Intake qualification script.
Four questions, in order, that anyone on intake can run in 90 seconds. Captures what the partner needs to know; flags non-fits before partner time gets booked.
A field-tested script in CSV form — one row per step, with prompts on what to capture, what to listen for, red flags, and the if-yes / if-no branches.
Reception, paralegals, or whoever handles first-touch on enquiries. Sit it next to the screen during calls; structured fields populate the enquiry tracker as the conversation happens.
Partners doing 30-minute first calls where half the time is establishing what the matter even is. Polite declines that don't happen until after the partner's already invested in scoping. The 'we should have spotted that earlier' moment two weeks in.
| # | Question | Listen for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What's the matter, in one or two sentences? | Matter type · urgency · existing legal involvement |
| 2 | What's the timeline? | Court / regulatory deadline · commercial deadline · exploratory |
| 3 | Has anyone else been working on this? | Previous solicitor · other side rep · litigant in person |
| 4 | What's the budget — or what fee approach do you expect? | Realistic budget · open to fixed fee · materially below range |
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Three outcomes
- A — Clean fit. Right matter type, plausible budget, no conflicts, manageable timeline. Run the conflicts check, book a partner / senior call within 24 working hours, partner gets the qualification notes in advance.
- B — Not a fit, decline gracefully. Wrong matter type for the firm, fundamentally below budget, clear conflict, or unworkable timeline. On the same call: name two other firms that handle this kind of work; follow up by email within the hour.
- C — Edge case, partner triage. Novel matter, large value, dispute with reputational sensitivity, anything contentious. 5 minutes of partner time deciding before booking a substantive call.
Setup
- Print the CSV at A4 landscape; sits beside the intake person's screen. Bullet reminders, not a script to read off.
- Replicate the four fields in your enquiry tracker (see the enquiry tracker) so the substance gets captured as the conversation happens.
- Build a standing referral list — two named firms per matter type the firm doesn't do. Used in outcome B.
Training cadence
Two hours of training when the script first ships. Then weekly review for the first month: 15 minutes Friday afternoon, intake person + supervising partner, walking through the week's qualifying calls. Half are spot-on; the rest teach you where the script needs adjusting. Monthly cadence after month one.
What good looks like
Partner first-call time per accepted matter drops from ~30 minutes to ~15. Polite declines happen at the front door, with named referrals. Partners only see pre-qualified prospects. Conflicts checks run before any further conversation is booked.
For the underlying playbook, see qualifying enquiries without wasting partner time .
Notes from other operators.
Comments on what worked, what didn’t, and where this piece missed the mark. All comments are moderated before they appear — we’re looking for substance, not noise.
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We also run Techsperience (legal-tech support) and Clearmatter (matter management). Mostly we write. Learn more →