Resources

Guides for law firm intake

Plain guides on the moments that decide whether a caller becomes a consultation: the fee question, the ask, the follow-up and the line with the attorney.

How to answer "What does it cost?" on an intake callHow a law firm intake person should state the consultation fee and the fee model plainly, without dodging, discounting or giving legal advice.
The five stages of a law firm intake callA five-stage structure for law firm intake calls: build rapport, ask questions, establish value, ask for the next step and respond to concerns.
How to score law firm intake callsA practical guide to scoring law firm intake calls on observable behaviors, by person and by week, instead of grading politeness.
How to follow up with callers who did not bookA follow-up routine for law firm callers who did not book a consultation: hold a slot, agree the call on the call, and make one specific second contact.
What intake staff can and cannot say to callersA plain guide to what law firm intake staff can say on a call, what belongs to the attorney, and the fixed hand-off line that keeps both clear.
How to hire a law firm intake specialistWhat to look for when hiring a law firm intake specialist: warmth is not enough. Screen for the behavior that avoids the fee and the ask.
How to coach a law firm intake teamHow to coach law firm intake staff: one behavior per person per week, role-played on the moment they avoid, and counted on the next calls.
Why callers say "I need to think about it"What "I need to think about it" usually means on a law firm intake call and how to respond so the caller books or agrees a specific follow-up.
Metrics worth tracking on a law firm intake deskThe few intake metrics that matter for a law firm: calls to consultations by person, no-show rate, follow-up completion and scorecard items skipped.
7 things intake staff say that lose consultationsSeven common phrases on law firm intake calls that cost consultations, and what a trained intake person says instead.
9 questions every intake call should askNine questions a law firm intake call should ask before the fee: the facts the attorney needs, plus why now, who else is involved and what a good outcome looks like.
6 R2R archetypes on the intake desk and the call each one losesSix R2R archetypes on law firm intake desks, from the Price Softener to the Texter, and the moment each one retreats.
10 questions intake should hand to the attorneyTen caller questions that belong to the attorney, with the reason each is legal advice and the fixed hand-off line that keeps the call moving.
8 signs your intake desk is losing callersEight signs a law firm intake desk is losing consultations at the fee, the ask or the follow-up, and how to check each one on your own calls.
6 role-play moments for hiring intake staffSix short role-plays that show how a candidate handles the moments that matter on a law firm intake call, before the offer is made.
9 reasons your booked consultations rise and fallNine reasons a law firm's booked consultations swing from month to month, and how to tell a real change on the intake desk from lead mix, staffing or noise.
The intake ceiling: why booking rates stall at a levelAn intake ceiling is the level of booked consultations a person's habits quietly return them to, whatever the lead flow does. How to spot it and move it.
12 signs your intake desk has hit a ceiling, not the marketTwelve signs a law firm's plateau in booked consultations is a behavioral ceiling on the intake desk and not a market or lead-quality problem.
Outsourced intake vs in-house intake: how to decideHow a law firm can decide between outsourced intake and an in-house intake team, what each does well, and why the first conversation needs a standard either way.
Answering service vs trained intake specialistThe difference between a law firm answering service and a trained intake specialist: what each does on a call, where each loses callers, and when a firm needs which.
How much does law firm intake training cost?What drives the cost of law firm intake training, what to ask any provider, and how to compare an audit, a full program and ongoing scored review.
AI call scoring vs human scorecard review for intakeWhat AI call-scoring software does well for law firm intake, what it misses, and how a human scorecard review fits alongside it.
A law firm intake script template you can fill inA fill-in law firm intake script template built on the five stages of the call, with the fee wording, the hand-off line and the follow-up for your firm to complete.

Also: the glossary, the five desk patterns and what happens after you book.

Looking for call examples by practice? See intake by practice area. Looking for scripts and whole-call dialogues? They are on the legal intake pages at jeffreyscottstanton.com.

About the Author
Dr. Jeffrey Scott Stanton, DCH

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 calls you already have.

Send a handful of recordings or transcripts. You get a scored review of where consultations are being lost and which pattern is behind it, before anything else is built.

Start With the Audit or book a conversation