Client Intake

The Complete Guide to Law Firm Client Intake

Best practices for legal client intake and onboarding. Everything you need to know, from fundamentals to advanced strategies.

29 articles
413 min total read
Updated regularly
42%

of law firms take 3+ days to respond to leads

Speed is critical

74%

of clients expect e-signatures on retainers

Modern expectations

5 min

response window for 300% higher conversion

The golden window

Updated Feb 23, 2026
29 articles
413 min total
The Complete Guide18 min read28 chapters

The Complete Guide to Law Firm Client Intake (2026)

Everything you need to know about client intake for law firms. From first contact to signed retainer, learn how to convert more leads, reduce drop-off, and build intake systems that scale.

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Deep-dive articles

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28 articles
How to Use E-Signature in Microsoft Word (the Right Way)
Chapter 01

How to Use E-Signature in Microsoft Word (the Right Way)

You're losing clients in the gap between their "yes" and their signature. Chasing down printed retainer agreements with follow-up emails gives potenti...

10 min read
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12 Best Free Electronic Signature Software Tools for Small Law Firms
Chapter 02

12 Best Free Electronic Signature Software Tools for Small Law Firms

Chasing a client for a signature on a retainer agreement gives them time to find another lawyer. You need to make it effortless for them to sign and p...

23 min read
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What Is The Average Lawyer Retainer Fee And How To Set Yours
Chapter 03

What Is The Average Lawyer Retainer Fee And How To Set Yours

Setting your retainer fee can feel like a shot in the dark, but getting it wrong costs you clients and cash flow. While the average lawyer retainer fe...

13 min read
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12 Client Onboarding Checklist Templates That Stop You From Losing New Clients
Chapter 04

12 Client Onboarding Checklist Templates That Stop You From Losing New Clients

Losing a potential client because your intake process was too slow and clunky is a preventable—and expensive—mistake. The time between a client's "yes...

22 min read
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The Modern Retainer Letter Lawyer Playbook
Chapter 05

The Modern Retainer Letter Lawyer Playbook

Every hour that passes after a great consultation is an invitation for your potential client to call another firm. Your modern retainer letter lawyer...

13 min read
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A Law Firm's Guide to Electronic Signature Legal Requirements
Chapter 06

A Law Firm's Guide to Electronic Signature Legal Requirements

Every hour you spend chasing down a signed retainer is an open invitation for a potential client to hire another firm. Getting the electronic signatur...

16 min read
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How Do Retainers Work? A Lawyer's Guide to Getting Paid Upfront
Chapter 07

How Do Retainers Work? A Lawyer's Guide to Getting Paid Upfront

Tired of chasing down payments and dealing with cash flow gaps? A properly structured retainer turns a promising lead into a paying client before they...

15 min read
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How to Improve Your Client Onboarding Process: Get Retainers Signed in Minutes, Not Days
Chapter 08

How to Improve Your Client Onboarding Process: Get Retainers Signed in Minutes, Not Days

A slow client onboarding process is a silent killer for small law firms, letting committed leads slip away in the gap between a verbal "yes" and a sig...

11 min read
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What Is Client Onboarding? Your Guide to Faster Signatures and Fewer Leaks
Chapter 09

What Is Client Onboarding? Your Guide to Faster Signatures and Fewer Leaks

That gap between a potential client’s call and their signed retainer? It’s where your law firm is leaking revenue. A slow, clunky process doesn't just...

16 min read
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Do lawyers take credit cards? A Practical Guide for Law Firms
Chapter 10

Do lawyers take credit cards? A Practical Guide for Law Firms

Still telling clients to mail a check? You're not just behind the times—you're actively making it harder for people to hire you. If you’re waiting for...

14 min read
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Do Lawyers Take Payment Plans? A Small Firm's Guide to Getting Paid
Chapter 11

Do Lawyers Take Payment Plans? A Small Firm's Guide to Getting Paid

Struggling to sign clients who hesitate at your upfront retainer? Offering a payment plan is the fastest way to turn those "I need to think about it"...

16 min read
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How Does a Retainer for a Lawyer Work? A Guide for Small Law Firms
Chapter 12

How Does a Retainer for a Lawyer Work? A Guide for Small Law Firms

Losing a great lead because your retainer process is slow and clunky is a painful, avoidable cost. This guide breaks down exactly how a retainer for a...

12 min read
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How Does a Lawyer Retainer Work? A Guide for Small Law Firms
Chapter 13

How Does a Lawyer Retainer Work? A Guide for Small Law Firms

Tired of chasing down payments and dealing with unpredictable cash flow? Understanding how a lawyer retainer works is the key to your firm's financial...

13 min read
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Retainer Cost Lawyer: A Guide to Getting Paid Faster
Chapter 14

Retainer Cost Lawyer: A Guide to Getting Paid Faster

Had a great consultation where the client said "You're hired!" only for them to disappear? You’re left chasing a signature and waiting on a check, won...

11 min read
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Innovation in Law: How Small Firms Win More Clients
Chapter 15

Innovation in Law: How Small Firms Win More Clients

Are you losing clients before they even sign your retainer? Tired of ending your day buried in paperwork instead of practicing law? For your small fir...

19 min read
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Lawyer Retainer Letter: A Guide to Getting Signed and Paid Faster
Chapter 16

Lawyer Retainer Letter: A Guide to Getting Signed and Paid Faster

A slow or confusing lawer retainer letter process is more than an admin chore—it's a deal-killer. Every email attachment, print-and-scan request, and...

19 min read
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Lawyer Retainer Definition: How to Get Paid Upfront, Every Time
Chapter 17

Lawyer Retainer Definition: How to Get Paid Upfront, Every Time

Tired of chasing down clients for payment? A lawyer retainer definition is simple: it's an upfront payment to secure your services, ensuring you get p...

12 min read
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Lawyer Retainer Fee: How to Get Paid Faster & Sign More Clients
Chapter 18

Lawyer Retainer Fee: How to Get Paid Faster & Sign More Clients

Chasing a potential client for a signed retainer agreement is a drain on your small firm. Every email you send and every voicemail you leave is a wind...

15 min read
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How Does a Retainer Work with a Lawyer Simplified
Chapter 19

How Does a Retainer Work with a Lawyer Simplified

Losing a client between a great consultation and a signed retainer agreement is a huge profit leak. You've done the hard work, but the dead space wher...

14 min read
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The Best Client Intake Software for Law Firms (That Actually Wins Clients)
Chapter 20

The Best Client Intake Software for Law Firms (That Actually Wins Clients)

Losing a great lead because your process is slow is a huge, preventable waste of money. When you're stuck playing phone tag and manually typing cl...

18 min read
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A Legal Retainer Agreement Template That Converts Clients Faster
Chapter 21

A Legal Retainer Agreement Template That Converts Clients Faster

Your retainer agreement isn't just a legal document—it’s the final step that turns a promising lead into a paying client before they call another firm...

17 min read
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How to Automate Your Client Intake Workflow in 2026
Chapter 22

How to Automate Your Client Intake Workflow in 2026

Step-by-step guide to automating your law firm's intake process with modern tools and integrations.

6 min read
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What Is a Retainer Agreement and How Can It Secure Your Firm’s Cash Flow?
Chapter 23

What Is a Retainer Agreement and How Can It Secure Your Firm’s Cash Flow?

Tired of chasing down payments or seeing promising leads go cold while you wait for paperwork? A solid retainer agreement is the answer, turning an in...

17 min read
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Law Firm Intake Forms by Practice Area: Templates and Best Practices
Chapter 24

Law Firm Intake Forms by Practice Area: Templates and Best Practices

What to include in your intake forms for personal injury, family law, criminal defense, and more. Practice-specific templates and customization strategies.

11 min read
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What Is a Client Intake Form? A Small Firm's Guide to Faster Conversions
Chapter 25

What Is a Client Intake Form? A Small Firm's Guide to Faster Conversions

Losing a potential client because you were too slow to respond is a gut punch to any small law firm. A what is a client intake form is your first line...

12 min read
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E-Signatures for Law Firms: Legal Requirements and Best Practices
Chapter 26

E-Signatures for Law Firms: Legal Requirements and Best Practices

Electronic signatures are legally binding for retainer agreements in all 50 states. Learn the compliance requirements, best practices, and how to implement e-signatures in your intake process.

9 min read
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The High-Converting Legal Client Intake Form
Chapter 27

The High-Converting Legal Client Intake Form

Losing a potential client to phone tag is more than frustrating—it's a direct hit to your firm's revenue. A clunky, slow intake process gives good lea...

14 min read
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Speed to Lead: Why Law Firms That Respond in 5 Minutes Win More Clients
Chapter 28

Speed to Lead: Why Law Firms That Respond in 5 Minutes Win More Clients

Research shows responding to leads within 5 minutes increases conversion by 300%. Learn how top law firms achieve rapid response times and why every minute costs you clients.

7 min read
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