Use this law firm intake script as a starting point for first-call reception. Replace the bracketed fields with approved firm information and remove questions that are unnecessary before lawyer review. The script ends with an accurate next step: a confirmed appointment, a completed transfer, or an assigned callback.
Adapt the questions to the firm’s services. Have the firm approve its disclosures, required wording, and escalation routes before using the script.
Editable Law Firm Intake Script Template
Copy the following core into the firm’s working document. Replace bracketed text only after lawyer and operations review. Treat the sample wording as a starting point, not a jurisdiction-neutral safe harbor.
- 1. Greeting and role“Thank you for contacting [Firm Name]. I’m [approved receptionist description]. I can collect initial information, help with approved scheduling, and route your message. I cannot give legal advice or confirm that the firm represents you.”
- 2. Urgent or emergency requests, when raisedUse emergency wording when the caller describes an immediate safety need: “If you need immediate police, fire, or ambulance assistance in the United States, call 911.” For a caller-raised legal date: “Please tell me the date exactly as you understand it so I can mark it for the firm’s review.” Record the caller’s words; leave deadline calculation to the lawyer.
- 3. Caller type“Are you contacting the firm about a new matter, an existing matter, or for another reason?” Apply the approved route for existing clients, courts, counsel, vendors, and new inquiries.
- 4. Safe contact“What name and contact information should the firm use? Is it safe to leave a voicemail, send a text, or email you at those details?” Record each permission separately and do not assume that one channel authorizes another.
- 5. Broad matter and location“In a sentence or two, what would you like help with?” Then ask the approved location or jurisdiction question. Record the caller’s description without recasting it as a legal claim.
- 6. Conflict-information branch“The firm’s review process asks for the names of other people or organizations involved. Please provide only the names requested at this stage.” Do not say that a conflict is cleared or invite an unlimited narrative.
- 7. Caller-stated dates“Are there hearings, notices, incidents, filings, closings, or other dates you want the firm to know?” Repeat the date and source back. Record “approximate,” “unknown,” or “caller unsure” when appropriate.
- 8. Approved practice branchAsk the firm’s reviewed administrative questions. Do not ask the caller to diagnose a claim, choose a remedy, estimate damages, interpret a document, or decide what law applies.
- 9. Next actionOffer only what the configured rule permits: an acknowledged consultation slot, an attempted transfer, or a staff-review queue. If the action fails, state that accurately and use the approved fallback.
- 10. Recap and expectationConfirm key contact details, the broad request, important caller-stated dates, the actual booking or routing result, and the expected next administrative step. Close with the firm’s approved no-representation language.
Save a Structured Handoff With the Script
A transcript alone makes the receiving team search for the important facts. A structured record should preserve both the caller’s words and the administrative state. Use explicit “unknown,” “not asked,” “refused,” and “not applicable” values rather than filling blanks with guesses.
| Field group | Minimum record | Validation | Reserved decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identity and contact | Name, spelling confirmation where needed, phone, email, safe-contact preference, preferred language | Repeat critical details; preserve refusal | Identity verification beyond the approved process |
| Caller and matter type | New inquiry, existing client, other caller; broad caller-selected category | Allow “other” and multiple issues | Legal claim, cause of action, or merit |
| Location and parties | Location stated; approved opposing-party and related names | Spelling and relationship labels | Jurisdiction, venue, or conflict clearance |
| Dates and documents | Exact date as stated, source label, document category, whether a copy exists | Exact/approximate/unknown flag | Deadline, document meaning, or legal effect |
| Administrative fit | Required-field state and firm-approved route condition | Complete, incomplete, exception, or review | Eligibility, case value, acceptance, or strategy |
| Action and ownership | Booking ID or time, transfer result, task owner, fallback queue, promised next step | Acknowledged/failed/queued outcome | Representation or response guarantee |
Add Practice-Area Branches Without Turning the Script Into Advice
Each branch should be short enough to review and maintain. Ask only questions that affect routing, an administrative booking rule, a preliminary conflict process, or the lawyer’s ability to understand the request. The firm should document why each field exists and who may access it.
| Branch | Possible first-contact questions | Do not decide |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury | Incident type and location, date stated, broad treatment status, parties, existing counsel, consultation preference | Liability, limitations period, damages, case value, or recovery |
| Employment | Employee or employer side, state, status, broad issue, date stated, agency or court notice, documents available | Protected status, timeliness, claim, employer liability, or damages |
| Debt relief | State, personal or business context, broad debt type, creditor action stated, lawsuit or garnishment language, consultation timing | Bankruptcy chapter, dischargeability, settlement recommendation, or creditor outcome |
| Estate planning | Caller relationship, requested meeting, state, broad service requested, decision-makers attending, timing, existing documents as categories | Which instrument is needed, legal capacity, tax outcome, beneficiary rights, or document validity |
| Family law | State and county stated, broad matter, existing case or order, hearing date stated, safe-contact instructions, other party’s name | Custody rights, order effect, safety judgment, strategy, or likely result |
Show the Difference Between Complete and Incomplete Intake
Complete administrative handoff
“New inquiry. Caller gave name and safe callback number; email declined. Caller described a workplace termination in Ohio and stated a notice is dated October 14, but was unsure what the notice means. Employer and supervisor names were collected for firm review. Required administrative fields are complete. A consultation was booked for October 23 at 10:00 a.m. ET and the calendar returned confirmation ID 4821. No representation or deadline statement was made.”
Incomplete but usable handoff
“New inquiry. Caller described a workplace issue but declined to name the employer until speaking with a lawyer. The caller mentioned ‘next Friday’ but could not confirm whether it is a hearing or agency date. No eligible consultation slot was available. The inquiry was placed in the urgent-review queue assigned to Intake Lead; caller was told that the request is pending review and not promised a response time. Missing fields: opposing party, exact date, notice type.”
The second record is not a failed intake. It preserves uncertainty, avoids inventing data, and gives staff an actionable next step. A rigid completion score could hide that quality. Track why a field is missing and whether the fallback owner resolved it.
Write Exception Language Before It Is Needed
Exception wording should be calm and accurate. For an immediate U.S. police, fire, or ambulance emergency, direct the caller to 911. For a caller-stated court date or legal time concern, record the date and source exactly and use the firm’s reviewed urgent queue; do not calculate a deadline or say that the matter is timely.
When a caller asks for legal advice, the response can say that the receptionist cannot advise or interpret the situation and can collect information for firm review. When the caller asks whether the firm represents them, the response should use the firm’s approved engagement boundary. When a conflict name appears, collect only the approved information and route it; never announce a conflict result.
Other test cases should include existing clients, threats or safety concerns, minors, third-party callers, language changes, accessibility requests, callers who refuse questions, multiple legal issues, solicitations, failed bookings, unanswered transfers, duplicate records, and unavailable systems. Each needs an owner and an auditable result.
Test, Approve, and Version the Script
Run test calls before launch and after every material change. Use normal, incomplete, ambiguous, emotional, multilingual, legal-advice, emergency, deadline, booking-failure, transfer-failure, duplicate, and human-request scenarios. Review the rendered record in the actual downstream system, not only the conversation.
The approval packet should include the script version, scope, fields, data destinations, permissions, recording and messaging choices, calendar rules, transfer routes, fallbacks, legal boundaries, jurisdictional review, test cases, defects, approvals, and release date. Keep prior versions so the firm can determine which wording handled a past interaction.
After launch, sample by caller type, practice area, language, channel, office-hours status, outcome, and exception. Look for repeated questions, caller corrections, unnecessary data, misunderstood dates, overstated expectations, failed actions, and staff rework. Change the script through a controlled process instead of making isolated prompt edits.
Measure Script Quality Without Claiming Legal or Revenue Outcomes
Useful measures include required-field usability, caller corrections, explicit missing-field rate, booking acknowledgment, transfer connection, task ownership, fallback completion, duplicate creation, safe-contact preference capture, staff rework, complaint categories, and exception-resolution time. Segment results before drawing conclusions.
Do not call every long conversation a failure or every short conversation a success. A caller may need time to explain an unfamiliar situation. A short call may end without a usable number. Review the purpose of each stage and use the firm’s own baseline rather than an invented universal benchmark.
Signed engagements and revenue sit downstream from legal fit, conflict review, reputation, fees, attorney availability, consultation quality, follow-up, and many other factors. The intake script can make the front door more controlled and measurable; it cannot guarantee conversion, savings, case quality, or results.
Law Firm Intake Script FAQs
Should the receptionist read every word exactly?
No. Mandatory disclosures and legal boundaries may require exact approved wording, but the conversation should still respond naturally. Define which lines are fixed and which prompts can be paraphrased without changing meaning.
Can the script determine whether a caller has a good case?
No. It can apply firm-approved administrative routing criteria and identify whether required fields are usable. Merit, legal fit, conflict clearance, strategy, value, acceptance, and representation remain with qualified firm personnel.
Can the script calculate a filing deadline?
No. Record the date and its source exactly as the caller states it, preserve uncertainty, and use the firm’s urgent-review path. A lawyer must determine whether a deadline applies and how it is calculated.
Give TeleWizard your approved script to review which questions, actions, and handoffs can be configured. Review the TeleWizard options.
Official Sources
TeleWizard: AI Legal Virtual Receptionist for Law Firms.
Professional responsibility: ABA Model Rule 1.18 and its official comments, including Comment [4]. Model rules are not controlling law in every jurisdiction.
Emergency boundary: 911.gov frequently asked questions.
