Elder Law and Probate Intake

Elder Law and Probate Intake Training

Elder law and probate calls usually come from adult children, spouses or a grieving relative, not the person the matter is about. Intake has to work out who the client is, stay out of family disputes and keep to a steady, unhurried tone.

Start With the Call Audit or book a conversation

What is different about elder law and probate intake

The caller is often a third party, such as a son or daughter calling about a parent, so who the client is has to be settled early.
Family conflict is common, and intake must not take sides or repeat what one relative said about another.
Questions about capacity, documents and who can sign for whom belong to the attorney.
Callers are often tired and overwhelmed, and a clear, patient next step helps.

The method does not change. The five stages, the 14-item scorecard and the boundary are the same. What changes is the wording, the questions to ask and where the pressure shows up.

Two Calls

The same moment, answered two ways

Who is the client?

The caller says: "My mother has dementia and I need to take care of her finances. Can you help me?"

What most desks say

"Yes, we can do that. Come in and we will take care of it."

Assumes the answer and may promise a result.

What a trained desk says

"I am sorry, that is a lot to carry. To make sure the attorney can help the right person, can you tell me whether your mother knows you are calling? And I would like to take your number and hers if that is safe. Then I will set up a time for the attorney to explain the options."

The client question is raised early, no outcome is promised and the next step is set.

"Can I sign for her?"

The caller says: "Can I just sign the papers for my father?"

What most desks say

"If you have power of attorney you can, usually."

A legal answer from a non-lawyer.

What a trained desk says

"That is exactly the question for the attorney, and I do not want to guess at it. I am writing it down so she has it in front of her and goes through it with you at the consultation. Would Thursday at ten or Friday at two be easier?"

The question is handed off and the call ends on a time.

Questions that always go to the attorney

These come up on elder law and probate calls all the time. Intake does not answer them; it hands them off with the fixed line and asks for the next step.

"Can I take over my mother's accounts?"
"Is the will valid?"
"Can I contest the will?"
"Do I have to go through probate?"

The hand-off wording and the full boundary are on the line between intake and the attorney. Wording on this page is an example only; the firm and the attorney set the final wording against their jurisdiction's rules. Scope, plainly: everything on this site concerns the conversation that turns an inquiry into an engagement. Nothing here is legal advice, nothing touches the legal work or the attorney's judgment, and any wording a firm adopts is reviewed by the firm against its jurisdiction's rules on attorney advertising, solicitation and fee communication before it is used.

About the Author

Dr. Jeffrey Scott Stanton, DCH is a behavioral strategist and the founder and Chief Learning Officer of R2R Diagnostic Group. He is the former EVP of Learning & Development at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, where he trained sales professionals on the conversations that turn an inquiry into a commitment. He applies the same method, the R2R Assessment and a 14-item call-review scorecard, to law firm intake teams. The work is the conversation only; legal questions and judgment stay with the attorney.

The method, the scripts and the scorecard are on how it works, the script template and the scorecard guide.

Start With the Calls

Start with the elder law and probate calls you already have.

Send a handful of recordings or transcripts and get a scored review of where consultations are being lost.

Start With the Audit or book a conversation

Frequently asked questions

What does intake training for elder law and probate firms cover?

It covers the five stages of a elder law and probate intake call: rapport, questions, value and the fee, asking for the next step and responding to concerns. Scripts are written for your firm and reviewed by the attorney before use.

Does intake give legal advice on elder law and probate calls?

No. Intake explains the process, the consultation and the fee as the firm has set them. Any question about the caller's case goes to the attorney through a fixed hand-off line.

How does the work start for a elder law and probate firm?

With the calls the firm already has. The call audit scores recordings or transcripts on a 14-item scorecard, by person, and shows which stage loses consultations.

Are prices published?

No. Prices are quoted for your firm after a conversation, based on the number of intake people and calls reviewed, and the scope is agreed in writing first.