clicks, works the same.
2. Email or Phone (one of the two)
Why: Return channel for contact.
Best Practice: Offer both, but only one as required. Some people don't like phone calls – if you force them, you lose them.
3. Practice Area/Category
Why: Routing to the right attorney.
Best Practice: Dropdown with 5-8 clear options + "Other". No free text fields – you'll have to manually categorize those later.
Example:
- Employment law
- Family law
- Landlord-tenant law
- Traffic law
- Estate law
- Other
4. Brief Description (max. 3 sentences)
Why: Context for initial assessment.
Best Practice: No minimum value, maximum ~500 characters. Placeholder text: "What is this about in 2-3 sentences?"
5. Consent/Data Protection
Why: Legally required.
Best Practice: One checkbox, short text with link to privacy policy. Not three different opt-ins.
What You DON'T Need as Required Fields
- Phone number AND email: One is enough for initial contact
- Address: Only needed for retainer acceptance
- File number: A new client doesn't have one
- Case value/amount in dispute: Deters and is often still unknown
- Document upload: Better to request in follow-up
The Workflow Behind It
With these 5 fields, you can automate:
- Capture: Form → n8n webhook → database/CRM
- Routing: Practice area → responsible partner/team
- Confirmation: Automatic email "We have received your inquiry"
- Follow-up: After 24h without response → reminder to team
The result: Fewer form abandonments, faster response, no lost inquiries.
Conversion Numbers from Practice
An employment law firm reduced their form from 12 to 5 fields:
- Before: 23% conversion (form opened → submitted)
- After: 51% conversion
- Inquiries/month: +120%
The quality of inquiries remained the same. The only difference: Fewer people gave up.
The Key Takeaway
A good intake form is short, clear, and leads to a process – not a data graveyard. Five fields are enough if a clean workflow follows.
Want to optimize and automate your intake form? In the initial consultation we'll look together at what makes sense for you.