In a small firm, intake often falls to whoever picks up the phone: sorting enquiries, chasing details, re-typing them into the practice software and sending the same documents back and forth.
Most of it follows the same steps every time, which makes it a good fit for automation. Here are five jobs to hand over first, in the order we’d do them.
1. Ask the right questions up front
A general “contact us” form leaves your team to work out the basics by phone. An enquiry form that changes with the type of matter can ask for:
- the type of matter, such as family, property, wills and estates or business
- the names of the other people involved
- any dates that matter, such as a settlement or court date
- how and when they prefer to be contacted
2. Check for conflicts before anyone calls back
With the other parties’ names already in the enquiry, your team can run a conflict check before the first conversation, rather than discovering a problem halfway through it.
3. Reply instantly, and set expectations
An automatic reply confirms the enquiry arrived and says when you’ll be in touch. It can also make clear that sending an enquiry doesn’t make someone a client, and ask them not to send confidential documents until you’ve agreed to act.
4. Send the engagement documents for signing online
Once you’ve agreed to act, the client’s details can flow into your engagement letter and costs agreement, which go out for signing online. Signed copies are saved with the matter, and the matter is opened in your practice software where it allows, so nothing is typed twice.
5. Collect documents securely, and keep clients updated
Secure upload links replace email attachments, with polite reminders for anything still missing. Short updates at key steps, such as contracts exchanged or a date booked, answer the “where is my matter up to?” call before it’s made.
Keep legal judgement with your lawyers
Automation should handle the routine steps, never legal advice. Anything unusual, urgent or sensitive should always go straight to a person.
Keep your website within the rules
Solicitors’ advertising must not be false or misleading, and you shouldn’t describe anyone as a specialist unless they are an accredited specialist. Keep client information in systems your firm controls, and agree in writing how any provider handles it before you start.