what to ask a client in an initial intake law

When information technology comes to initial interviews with potential clients, are you lot request the right lawyer-client interview questions?

Lawyers devote significant time, energy, and marketing money to nurturing leads and winning new clients. Merely if you lot rush through the initial interview or fail to gear up the most effective lawyer-client interview questions, yous'll likely miss out on major opportunities for y'all and your client.

Conducting a great client interview is disquisitional to an effective client intake process , and it'south an important initial step to providing a client-centered experience. The key is to gear up: Request the correct attorney-client interview questions that tin speedily and effectively let you know what your clients need. At the aforementioned time, the right questions will also help establish clear communication and expectations on both sides.

In the post-obit guide, nosotros'll offer tips for how to refine your initial client interview procedure and how you can best prepare for an initial client interview. In improver, we'll offer some lawyer-client interview sample questions to integrate into your process. Perfecting your interview questions tin make a big difference in improving your customer intake process, and so let's offset with an piece of cake query: Are you ready to go started?

How do you set for a lawyer-client interview?

No matter how many lawyer-client interviews you've conducted, information technology's all the same of import to ready by reviewing the client'southward file. Y'all'll as well need to plan the interview construction and prepare attorney-customer interview questions. You'll too desire to be ready with a strategy to manage expectations (nosotros'll get into more detail below).

At the pre-interview stage, consider your goals and permit them guide your preparations. This means considering what you want to leave of the interview, including learning about the legal issue at hand, establishing a positive client experience, and winning the client.

Before the lawyer-client interview

Conduct a thoughtful pre-screen and conflict check

As our guide to client intake for constabulary firms explains, an important part of an effective client intake process is to take steps to ensure that a potential client is a good fit before moving forward. Not every legal issue will be a good fit for you, your practice surface area, workload, and firm size. Merely that's normal.

Pre-screen : Earlier you book the interview, accept a set up pre-screening process. Inquire for bones information (for case, via an intake questionnaire) to help you decide if the client may (or may not) be a fit for your firm. You can make this procedure simpler for the customer by using an online intake forms tool, like Clio Grow.
Conflict check: You lot'll also want to practice a disharmonize check before proceeding to ensure at that place are no conflicts of interest or other reasons that volition forbid you from working with someone. Here again, an online intake tool can make this easier for you and the client. Clio Grow , for example, can be office of a robust conflict check process.

Review the client's file

The initial client interview should be for asking questions, not for learning basic client details. Before the interview, ask for any relevant information and documents so you can review them in accelerate.

Prepare, set up, prepare: your questions and answers

Once you lot've reviewed the client'due south file, set up your questions for the client, and take some time to anticipate questions that the client may have for yous. We'll discuss more on what answers (for clients) lawyers should prep for earlier the interview below.

Remember: Your goal is to have the client fill in blanks, reveal their goals and expectations, and tell y'all near the case. Because of this, you should ask open-ended questions to encourage them to share more than details.

Transport a confirmation email and a reminder

Especially if you've taken the fourth dimension to thoroughly set up for the interview, in that location'south nothing worse than a no-show. While some no-shows are unavoidable, oftentimes a simple confirmation email and a reminder can ensure your potential client makes the coming together. Be sure to include the appointment date and time and any other pertinent information for the client's convenience.

A proactive step like this also helps show that you will be offering a customer-axial feel from the kickoff of your customer'south journey. Reminders don't accept to take time abroad from your legal work. Tools similar the legal engagement booking software in Clio Abound can streamline the process by sending automated engagement confirmations and reminders.

Explore more ways to save time and deliver a improve client experience by automating client intake.

What lawyer-customer interview questions should you enquire potential clients?

While the exact questions yous'll ask should exist customized to each potential client's specific situation, these lawyer-client interview questions are a good starting point:

Could I confirm your details?

Starting with a simple easy-to-answer question tin help ease the potential client into the chat while letting you confirm important details.

I see you're having an consequence with X, tin you tell me more well-nigh that?

It's important to establish that you've done your research and have an understanding of what the issue is. Merely it's too essential to too allow the client to tell you what the trouble is. Don't brand assumptions and listen to what they say. If they are vague or unclear about sure things, you tin e'er follow up for more than details.

Have y'all worked with a lawyer before? Have yous worked with another lawyer on this specific matter already?

If the client has worked with some other lawyer (whether on this instance or a previous matter), the way that they respond this question tin can requite you insights into their expectations of a lawyer. This way, y'all can gauge if you'll be able to meet them. This can also help yous know how familiar (or unfamiliar) the client is with the legal system and its processes. Additionally, if they accept worked with some other lawyer on this thing, you'll desire to know why they're coming to you now.

Tin yous share why yous want to pursue this thing?

To put the client's experience first, you need to know why the customer is pursuing a matter, how serious they are nigh taking it on, and how they experience nigh it. Let them share their reasons and feelings about the case.

How tin I assist yous?

Exist direct. By asking this open-ended question, you can get a meliorate agreement of what the client'due south expectations of you lot will exist. At the same fourth dimension, you are prioritizing the client'due south needs.

Could you walk me through your example?

Instead of request detailed questions at this bespeak, ask the client to walk you through the facts of their example. This can aid you identify what's virtually of import to them and get a full general picture show of the issue.

What are y'all most concerned most?

As an experienced chaser, you may focus on certain elements of a instance. Merely the lawyer-client interview is the time to larn what worries or most concerns the potential client. This could be the case'south event or it could be the toll of legal services. Knowing this tin can assistance yous go on in a way that will best serve your client.

What is your goal for your case?

While you may take already formed ideas for how you lot want to handle a case, information technology's important to clarify what result your potential client wants to see.

Do you have whatsoever additional information or documents that I should have?

You never know what yous don't know or what you might have missed. This type of simple, open-concluded question lets clients bring up whatsoever points y'all may non be enlightened of.

What answers to client questions should lawyers prepare for?

The meeting isn't just about you interviewing a potential customer—the client will have questions for you, likewise. Being prepared for the common questions that clients have is fundamental. Here are four mutual questions you lot should prepare to reply:

What should I do next?

As a legal professional person, potential clients are turning to yous for your expertise and guidance. You need to provide clear next steps (for example, when they can expect you lot to contact them) to give clients conviction in y'all as a lawyer. How much would my case price?

Price predictability is part of a good customer experience—and a reasonable concern for clients during an initial interview. And so, be prepared to hash out your law firm pricing and billing process sot potential clients can go a realistic estimate and expectation of what their case may cost. For example, allow them know if yous bill hourly, have a flat fee, or offer alternative fee structures .

What is the procedure for my case?

While y'all may non be able to predict specifics, be prepared to lay out the general procedure and gauge timelines for the client. This way, they will take a better idea of what to await.

Tin I get more data nigh my example?

Fix realistic expectations for timelines and frequency of communication updates. For example, your client may think you'll telephone call with daily updates. But if that'south not practical for yous, hash out to see if you tin find a solution that works for both of y'all—before y'all commencement with engagement.

Conducting the lawyer-customer interview

If you lot want to nail your initial consultation, information technology'due south about more than just what attorney-client interview questions yous enquire. Follow these tips for interviewing in a customer-centric way:

1. Make the client feel comfortable

You may bargain with the police every solar day, but pursuing a legal issue can be stressful, draining, and fifty-fifty scary for potential clients. With this in heed, do your best to be emotionally sensitive and make them feel as at ease equally possible. Whether you're meeting in person or virtuall y over video conference , make sure the setting is clean and comfortable.

Also, the lawyer-customer interview is not the time to try to impress the client with your fanciest lawyer-speak. Avert using legal jargon and overly technical language. Unnecessary jargon can alienate the client and make them feel overwhelmed and even talked down to. This is the opposite of the positive client-centered feel you're aiming for.

2. Discover not-exact advice

When asking your lawyer-client interview questions, is the client fidgeting, or do they look similar they accept something to add? Pay attending to non-verbal cues. Clients may be nervous or intimidated, but not-verbal communication can help y'all make up one's mind if yous demand to ask more specific questions to get them to share more than.

It's also a good idea to be aware of your not-exact advice—if y'all appear disinterested, your potential customer will likely pick upwardly on that.

3. Mind, listen, listen during your initial consultation

The all-time thing you can do when asking your lawyer-customer interview questions during your initial consultation is only mind. This is the time when the client should exist doing almost of the talking. Follow client communication best practices and try to avoid cutting them off or filling in pauses.

However, this doesn't mean you should be silent—listen, but besides circle back and ask the client to clarify details when necessary.

4. Integrate with your practice management software

Keep in heed that the customer interview is role of the client intake process. That's why information technology'due south important to go along tasks related to the interview as simple and streamlined every bit possible. Await for opportunities to integrate tasks—like pre-interview contact data collection—with your practice management software. This style, you can eliminate duplicate data entry for clients (i.e. they only have to fill out their data once) and your firm.

If you employ the Clio Suite , for example, Clio Abound's customer intake software works together with Clio Manage's practice management software for a seamless experience.

5. Track potential clients by their phase in the client intake process

The client interview is part of your overall client intake process, and then it's important to runway information technology f or efficiency and ensure that no potential clients get missed. If you're using online client intake software, yous tin easily rails and see a potential client's status in stages (for instance, "needs a follow upwards").

If you're adapting to a new online client intake procedure (or will be moving your client intake online), lookout man our Introduce Legal Online webinar on moving your customer intake process online for tips.

6. Ask about their preferred manner of communication

If you're committed to delivering an exceptional customer experience, information technology's important to brand an effort to communicate with your clients the way they want to be communicated with. After asking your lawyer-client interview questions, ask your potential client how they want to be communicated with.

For case, co-ordinate to the 2020 Legal Trends Report , 56% of consumers would prefer videoconferencing over a phone telephone call. But yous won't know your potential customer's preference unless you lot ask.

Of course, it's important to discuss which platforms are appropriate for communicating sensitive data. For example, text messaging may be adequate in certain instances, but not in others.

seven. Manage customer expectations

Don't over-promise just to win the client's business. Clients appreciate honesty and a realistic vision of what they tin expect if they move forward with yous on their legal matter.

8. Communicate conspicuously

Clear communication goes hand-in-paw with effectively managing client expectations, so exist sure to be open up and honest when communicating with your customer.

Leave time in the consultation to hash out fees (if the customer doesn't ask yous get-go). Go over your pricing, billing process, accustomed methods of payment, and other payment details like possible alternative billing methods you lot may offer. Let your potential client to decide if they can realistically pay for your services in a style that works for them and your business firm.

No matter how the interview goes, make certain the client knows what the next steps are so they tin can make informed decisions and aren't unsure of what to exercise next.

If you decide not to move forrard with a potential client, it's important to close the loop past sending a non-engagement letter of the alphabet . This ensures you're providing client-centered communication and potentially avert future malpractice claims.

Determination

Conducting a great client interview is disquisitional to an effective customer intake process. It'southward also an important part of providing a client-centered experience. If you want to perfect your process, the fundamental is to set up with the correct lawyer-client interview questions—and truly listen to their answers. By asking questions at the first, y'all'll get a better idea of what your customer expects from you (whether y'all move forward or not). This way, your potential client will first their journey with your firm feeling heard, which is key to a great client-centered experience. Volition you be hiring at your firm? Here are some examples of police force house questions for interview subjects.

Note: The data in this commodity applies simply to U.s.a. practices. This post is provided for informational purposes only. It does not plant legal, business, or accounting advice.

We published this web log post in March 2021. Last updated: October four, 2021.

Categorized in: Business concern

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Source: https://www.clio.com/blog/lawyer-client-interview-questions/