Client intake routed automatically by practice area. Emergencies flagged instantly. Retainer signed before the first call.
Before
Every new client started with the same manual chaos.
The intake process at most law firms runs on email, phone tag, and spreadsheets. A potential client submits a form or calls in. Someone on staff manually reviews it, figures out which practice area it belongs to, finds the right partner, and forwards it. If it is urgent, they hope someone notices in time. Retainer agreements are drafted by hand from intake notes — a process that takes hours and delays the first billable conversation. Billable hours are logged after the fact, often inaccurately, and reconciling them against invoices is a weekly headache. The result: slow intake, missed urgencies, and revenue that is harder to collect than it should be.
Manual routing and missed urgencies
Staff were manually reading intake forms and deciding where to route them. Emergency matters — arrests, custody disputes, restraining orders — could sit in a queue for hours.
Retainer process losing days
Drafting retainer agreements by hand, chasing signatures by email, and waiting for documents to come back was delaying the start of every engagement.
Billable hours not captured accurately
Time was logged manually, often at the end of the day or week. Entries were vague, incomplete, or never linked to the right matter. Revenue was being left on the table.
What We Built
Online intake form with practice area detection and intelligent routing to the correct partner
Emergency flagging: custody, criminal, restraining order triggers fire instant partner alerts
Retainer agreement auto-generated from intake data — fee structure, matter details, scope
E-signature workflow sends retainer and tracks completion without manual follow-up
Billable hours interface — staff log time directly to matter numbers, no manual reconciliation
Real-time dashboard: active matters, billable hours by attorney, invoice status, collection rate
After
Intake is instant. Emergencies never wait. Retainers sign themselves. Hours track automatically.
Now, when a potential client submits an intake form online, the system reads the responses and routes it to the correct partner based on practice area — family law, corporate, criminal, personal injury, immigration. If the intake contains emergency signals, it fires an immediate alert to the on-call partner. The retainer agreement is generated automatically from the intake data, pre-filled with fee structure and matter details, and sent for e-signature within minutes. Staff log hours directly to matters through a simple interface, and every entry is automatically linked and tracked. A real-time dashboard shows every partner their billable hours, matter status, and outstanding invoices — updated live.
How It Works
Step by step
Intake Form Submitted
Potential client fills out the online intake form — practice area, matter description, urgency, and contact details.
Auto-Routed to Partner
System reads the intake and routes it to the correct partner by practice area. No staff involvement required.
Emergency Escalation
If the intake contains emergency signals — arrest, custody dispute, restraining order — an immediate alert fires to the on-call partner.
Retainer Generated
Retainer agreement is auto-generated from intake data, pre-filled with fee structure and matter scope.
E-Signature Sent
Agreement sent to client for e-signature automatically. System tracks completion and follows up if unsigned.
Matter Opened, Hours Tracked
Matter is created in the system. Staff log hours directly to the matter. Everything links automatically to billing.
Measured outcomes
The Results 6 weeks to go live
Intake used to take two days before we could even open a matter. Now the retainer is generated and sent before we have had our first call with the client. The emergency flagging alone has been worth it.
Managing Partner, Law Firm
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