Every firm has a client intake form. Most of them were written once, by someone who has since left, and haven't been updated since the Obama administration. They ask for the information the system needs — contact details, matter type, conflict check data — but not the information the people doing the work actually need.

The questions that prevent mid-matter disasters aren't on most intake forms: What does a good outcome look like to you? Who else is involved in decisions? What's your actual budget, not your aspirational one? Have you worked with a lawyer on this before, and what happened?

Redesigning the first impression

The intake is the first real interaction a client has with your firm's process. It sets the tone. A thoughtful intake that asks smart questions signals competence before a single billable hour is logged. A generic one signals that you're just another firm with a fax number on the letterhead.