Work / Family law, Ontario
An intake form that protects the firm as well as the client
A family law firm in Barrie serving Simcoe County and much of southern Ontario. Family law inquiries arrive in distress, at any hour, from a wide area, and every one of them carries a professional obligation the moment it is read.
At a glance
The problem they came with.
What was actually going wrong, before anything was built.
The inquiry itself carries risk
A form that invites somebody to describe their case can create an expectation of representation, and can take in details about a matter the firm may be unable to act on.
A wide region, searched town by town
Somebody in one town does not search for a firm in another. Being a regional practice counts for nothing if the page does not speak about the place being searched.
The cost question goes unasked
People assume a family lawyer is beyond them and never make contact. The question is only unasked, not unimportant.
What we built.
Described by what it does for the business. How it is put together is a conversation we are happy to have, but it is not what this page is for.
An intake built for a conflict check
The consultation request collects the opposing party's name and the client's availability, so the firm can check for a conflict before anything confidential is shared.
Said plainly on the form
The form states that sending it does not create a solicitor-client relationship, and advises against sharing confidential detail until the firm confirms it can act.
The towns, and the money, both on the page
Each area the firm serves has a page of its own, and the fee question is answered openly rather than left for somebody to be afraid of.
The results
What is different about the way this business runs now.
- An inquiry arrives with what the firm needs to run a conflict check before reading any further.
- Nothing on the form implies the firm has taken the matter on.
- People searching in the towns the firm serves find a page about their own town.
- The cost question is answered before the consultation, so the call starts on the case rather than on the bill.
In professional services the intake is part of the practice, not a contact form. This one does the firm's first piece of due diligence before anybody picks up the phone.
Other work like this
Is something in your business working like this?
Describe what is taking the time, and we will tell you whether it is worth automating, including when the answer is no.