CRM
Booking a consultation might seem like a small step in the client journey, but it’s often where momentum is either gained or lost. When scheduling feels smooth, clear, and personalized, it sets the tone for everything that follows.
This month’s Deep Dive webinar focused on how to use Lawmatics to streamline scheduling, reminders, payments, and event registrations. Hosted by Product Manager Devon Butler and Clare Struzzi, manager of the account management team at Lawmatics, the session covers everything from customizing availability to collecting payments through booking forms.
Time stamps of key takeaways
8:19 – Appointment scheduling options
Devon walks through how to set up your calendar, including working hours, buffer times, and rolling booking windows. She also explains the difference between general availability and appointment-specific settings. Clare clarifies how two-way sync works and when to use appointment-type-specific rules to better control your calendar.
21:51– Using appointments with forms
This section focuses on how clients book appointments through forms. Devon shows how to embed booking blocks in custom forms, with options like selecting hosts, adding additional attendees, and applying conditional logic. Clare shares examples of firms using location- or attorney-based fields to dynamically display the right booking options.
33:20 – Setting up confirmations and reminders
Next, Devon and Clare show how to create personalized confirmations and reminders using appointment-specific emails or texts. They walk through how to assign emails based on appointment type, location, or practice area, and explain when to use general messages vs. detailed ones with merged info like Zoom links or physical addresses. They also break down the differences between confirmation and reminder timing.
40:25 – Collecting payments for appointments
Devon demonstrates how to add payment fields to forms using LMPay, including setting fixed fees and applying conditional logic based on form answers. Clare explains common use cases, like toggling payment fields based on consultation type or practice area. This lets firms collect fees at the time of booking and avoid chasing payments later.
46:23 – Building and managing events from within Lawmatics
Webinar slide deck
Devon explains how to create and manage group events, like webinars or workshops, directly in Lawmatics. She walks through setting up event types, adding registrants manually or through forms, applying registration caps, and using automations and tags to track registrants or trigger follow-ups.
Legal intake is important because it often forms a potential client’s impression of a law firm. The client intake form is vital to the legal client intake process because it allows firms to make a positive first impression on potential clients.Many firms struggle with designing a comprehensive and effective intake form that clients will understand. Is your legal team asking, “How do you make a client intake form that will meet everyone’s needs?” If so, a law firm client intake process flow chart that outlines the steps can help streamline your process.
What is a client intake form?
A client intake form is a document that leads fill out — this information helps firms determine if the client is a good fit for the legal team. These forms are an integral part of the client intake process. A well-constructed intake form includes fields for a client’s basic information, such as full name, address, and other contact details. Interested prospects fill out the nature of their case including as many details as possible to help a lawyer best pre-screen before a consultation.
What does a client intake form gather?
A legal intake form typically collects a wide range of information necessary for an attorney or law firm to evaluate a potential client's case and determine the best course of action. Here's a list of the information commonly gathered with a legal intake form:
Contact Information
- Full name
- Address
- Phone number
- Email address
Demographic Information
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Marital status
- Occupation
Case Details
- Nature of the legal issue (e.g., personal injury, family law, criminal defense)
- Description of the incident or problem
- Date(s) of incident or relevant events
- Location where the incident occurred
Parties Involved
- Names and contact information of all parties involved in the case, e.g., opposing party, witnesses
Legal History
- Any previous legal actions related to the current issue
- Details of previous legal representation, if applicable
Financial Information
- Employment status
- Income details
- Assets and liabilities
Insurance Information
- Details regarding any insurance coverage relevant to the case
Documents and Evidence
- Any documents or evidence related to the case that the potential client may possess
Other Relevant Information
- Any additional information that may be relevant to the case, such as medical records, contracts, or communications related to the legal issue
Preferences and Goals
- Client's preferred method of communication
- Desired outcome or goals for the case
Conflict Check
- Questions to identify any potential conflicts of interest that may exist for the attorney or legal firm
Collecting this information helps attorneys accurately evaluate the potential client's situation and determine whether they can provide appropriate legal assistance. It also assists in managing the case if the representation moves forward.
What is a client intake form example?
Legal client intake forms can vary significantly depending on the specific practice area, jurisdiction, and preferences of the law firm or legal organization. Here are some intake form examples tailored to different practice areas:
- Personal injury intake form. This intake form typically includes detailed questions about an accident or injury, such as the date, time, and location of the incident, the nature of the injuries sustained, medical treatment received, insurance information, and potential witnesses.
- Family law intake form. For family law matters, the intake form might gather information about marital status, children, grounds for divorce or separation, custody and visitation arrangements, child support, alimony, and any existing court orders or agreements.
- Estate planning intake form. An estate planning intake form would focus on gathering information about the client's assets, beneficiaries, and wishes regarding the distribution of property, as well as preferences for guardianship, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney.
- Criminal defense intake form. For criminal defense matters, the intake form may request information about the charges, arrest details, interactions with law enforcement, prior criminal history, and potential witnesses or evidence.
- Business or corporate intake form. This form would gather information about the client's business structure, industry, contracts, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and any specific legal issues or challenges facing the business.
The more details requested on an intake form, the better. Client intake software enhances the client intake process with customized client intake form templates that lawyers can repurpose for each practice area. Information can be inputted directly into the law firm database, making the process faster with fewer errors.
What is the purpose of an intake form?
The client intake form serves several essential purposes, including:
- Documentation and record-keeping. Intake forms are necessary for the attorney and the client. They record the initial contact and provide a reference point for the case details. This documentation is essential for maintaining accurate records and ensuring compliance with legal and ethical obligations.
- Communication and coordination. Intake forms facilitate communication and coordination between the potential client and the attorney or legal firm. They provide a structured way for the potential client to communicate their needs and concerns, and they help the attorney understand the client's goals and preferences for handling the case.
- Legal and ethical compliance. Intake forms help attorneys and legal firms comply with legal and ethical requirements, such as conducting conflict checks, maintaining client confidentiality, and obtaining informed consent for representation.
An effective client intake form is crucial for documenting the case, establishing effective communication between the attorney and client, and ensuring legal and ethical compliance throughout the legal representation.
What is an In-house Legal Intake Form?
An in-house legal intake form is a document a corporation’s legal department uses to collect essential information from colleagues in other departments — typically sales, marketing, or human resources — who need legal assistance. Unlike generic intake forms, an in-house legal intake form is tailored to the specific needs and practices of the firm or legal department. Due to the high volume and fast-paced nature of business, many in-house legal departments have processes and software tools to streamline legal intake.
What makes a good intake form?
Here are some qualities of an effective intake form:
- Transparent. The form should be well-organized and easy to understand, with clear instructions for completing each section. It should cover all necessary information relevant to the legal matter.
- Relevant. The questions on the intake form should be tailored to a specific practice area or legal issue to ensure that the information gathered applies to the potential case.
- Focused. The form should avoid unnecessary or overly detailed questions that could overwhelm the client. Instead, it should focus on collecting the most pertinent details needed for initial case evaluation.
- Flexible. A good intake form can be customized to accommodate variations in legal matters or client needs and should allow flexibility to add or modify questions based on specific circumstances.
- User-friendly. The form should be easy to use, with logical organization, clear formatting, and sufficient space for responses. To streamline completion, it might include checkboxes, dropdown menus, or other interactive elements.
- Compliant. The intake form should comply with all relevant legal requirements, including data protection laws, privacy regulations, and ethical guidelines governing client communications and information handling.
- Accessible. Providing options for electronic submission of intake forms via online forms, email submissions, or client portals can enhance client convenience and streamline the firm’s intake process.
- Collaborative. Integration with case management software or other internal systems can improve workflow efficiency by automatically populating client information and facilitating case tracking and management.
Intake forms should be periodically reviewed and updated in response to changes in legal requirements, practice procedures, and client feedback.
What does the client intake include?
Legal client intake typically includes the following:
- Initial contact. When a potential client contacts a law firm seeking legal assistance, they are typically asked to fill out a client intake form in person or online.
- Collecting information. The intake form gathers critical details about the potential client, including their contact details, their legal issue, parties involved, and other relevant information.
- Assessing the case. Once the intake form is completed, the attorney or legal team reviews the information provided to assess the case’s merits and determine if they are the right fit to provide legal representation.
- Conflict check. The information provided in the intake form allows the law firm to conduct a conflict check to ensure no conflicts of interest prevent them from representing the potential client.
- Initial consultation. Based on the information gathered from the intake form, the attorney may schedule an initial consultation with the potential client to discuss the details of the case further, provide legal advice, and outline possible strategies for moving forward.
- Retainer agreement. If both parties decide to proceed with the representation, the client intake form may serve as the basis for drafting a retainer agreement and other necessary documentation outlining the terms of the legal representation.
Throughout the case, the information collected during the intake process will serve as a reference point for case management, helping to ensure that all relevant details are accounted for and that the client's needs are being met.
How do you write a client intake form?
Writing a client intake form involves carefully considering the information you need to collect and how to structure the form to gather that information effectively. Here are some tips:
- Identify key information. Based on your practice area or legal specialty, start by identifying the essential information you need to collect from clients. Consider the specific details relevant to evaluating potential cases and providing appropriate legal assistance.
- Organize sections. Structure the intake form into clear sections, each addressing a specific category of information. Use headings and subheadings to guide clients through the form.
- Use clear and concise language. Write questions and instructions in clear, straightforward language that clients can easily understand.
- Take a conversational approach. Ask open-ended questions that allow clients to provide detailed explanations with specific questions that require concise answers.
- Offer clarification. For complex or ambiguous questions, provide examples or clarifications to help clients understand what information they are being asked to provide.
- Prioritize security and privacy. Incorporate statements about privacy and confidentiality to reassure clients that their information will be handled securely and in compliance with legal and ethical standards.
By following these tips, you can create a client intake form that effectively gathers the necessary information, facilitates smoother client interactions, and boosts the efficiency of your law firm.
How do I create a legal intake form?
You can use a word processor to manually create an intake form or utilize automation to streamline the process. Legal software platforms will allow you to design digital forms unique to your practice’s needs. Custom forms make it easy to qualify new prospects, organize contact information, and feed new matters into your automated processes.
What is a client intake form template?
A client intake form template is a customizable questionnaire that allows firms to tailor their intake forms in real-time. These templates offer a way to collect client information and streamline the intake process by enabling you to ask only relevant questions. Custom intake forms can be embedded directly into the firm’s website, allowing potential clients to submit a query electronically. Intake form automation solutions and workflows tailored to your legal practice areas or case types will make your job easier and elevate your clients’ experience.
How do I create an intake form? With Lawmatics
Throughout the intake process, lawyers must collect significant amounts of important information from potential clients to determine whether their practice area suits their needs. For lawyers who run their firm from their inboxes or spreadsheets, manually inputting all of this information requires considerable work. However, attorneys looking for the most efficient way to handle their client intake process rely on legal intake software to simplify and automate a significant portion of these time-consuming tasks.A good intake form is quick for a law firm to create and easy for the client to fill out. Lawmatics automation solutions streamline the intake process with client intake form templates that save you time and give your clients the experience they deserve. Are you ready to save hours per case on intake? Request a demo today.
Client intake in a law firm is an important process for onboarding new clients. Client intake software is technology used by businesses and organizations to streamline the client intake process by collecting information from clients. Legal client intake automation can organize the compilation of essential data, such as personal information, contact details, preferences, and other relevant details, depending on the nature of the business.Client intake software in law firms typically replaces traditional paper-based forms or manual data entry processes, offering a more efficient and error-free way to gather information. It often includes features such as customizable intake forms, electronic signatures, data validation, document upload capabilities, and integration with other systems like customer relationship management (CRM) software or practice management systems.
What is client intake in law?
In law, client intake refers to the initial process during which a law firm or legal practitioner obtains information from a prospective client. This stage is crucial as it sets the foundation for the attorney-client relationship and provides the lawyer with the necessary details to assess the client's needs and determine how best to proceed with their case.When a law firm conducts the client intake process, several key steps are typically involved, including:
- Initial contact. The prospective client reaches out to the law firm seeking legal assistance. This contact may occur through various channels such as phone calls, emails, or in-person visits.
- Assessment of legal issue. The attorney or intake specialist evaluates the legal issue presented by the client to determine if it falls within the firm's area of expertise and whether they can provide the required assistance.
- Gathering information. The attorney collects relevant information from the client, including details about the legal matter, personal background, contact information, financial situation, and any documents related to the case.
- Conflict check. The law firm conducts a conflict check to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest that would prevent them from representing the prospective client.
- Initial consultation. If necessary, the attorney may schedule an initial consultation with the client to further discuss the case, provide legal advice, and explore potential legal options.
- Retainer agreement. If the parties decide to move forward, they sign a retainer agreement outlining the terms of the representation, including fees, scope of services, and other details.
Client intake in law is a critical process for both the client and the law firm, as it helps establish clear expectations, ensures that the firm can effectively handle the client's legal needs, and lays the groundwork for a successful attorney-client relationship. Effective client intake practices can contribute to client satisfaction, streamline case management, and mitigate potential risks for the law firm.
What does an intake process do?
An efficient intake process enables law firms to vet and retain a continuous flow of new clients. Legal intake best practices involve strategies and approaches that law firms and legal practitioners can implement to ensure an efficient, effective, and client-centered intake process. Here are some critical best practices that will enable law firms to vet and retain a continuous flow of new clients:
- Clear communication. Provide clear instructions and communication channels for clients to initiate the intake process. This may include phone numbers, email addresses, online forms, or in-person consultations.
- Comprehensive information gathering. Collect comprehensive information from clients, including personal details, contact information, case-specific details, and relevant documents. This helps attorneys understand the client's needs and assess the case effectively.
- Conflict checking. Conduct thorough conflict checks to identify any potential conflicts of interest before proceeding with representation.
- Data security and confidentiality. Ensure that client data is handled securely and confidentially throughout the intake process. Implement robust data protection measures to safeguard sensitive information.
- Documentation and Follow-Up. Maintain detailed records of client intake interactions and follow-up promptly on any outstanding issues or inquiries to keep clients informed and engaged.
- Empathy and compassion. Approach client intake with empathy and compassion, acknowledging the client's concerns and building rapport to establish trust and confidence.
- Feedback and Continuous Improvement. Solicit feedback from clients about their intake experience and use this feedback to identify areas for improvement and refine intake processes continually.
- Prompt response. Aim to respond to client inquiries and intake requests promptly to demonstrate responsiveness and professionalism.
- Screening for case merit. Screen cases for merit and viability to ensure that the firm can provide meaningful assistance and that the client's expectations align with the firm's capabilities.
- Structured intake forms. Develop structured intake forms or questionnaires that gather essential information systematically. Tailor these forms to capture relevant details specific to different practice areas.
- Training and standardization. Train intake staff on best practices and standardize intake procedures to maintain consistency and quality across all client interactions.
By implementing these best practices, law firms can streamline their intake processes, enhance client satisfaction, and lay a solid foundation for successful attorney-client relationships.
How do you automate an intake process?
Automating the legal intake process involves streamlining the initial phase of gathering information from clients or potential clients. Are you asking yourself, “How do I create a client intake form? Here's a step-by-step guide on how to automate your firm’s process:
- Online forms. You can create a legal client intake form by using tools like Google Forms, DecisionVault, or dedicated legal intake software. These forms can be customized to gather specific information relevant to different types of cases or legal matters.
- Chatbots. Implement chatbots on your website or messaging platforms to engage with clients in real-time and collect basic information. These chatbots can ask predefined questions and provide relevant information based on user responses.
- Document management systems. Use document management systems to automate the collection and organization of documents submitted by clients. These systems can categorize documents based on case type and store them securely for easy access.
- Email automation. Set up automated email responses to acknowledge receipt of client inquiries and provide instructions on the next steps in the intake process. You can also use email automation to follow up with clients for additional information or to schedule appointments.
- CRM software. Integrate your intake process with client relationship management (CRM) software to track client interactions, manage case details, and automate follow-up tasks.
- Client portals. Create client portals where clients can securely upload documents, track the progress of their case, and communicate with their attorney. This helps streamline communication and reduces the need for manual data entry.
- Legal intake software. Invest in specialized legal intake software that offers comprehensive features tailored to the needs of law firms. Some automated client intake examples include customizable intake forms, automated workflows, and integration with other legal software tools.
- Automated reminders. Set up automated reminders for clients to complete intake forms, submit documents, or attend appointments. This helps keep the intake process on track and ensures timely communication with clients.
By implementing these automation strategies, law firms can save time, improve efficiency, and provide a better experience for clients during the intake process.
What is intake software?
Legal client intake software is a specialized type of software designed to streamline and automate the process of gathering information from clients or potential clients when they first engage with a law firm. This software is specifically tailored to the needs of legal professionals and typically offers a range of features to improve efficiency and organization in the intake process. Some common features of legal client intake software include:
- Analytics and Reporting. Some legal client intake software offers analytics and reporting capabilities, allowing law firms to track metrics such as intake volume, conversion rates, and common legal issues. This data can help firms identify trends, optimize processes, and make informed decisions about resource allocation.
- Client Communication. The software facilitates communication between clients and attorneys, allowing for secure messaging, document sharing, and updates on case progress through a client portal or mobile app.
- Customizable intake Forms. The software allows law firms to create custom intake forms tailored to different practice areas or types of cases. These forms can be designed to capture specific information relevant to each case, such as contact details, case details, and legal issues.
- Document Management. Legal client intake software often includes document management capabilities, allowing clients to upload and submit relevant documents electronically. The software can organize these documents by case and store them securely for easy access by attorneys.
- Integration with Other Software. Legal client intake software may integrate with other software tools commonly used by law firms, such as customer relationship management (CRM) software, case management software, and billing software. This integration helps streamline data sharing and communication across different platforms.
- Online Form Submission. Clients can fill out intake forms online through the law firm's website or a dedicated client portal. This allows for easy submission of information without the need for in-person meetings or paper forms.
- Workflow Automation. The software automates various aspects of the intake process, such as sending automated email responses to acknowledge receipt of client inquiries, scheduling appointments, and assigning tasks to staff members.
Legal client intake software helps law firms improve efficiency, enhance client communication, and provide a better overall experience for clients during the intake process.
What other types of legal software are helpful for law firms?
Some other types of legal software law firms use to maximize efficiency include time and billing platforms, legal marketing software, and legal client relationship management systems.A client management system in a law firm helps manage and engage clients by keeping track of critical information about them – who they are, how they found out about their law firm, and whether they’ve been followed up with since they initially made contact.A legal CRM serves as the “brain” of a legal practice, tracking each potential new client through their journey. Its ultimate purpose is to manage the client intake process for attorneys by attracting, delighting and retaining clients while lawyers focus on practicing law. The end result is more repeat business and increased client referrals, boosting a law firm’s revenue.
What is the best CRM for a law firm?
Lawmatics is the #1 CRM for law firms. It provides best-in-class tools for client intake, workflow & marketing automation, document management, and more. Lawmatics legal CRM helps law firms drive efficiency, attract more prospects, increase client engagement, and accelerate growth.
How much does legal software cost?
The cost of legal software depends on the type of software, the features and functionality it provides, the size of the law firm or legal department, and the pricing model. Here are some common pricing models to consider when comparing the cost of legal software:
- Subscription-based pricing. Users pay a monthly or annual fee typically based on the number of users, the degree of functionality required, and services or support included.
- Per-User Pricing. The cost is based on the number of users who will be accessing the software. This pricing model is commonly offered by cloud-based software solutions.
- Tiered Pricing. Different levels of functionality or support at various price points. Firms choose the plan that best fits their needs and budget, with higher-tier plans typically offering more features and support services.
- One-time Licensing Fee. A traditional licensing model where users pay a one-time fee to purchase the software and own it outright. This model may be more common for on-premises software installations rather than cloud-based solutions.
- Additional costs. There may be additional costs associated with legal software, such as setup fees, training costs, customization fees, and ongoing support or maintenance fees.
The cost of legal software can range from several hundred dollars per month for basic cloud-based solutions to thousands of dollars per month for comprehensive practice management suites with advanced features and support services.
What is the best client intake software for law firms? Lawmatics.
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“So very glad we invested in this program when we did. We are getting more use out of it than we imagined we would ever have to. We are now using an automatic intake form, video-conferencing through GoToMeeting for our consultations, and e-sign with our rep. agreements.”
— Alicia Bostrack, Orchard Law Firm
Law firms love Lawmatics client intake software. Here’s why: It increases efficiency, creates happier clients, and brings in more referrals. Sign up for a free demo to see how Lawmatics can help revolutionize your client intake process.
The client intake process in a law firm typically requires the use of an intake process template. This template is used to gather essential client information that will be used to determine whether a potential client is a fit for a firm and whether their case has legal merit. The template may be created manually or automated by using legal client intake automation software.Some intake process examples include:
- One-size-fits-all. Some law firms use just one template for the entire legal client intake process. However, this method might not always be appropriate due to the diverse nature of information and unique actions required for each case.
- Tailored for each client. Tailoring a legal intake form for each client can be beneficial in certain contexts, but it also has many drawbacks including lack of consistency, labor intensive and time consuming process, and the risk of omitting critical questions or sections.
- Hybrid approach. A customizable template uses a standard intake form that covers all essential and common areas and includes sections or fields that can be customized based on a client’s specific needs.
The hybrid approach is favored by many firms because it allows for consistency and thoroughness while still providing the flexibility to address unique aspects of each client’s situation. The standard sections usually contain basic client information, conflict check, and privacy policy acknowledgment, while the customizable fields gather case-specific details, specific authorizations, and additional relevant questions.
What is the intake process for a law firm?
A law firm’s intake process definition shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. Tailoring your legal intake process to the type of client your firm wants to attract generally produces better results. This approach allows you to gather relevant information more efficiently and enhances the client experience by making the process more straightforward and focused. Here are some benefits tailoring the intake process to client type:
- Relevance. Different types of clients have different needs and legal concerns. Tailoring the process ensures that you will collect pertinent information specific to the type of case.
- Efficiency. Clients will only provide information that is relevant to their situation, making the intake process quicker and reducing the likelihood of incomplete or inaccurate information.
- Client experience. Clients are more likely to appreciate a process that feels customized to their needs, which can improve their perception of your professionalism and attentiveness.
- Thoroughness. Tailored intake processes help ensure that no critical information is missed by focusing on the specifics of the legal issue at hand.
Streamlined Processes make the review and assessment process more efficient, as the information collected is more targeted and relevant.
What are the steps in the intake process?
The typical steps involved in the legal client intake process include:
- Initial contact. Client contacts the firm via phone, email, or website.
- Pre-intake screening. A team member conducts a brief screening to gather preliminary information and schedule an intake interview.
- Conflict check. Perform a conflict of interest check based on the initial information provided.
- Intake interview. Conduct a detailed intake interview (via phone, video, or in-person) using the standardized intake form.
- Case evaluation. The attorney reviews the intake information to assess the viability of the case.
- Engagement. If the case is accepted, send an engagement letter and retainer agreement for the client to sign.
- Documentation. Collect any necessary documents from the client and organize them in the case management system.
- Follow-up. Send a follow-up email or letter to confirm receipt of documents and outline next steps.
What is the purpose of client intake?
The meaning behind the intake process is that it signifies the critical first step in the attorney-client relationship. The intake process allows potential clients to provide information regarding their personal background, legal issue, and other relevant data—gives lawyers the opportunity to evaluate several important things about a client and their case before they extend representation.
What would a client intake process template look like?
A legal client intake process template example should include:
- Basic contact information – potential client’s name, address, phone number, and email address
- Case information – parties involved, relevant dates and locations, legal status
- Intake form – a form automatically sent to a prospective client to gather critical information
- Screening capabilities – automatic screening to help identify conflicts of interest
- Initial meeting – a means for the potential client to schedule an initial consultation
Client intake technology can automate the client intake process. Software solutions like Lawmatics will streamline the process and make it easier for clients to provide the necessary information.
How do you create an intake process for your law firm?
Many firms follow a standard strategy when they create an intake process. Here are some intake process steps firms should complete to make their system as efficient as possible:
- Identify client types. Determine the different types of clients the firm serves most frequently. Examples include personal injury, family law, corporate clients, criminal defense, estate planning, and more.
- Develop core sections. Create a set of core sections that are common to all forms, such as client contact information, basic case information, and conflict checks.
- Customize specific sections. Develop additional sections or questions tailored to the needs of each client type. For example:
- Corporate law. Information about the business, type of legal issue, e.g., contracts or compliance, and key contact information.
- Criminal defense. Questions about the date, time, and reason of the arrest and the crime charged.
- Family law. Questions about marital status, children, custody issues, etc.
- Personal Injury. Details about the incident, medical treatment, insurance information, etc.
- Use technology. Consider using legal intake software that allows for dynamic form creation. Such software can adapt the questions based on initial inputs, helping to automate the customization process.
- Review and update. Regularly review and update the forms to ensure they remain relevant and comprehensive as laws and client needs evolve.
By tailoring your legal intake process to different types of clients, you can enhance your firm’s efficiency, improve the quality of information collected, and provide a better overall client experience.
How do you define an intake process that works for your practice?
Defining an effective intake process for a law firm involves several key steps to ensure that the process is comprehensive, efficient, and tailored to the firm's specific needs and client base. Here are the steps to define an intake process that works for your firm:
Identify Goals and Objectives
- Efficiency. Streamline the process to save time for both clients and staff.
- Comprehensiveness. Ensure all necessary information is collected.
- Client experience. Make the process smooth and client-friendly.
- Compliance. Ensure adherence to legal and ethical standards.
Map out the Intake Workflow
- Initial contact. Determine how clients will first reach out – phone, email, website form, in-person.
- Gather information. Decide on the method for collecting initial information – online form, phone interview, in-person meeting).
- Conflict check. Incorporate a system for checking conflicts of interest.
- Case evaluation. Set criteria for evaluating the viability of cases.
- Engagement. Define steps for formalizing the attorney-client relationship (engagement letter, retainer agreement).
- Follow-up. Establish a follow-up protocol to keep clients informed and updated.
Develop Standardized Forms and Templates
- Intake forms. Create comprehensive forms for collecting client information.
- Engagement letters and retainer agreements. Prepare templates for engagement and retainer agreements.
- Follow-up communication. Draft templates for follow-up emails or letters
Leverage Technology
- Case management software. Use software to automate and streamline the intake process.
- Online forms. Implement online intake forms that clients can fill out quickly and easily.
- Document management. Utilize document management systems for organizing and storing intake documents.
- Automation. Automate routine tasks, such as sending follow-up emails or reminders.
Train Staff
- Procedures. Train staff on the intake process, including how to use any technology involved.
- Client interaction. Educate staff on best practices for interacting with clients during the intake process.
- Consistency. Ensure all staff follow the same procedures to maintain consistency.
Gather Feedback
- Client feedback. Collect feedback from clients about their intake experience.
- Staff feedback. Get input from staff on what works well and what could be improved.
- Continuous improvement. Regularly review and refine the intake process based on feedback and the firm’s evolving needs.
Monitor and Evaluate
- Metrics. Track key metrics such as time to complete the intake, client satisfaction, and conversion rates.
- Review. Periodically review the intake process to ensure it continues to meet the firm’s goals and objectives.
- Adjust. Make adjustments as needed to improve efficiency, client satisfaction, and overall effectiveness.
Ensure Legal and Ethical Compliance
- Confidentiality. Implement measures to protect client confidentiality throughout the intake process.
- Data security. Ensure that all client data collected is securely stored and handled.
- Ethics. Adhere to legal ethics rules regarding client communication, conflict checks, and representation agreements.
By following these steps and continuously refining the process, a law firm can develop an intake process that is efficient, client-friendly, and effective in gathering the necessary information for successful case management.
Client intake process resources
The legal client intake process is critical because it introduces potential new clients to a law firm. Here are some common questions legal professionals have about the intake process:
1What questions are on an intake form?
The questions on this form should be designed to gather essential information about the client, their case, and any other pertinent details. Types of information collected include personal details, case information, parties involved, financial and insurance information, and client goals and expectations. These questions help ensure that the attorney has a comprehensive understanding of the client’s situation and can provide appropriate legal advice and representation.
2What should be included in an intake form?
A comprehensive legal intake form should include sections that gather all necessary information to understand the client’s legal needs, assess the viability of their case, and ensure no conflicts of interest exist. When an intake form is customized to fit the firm's specific needs, the legal intake process can be thorough, efficient, and client-friendly.
3What is an intake checklist?
An intake checklist is a structured tool used by law firms to ensure that all necessary steps and information are collected during the client intake process. It helps maintain consistency, thoroughness, and efficiency when onboarding new clients. By following an intake checklist, law firms can streamline their intake process, reduce the risk of errors, and provide a more organized and professional experience for new clients.
4What is an intake form?
An intake form is a document used by businesses and organizations, including law firms, to collect essential information from clients or customers when initiating a new service, process, or relationship. In the context of a law firm, an intake form is used to gather details about potential clients and their legal matters during the initial contact or consultation stage. The information collected helps an attorney understand the client's needs, evaluate the case, and determine how best to proceed.
5Why is client intake important?
Legal intake is important because it plays a vital role in facilitating effective communication, understanding client needs, and laying the groundwork for successful representation. This helps ensure that both the client and the law firm are well-prepared to navigate the legal process together.
6Why should I use client intake software?
No matter what area of practice they specialize in, any lawyer can benefit from using client intake software to make their process more efficient, and in turn, create happier clients and more referrals. It’s as simple as signing up for a free demo and seeing how Lawmatics can help revolutionize your client intake process.Lawmatics makes it easy to create your own intake process and efficiently capture the client information you need with a client intake form template for law firms. Simply define the details you want to collect based on your practice area and case type and build custom templates. When firms establish a clear and consistent process for client intake, they can save time, eliminate costly errors and keep everyone in the practice on the same page.Lawmatics legal intake software helps create seamless client intake processes but that’s only the beginning – our platform can streamline other important workflows as well. Are you ready to give our proven system a try? Request your free demo today.
A legal client intake form is an essential document used by law firms to gather pertinent information from new clients. This form helps attorneys understand the client’s needs, assess the case's viability, and ensure proper communication and record-keeping. Legal client intake automation streamlines the intake process so lawyers can focus on what they do best—helping clients.
What information does the client intake form gather?
Here's a comprehensive list of information that should be collected on a client intake form for a law firm:
- Basic client information. Full name, contact information, date of birth, Social Security number, and emergency contact information
- Client background information. Occupation, employer, marital status, dependents (if applicable)
- Current legal representation. Names of any other attorneys currently representing the client
- Legal history. Previous legal Issues or cases, including descriptions and outcomes
- Case details. Type of matter, brief description of the legal issue, date and location of event, contact information for other parties involved
- Financial information. Income, assets, debts, liabilities, relevant insurance information (auto, health, and homeowner’s insurance policies)
- Signatures. Client signature, date of completion
By collecting this information, attorneys can better understand their client's situation, provide accurate advice, and help ensure a smooth and professional relationship.
What 5 forms of information should clients be provided with in an intake?
During the intake process, legal clients should be given clear and comprehensive information to ensure they understand the nature of the legal services, their responsibilities, and what they can expect. Here are five forms of information that should be provided:
- Scope. Clearly outline the legal services the firm will provide, including specific tasks and objectives related to the client's case. Specify what will not be provided.
- Fee structure. Detail the fee arrangement, whether it's hourly, contingency, flat fee, or another structure. Explain the retainer amount and how it will be used.
- Billing. Clarify how often billing occurs, what expenses might be billed separately, and the payment methods accepted.
- Client responsibilities. Outline the client's duty to provide accurate information, respond to communications promptly, and participate in their case as needed.
- Confidentiality and communication. Inform clients about the attorney-client privilege, how their information will be protected, and specify the preferred methods of communication.
Providing this information helps manage client expectations, fosters transparency, and lays the foundation for a professional and cooperative attorney-client relationship.
What should be on a client intake form template?
A client intake form example would vary significantly depending on the specific practice area, jurisdiction, and preferences of the law firm or legal organization. An intake firm should gather basic information and also ask specific questions tailored to a certain area of practice.While a free intake form template could be used to collect basic intake information, generic forms are often not customizable and lack the features specialized platforms provide. Legal intake software allows firms to build a custom law firm intake form for clients to create a unique intake process and efficiently capture the necessary client information.
What makes a good intake form?
A good legal assistance client intake questionnaire is one that is:
- Organized. The form should be easy to understand and include questions that will gather all the information relevant to the legal matter.
- Specific. The questions on the intake form should focus on a specific practice area or legal issue to ensure that the information applies to the potential case.
- Flexible. A good intake form is customizable so that it can be used for various types of legal matters and should provide the ability to add or modify questions as needed.
- Collaborative. Automated intake platforms that provide integration with case management software or other internal systems improve efficiency by automatically populating client information to facilitate case management.
The best intake forms allow potential legal clients to seamlessly submit the requested information via user-friendly software that optimizes the intake process and quickly converts leads into clients.
How do I create an intake form PDF? How do I create an intake form in Google Docs?
Creating an intake form PDF involves several steps, including designing the form, ensuring it is fillable, and converting it into a PDF format. To create an intake form in Google Docs, you will need to set up Google Docs, design and format the form, and convert it to PDF format. Unfortunately, neither are great solutions for efficiently creating an intake form.However, there is a better way. You can design digital forms unique to your practice’s needs with Lawmatics’ drag and drop custom form-builder. Custom forms make it easy to qualify new prospects, organize contact information, and feed new matters into your automated processes. Ready to learn more? Get your free demo of the Lawmatics intake system today.
A basic new legal client intake form usually includes essential information obtained from a client, including contact information, a brief description of the legal matter, potential conflicts of interest, fee agreement details, and more. While many firms manually create new client intake forms, legal client intake automation and client intake software streamline and standardize this vital process.
What does client intake mean for a law firm?
Client intake is a critical process for law firms because it enables them to:
- Obtain new business. Client intake helps firms identify, screen, and convert leads into paying clients that will drive the business forward.
- Address client needs. Intake allows law firms to gather essential information about the client's legal issue, enabling a better understanding of their needs and circumstances.
- Assess merit. Law firms use intake to evaluate the legal merit of a potential client's case and determine whether the client is the right fit and whether the case has a reasonable chance of success.
- Identify conflicts of interest. Intake processes include conflict checks to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest preventing the firm from representing the client.
- Manage risk. Proper client intake helps mitigate risks associated with taking on new clients by identifying potential red flags that may pose risks to the firm or the client.
Specialized law firm software and the use of an automated client intake form ensures consistency in the intake process. Standardized forms and workflows help minimize errors and ensure that all necessary information is collected from each client.
What does a basic information intake form include?
A basic legal client intake form typically gathers information necessary to evaluate and manage a case, including:
- Personal Information. Name, address, phone number, email, date of birth, and Social Security number
- Case details. A brief description of the legal issue or matter, including the date of the incident, the parties involved, and any relevant documents or evidence obtained
- Legal history. Prior legal representation, the outcome of previous legal matters, and any ongoing cases
- Financial information. The client’s employment status, income details, and assets and liabilities
- Conflicts of interest. Any potential conflicts of interest the client has with the firm or attorney
- Authorization and consent. The client’s signed consent to representation and authorization to release information
- Fee agreement. A clear description of cots and billing arrangements
- Signatures. Signature of the client and date signed
Many client intake software solutions allow firms to customize intake forms to suit their specific needs and practice areas. This flexibility enables firms to gather relevant information tailored to different types of legal matters. Intake software can often integrate with other systems used by law firms, such as case management software or billing systems. These integrations enable seamless transfer of client data and reduce the need for duplicate data entry.Client intake software typically includes security features to protect sensitive client information, such as encryption and access controls to help ensure compliance with data protection regulations and maintain client confidentiality. Some client intake software solutions offer analytics and reporting capabilities that enable firms to track key metrics such as conversion rates, intake volume, and client demographics. This data can inform strategic decision-making and process improvements.
What is a basic information intake example?
A basic information legal client intake form provides a starting point for gathering details from potential clients. Depending on the specific requirements of the firm or the type of case, additional fields may be included to capture more detailed information related to the matter. Many forward-thinking firms choose automated intake solutions that create custom forms and make it easy to qualify new prospects, organize contact information, and feed new matters into already established processes.
How do I create a new client intake form?
You can create a new client intake form in several different ways:
- Build a new client form using a Microsoft Word template.
- Create a generic intake form with a free tech solution.
- Design a custom law firm intake form with specialized software.
Building a template in Word will likely be a labor-intensive, error-prone process. Free solutions might not meet all of your law firm’s needs, especially as your practice grows. Client intake software creates customized templates that can be repurposed for each practice area and inputted directly into the law firm database, making the process faster with less chances of errors.
Lawmatics: The fast and easy way to do client intake
No matter what area of practice they specialize in, any lawyer can benefit from using client intake software that will help them make their process more efficient, create happier clients, and obtain more referrals. To find how Lawmatics can help revolutionize your client intake process, sign up for a free demo today.
Automating the legal client intake process can greatly streamline your workflow, improve efficiency, and allow you to retain more clients. Here are some ways you can automate this critical process:
- Online intake forms: Create online intake forms with dedicated legal practice management software. Customize your forms to gather all necessary client information, such as contact details, case details, and legal documents.
- Document automation: Use document automation software to generate standard legal documents based on the information provided by the client in the intake form to save time drafting routine documents.
- Client portals: Implement a secure client portal where clients can securely upload documents and communicate with your firm to streamline document sharing and communication processes.
- Email automation: Set up automated email responses to acknowledge receipt of the client intake form and provide further instructions or next steps. Email automation tools can be used for this purpose.
- Integration: Integrate your intake forms with your customer relationship management (CRM) and case management software to automatically create client records and populate relevant case information.
- Workflow automation: Utilize workflow automation tools to automate repetitive tasks associated with client intake, such as creating tasks for team members, scheduling appointments, or sending reminders.
- Electronic signature software: Use electronic signature software to obtain signatures on time-sensitive intake forms and engagement agreements remotely.
Legal client intake automation allows firms to customize every aspect of the client intake process, including follow-ups, appointment scheduling, document requests, and more.
What is included in the client intake process?
The client intake process typically includes:
- Initial contact: The client reaches out to the law firm through a phone call, email, website contact form, or in-person visit.
- Pre-screening: The firm performs a basic assessment to determine if the potential client's issue falls within the firm's practice areas and checks for conflicts of interest.
- Initial consultation: The attorney meets with the potential client to gather more information about the client's legal issue, explain the legal process, assess the merits of the case, and discuss fees.
- Client intake form: The client fills out a detailed intake form providing personal information, contact details, and specifics about their legal matter.
- Retainer agreement: The attorney and client enter into an agreement that outlines the terms of representation, scope of services, fees, and payment arrangements, and other relevant terms.
- File and billing setup: A client file is created containing all relevant documents, correspondence, and notes related to the case. Billing arrangements are also set up, which may include retainer payments, hourly rates, flat fees, or other fee structures.
- Communication plan: The attorney and new client agree on a communication plan, including how often they will communicate, preferred methods of communication, and who to contact for updates.
A client relationship management (CRM) system manages the entire client intake process by automating client follow ups, email workflows, appointment scheduling, document creation, and other tasks that would otherwise require time-consuming manual procedures. Using the right tool helps law firms effectively onboard a new client.
How do you develop an intake process for a law firm?
Developing an effective intake process requires careful planning. Firms must determine the primary objectives of the intake process, analyze the needs of target clients, determine the information that you will need to gather during intake, create the forms that will capture the information, and develop the standard operating procedures it will follow.All the departments in a law firm should take part in customizing the intake process. It is extremely important to create a lawyer intake process that is personalized for the law firm and its practice areas rather than just relying on a generic template. Technology platforms like document automation software, online scheduling tools, and electronic platforms can greatly streamline the process.
How can we improve the intake process?
Firms can improve the intake process by creating a step-by-step flowchart or law firm intake script that maps out intake from initial contact to case closure. This outline should identify key touchpoints and required actions at each stage of the process.Intake training for law firms provides guidance to staff members who are responsible for handling intake inquiries. It should offer information on how to use intake forms, conduct pre-screening, gather information, and address common client questions.
What is client intake software?
Legal client intake software is a specialized tool designed to streamline and automate the process of onboarding new clients for law firms. It typically includes features and functionalities tailored to the unique needs of legal intake.While free client intake software for law firms might seem like a good option for small firms, it often comes with limited features and functionalities compared to paid solutions. Free intake software might also lack the capability to scale with the growth of your firm, may offer limited or not customer support, and lack the robust security measures found in paid solutions.
Automate your client intake with Lawmatics
Lawmatics makes it easy to create your own intake process and efficiently capture the client information you need. By establishing a clear and consistent process for client intake, you can save time, eliminate troublesome errors, and keep everyone in your law firm on the same page. Are you ready to learn more? Request your free demo today.
Effective legal client intake is more than a mere formality—it's the bedrock of a thriving attorney-client relationship. This critical process isn't just about gathering data; it's an opportunity to deeply understand the client's legal dilemmas and aspirations. By tailoring legal advice and representation to meet these unique needs, attorneys can set clear expectations right from the start—ensuring clients feel informed and reassured about the journey ahead.However, let's face it: crafting an efficient intake process can be a real challenge, especially when it's done the old-fashioned way. It can also be inconvenient for clients, who don’t like to print out a client intake form pdf for a law firm, instead preferring a simplified process featuring automated legal client intake software. By embracing technology to streamline the intake process, law firms can cut down on tedious administrative tasks and boost accuracy, allowing lawyers to focus on what they do best—advocating for their clients. Automation not only fast-tracks case merit assessment and conflict identification but also ensures rigorous compliance with legal standards.
What does client intake do?
Legal client intake gathers information from potential clients regarding their personal background, legal issue, and other relevant data. So, why is client intake important? In addition to the reasons we’ve already covered, it gives lawyers the opportunity to evaluate several important things about a client and their case before they extend representation, such as:
- Case merit. Intake gives lawyers the opportunity to assess the legal merits of the client's case by evaluating the strength of the legal arguments, the availability of evidence, and the likelihood of success in litigation.
- Client expectations. Effective client intake helps manage client expectations by explaining the legal process, potential outcomes, and the role of the lawyer. This transparency fosters trust and helps avoid misunderstandings later in the legal process.
- Potential conflicts of interest. Client intake procedures allow lawyers to identify any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from representing the client. This is important for maintaining ethical standards and avoiding legal and professional complications.
- Compliance. Legal client intake helps ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and ethical standards. It involves documenting important information about the client, their case, and the representation agreement, which is essential for record-keeping and accountability.
- Risk management. Thorough client intake helps lawyers identify and mitigate potential risks associated with the representation. This includes assessing the financial risk, the complexity of the case, and any other factors that may impact the lawyer's ability to effectively represent the client.
Legal client intake automation delivers a client-friendly intake process that produces better results by leveraging technology. Some platforms even integrate with other legal apps your firm may already be using, like case management software, making your job even easier.
What is an intake process for a law firm?
The meaning of client intake refers to the process by which a law firm obtains information from potential clients to evaluate their legal needs, determine whether the firm can provide appropriate representation, and establish the foundation of the attorney-client relationship.
What is intake information?
Potential clients are often asked to complete a law firm client questionnaire. This document collects detailed information about the potential client’s background, the nature of their legal issue, relevant dates and events, and other pertinent details. Some legal client intake form examples include paper and digital formats, fillable PDFs, and customizable online forms.Automated client intake form templates make it easy to create your own intake process and efficiently capture the client information you need. Simply define the details you want to collect based on your practice area and case type and build custom templates. The more details that are requested on an intake form, the better a lawyer can qualify a lead before setting an appointment.
How do you create a client intake process for a law firm?
Creating a client intake process for a law firm involves ensuring it is thorough, efficient, and compliant with legal and ethical standards. Here's a basic framework:
- Determine necessary information. Identify the information you need from potential clients to evaluate their case and determine whether you can provide representation.
- Create a form. Design a digital or paper intake to collect the necessary information systematically. Consider using online forms for ease of submission and organization.
- Customize for practice areas. Tailor your intake process to your firm’s specific practice areas. Different types of cases may require different information or evaluation criteria.
- Implement screening procedures. Develop screening procedures like conflict checks to assess potential conflicts of interest and evaluate the viability of the case.
- Establish follow-up protocols. Decide how you will follow up with potential clients after the initial intake to gather more information, clarify details, and discuss next steps.
- Keep records. Maintain detailed records of all communications with potential clients, including intake forms, correspondence, and notes from meetings or phone calls.
Optimize your intake process with Lawmatics
Lawmatics legal intake software helps create seamless client intake processes and can streamline other important workflows as well. Are you ready to give your clients the intake experience they deserve? Request your free demo today.
Legal client intake software is a type of technology specifically designed to streamline the process of collecting information from clients or potential clients in the legal industry. Legal client intake automation is typically used by law firms, legal departments, or legal service providers to efficiently gather relevant details about a case or legal matter during the initial consultation or intake process.
What is intake software used for?
Legal intake software is used to improve efficiency, productivity, and client satisfaction in the intake and case management processes by automating the following routine tasks:
- Forms: Legal software solutions often provide customizable online intake forms that clients can fill out electronically. These forms can be tailored to gather specific information relevant to different types of legal cases.
- Manual processes: Legal intake software provides tools for automation of the intake process to reduce manual data entry and streamline procedures. This may involve automatically populating client information into case management systems or other databases.
- Document management: Some legal intake software platforms provide document management capabilities that allow users to securely upload and store important documents related to the intake process.
- Client communication: Legal intake software solutions frequently feature tools for communicating with clients, such as automated email or text message reminders, updates, and notifications.
- Integration: Integration with other software systems commonly used in law firms, including case management software, customer relationship management (CRM) systems, or billing software, is another valuable feature of legal intake software.
- Data security and compliance: Legal intake software systems must prioritize data security and compliance with legal regulations, such as client confidentiality requirements outlined by bar associations or data protection laws.
Legal intake software creates a repeatable process that allows law firms and legal departments to spend more time on billable work.
What is the purpose of an intake software?
Legal client intake software helps legal professionals manage and organize client intake information more efficiently to improve client satisfaction and streamline the overall legal workflow.
What is the most popular legal software?
Best-in-class tools for legal client intake, workflow & marketing automation, legal billing, document management, and more are fundamental to the success of your law practice. Some of the most popular legal software systems include Clio, Lawmatics, MyCase, PracticePanther, and Smokeball. Lawmatics integrates with these and other legal tech applications and many intake software systems to help lawyers run their firms more efficiently.
How much does legal software cost?
The cost of legal software varies depending on the type of software, the features included, the size of the law firm or legal department, and whether it's a one-time purchase or a subscription-based service:
- Subscription-based software: Users pay a monthly or annual fee ranging from a few dollars per user per month for basic features to hundreds or thousands of dollars per month to access the software.
- One-time purchase: Some legal software may be available for a one-time purchase, where users pay a one-time fee to buy the software outright. These costs can vary widely depending on the complexity and features of the software, ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars or more.
In addition to the base subscription or purchase price, there may be additional costs associated with legal software, such as setup fees, training fees, customization fees, and fees for additional users or features. Different software vendors may have different pricing models and pricing tiers based on number of users, level of support, and features included. Law firms and legal departments should carefully evaluate their needs, budget, and the features offered to make the best decision regarding legal software.
What type of software do attorneys use?
Attorneys use a variety of software applications to streamline their workflow, including:
- Case management software: To organize and manage cases, track deadlines, store documents, manage client information, and assign tasks.
- Document management software: To create, store, organize, and collaborate on legal documents electronically.
- Time and billing software: To track billable hours, generate invoices, and manage client billing information.
- Practice management software: To manage client intake, case management, document management, billing, and accounting.
- Legal calendaring software: Legal calendaring software helps attorneys manage court deadlines, hearings, appointments, and other important dates. It can sync with other calendar applications and provide reminders to ensure compliance with deadlines.
- Communication and collaboration tools: To communicate with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders via email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and secure client portals.
- Conflict checking software: To identify potential conflicts of interest before taking on new clients or cases.
The best legal software systems, like Lawmatics legal CRM, are all-in-one platforms that help law firms drive efficiency, attract more prospects, increase client engagement, and accelerate growth.
Lawmatics: the best legal intake software for your firm
Are you ready to elevate your client intake experience and maximize firm revenue with the #1 CRM for law firms? Request a Lawmatics demo today.
Legal client intake forms are critical for an efficient client onboarding process. Firms traditionally created their intake forms manually, legal client intake software improves efficiency, reduces time spent on administrative tasks, and enhances the client experience.
How do you draft an intake form?
Lawyers and law firms create intake forms to gather necessary information from clients as efficiently as possible. Here are some steps to take when drafting your intake form:
- Identify necessary information: Determine the information you need from clients to properly assess their legal needs and proceed with their case. Common elements include:
- Personal information: Name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth.
- Case-specific information: Brief description of the legal issue, date of incident, parties involved, relevant documents.
- Financial information: Billing address, payment method, fee agreement details.
- Design the form: Create a clear and concise form that is easy for clients to fill out. Use sections and headers to organize information logically. You may use software like Microsoft Word, Google Forms, or specialized legal practice management software to build the form.
- Include legal language and disclaimers: Incorporate necessary legal language and disclaimers to protect both parties. This may include confidentiality statements, attorney-client relationship disclaimers, and consent to representation sections.
- Make the form accessible: Ensure the intake form is easily accessible to clients by providing it on your website for online submissions, emailing it to clients, or having physical copies available at your office.
- Ensure compliance: A legal client intake form must comply with ethical requirements for avoiding client conflicts, protecting client confidentiality, and data protection laws.
- Review and update regularly: Periodically review and update the intake form to ensure it captures all necessary information and complies with any changes in laws or regulations.
Traditionally, legal client intake involved having new law firm clients fill out a paper form painstakingly typed out by a staff member. However, there’s no reason to struggle with printing, scanning, or photocopying client intake forms. With the right tools and approach, client intake automation can make these processes more efficient and create a personalized experience for clients. By utilizing automation, law firms can empower themselves to make the most of technologies and improve their business.
How do I create a custom intake form?
Creating a custom legal intake form involves tailoring the form to your specific practice area, client needs, and preferences. Here's a guide:
- Identify your practice area: Determine the focus of your legal practice to help you tailor the form accordingly.
- Outline necessary information: Make a list of the information you need from clients to effectively assess their legal needs and proceed with their case.
- Customize sections and questions: Tailor each section and question to your specific practice area and client needs. Use clear and concise language, and organize questions logically to make it easy for clients to understand and complete the form.
You can create the structure and layout of your intake form by creating a physical document or using a digital platform. You can build an approachable yet all-encompassing intake form for all practice areas and matter types with legal intake software to accelerate and simplify the intake process for you and your prospective clients and achieve a higher close rate.
How do I create a new client form?
By following the steps outlined above, you can create a new client form that efficiently collects essential information from clients while protecting their rights and interests—as well as those of your law firm. While manually creating a new client form can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, legal intake software simplifies and automates a significant portion of these often inefficient tasks.
Can I use Google Forms for client intake?
While law firms can use one-size-fits-all Google Forms, a legal client intake form template from Word, or free online intake forms, custom client intake form templates for law firms allow you to specify the details you want to collect, based on your practice area and case type. The software can screen potential clients for you as they answer your questions, and even create follow-up questions based on the responses. Once you’ve followed up, automated appointment scheduling will help the potential client set up a consultation. If they are a fit, the software will automatically generate the paperwork to finalize the attorney-client relationship. Custom legal intake software streamlines your intake process so you can prioritize casework.
What is a typical intake form for a law firm?
A typical intake form for a law firm aims to gather essential information from prospective clients efficiently and comprehensively. Lawmatics intake form template conforms to each law practice’s needs, making it easy to qualify new prospects, organize contact information, and automate processes.Want to give your prospects the customer-focused intake experience they deserve? Get a Lawmatics product demo today.
Creating an effective intake process for a law firm is crucial for efficiently managing client inquiries, ensuring that relevant information is gathered, and setting the stage for successful client representation. Legal client intake automation and the use of an intake process template can streamline the process by leveraging technology to automate repetitive tasks, reduce manual effort, and improve efficiency in managing client inquiries and information.
What is the intake process for a law firm?
A law firm’s most common intake process definition: the procedure used to manage and respond to inquiries and requests for legal services from potential clients. The intake process serves as the initial point of contact between the law firm and potential clients, laying the foundation for establishing a professional relationship.
What are the phases of the intake process?
The intake process involves several phases, including:
- Responding to client inquiries
- Gathering client details
- Conducting conflict checks
- Assessing the merits of the case
- Scheduling consultations
- Meeting with clients
- Beginning representation
A well-defined and executed intake process is essential for managing client inquiries, facilitating the delivery of legal services, and enhancing the success and reputation of the law firm.
How do you create an intake process?
Inquiries from potential clients must be managed efficiently so that firms retain new clients and individuals obtain legal representation. Here’s a guide on how to create an effective intake process:
- Define goals and objectives: An intake process should aim to efficiently capture client information, evaluate the potential cases, and initiate the client engagement process.
- Identify critical information: Determine what information is essential for evaluating potential cases and initiating client representation, including:
- Basic contact information (name, phone number, address, email)
- Details of the legal issue
- Relevant documents or evidence
- Design forms: Create physical or digital intake forms or questionnaires that are user-friendly, easy to understand, and capture the required information.
- Establish intake channels: Determine how clients can submit their intake information. This could be through:
- Phone calls
- Email submissions
- Online intake forms on the firm's website
- In-person meeting at the firm's office
- Automate where possible: Maximize technology to streamline the intake process and reduce manual effort by utilizing:
- Online intake forms with automated data capture
- Customer relationship management (CRM) software
- Automated responses to acknowledge receipt of inquiries
- Follow-up: Develop procedures for following up with clients after the initial intake, including confirming receipt of their inquiry, providing timelines, and scheduling consultations with attorneys.
Regularly review and evaluate your intake process to identify areas for improvement. Get feedback from clients and staff to find out what's working well and what can be upgraded.
What does the intake process include?
Typically, a law firm completes a number of intake process steps when onboarding new clients, such as:
- Initial contact: The potential client makes contact with the law firm, either through a phone call, email, website form submission, or in-person visit.
- Gather information: The intake staff or attorney collects essential information from the potential client that is recorded manually or through an intake process template.
- Conflict check: The law firm conducts a conflict check to ensure there are no conflicts of interest that would prevent them from representing the potential client.
- Evaluate issue: An initial assessment of the potential client's legal issue is conducted to determine whether the firm has the expertise and resources to assist.
- Schedule appointment: If the law firm determines that they can assist the potential client, an appointment is scheduled for further consultation or evaluation via a phone consultation, video conference, or an in-person meeting at the firm's office.
- Confirmation and follow-Up: The law firm confirms the appointment details with the potential client and provides any necessary instructions or documents for the consultation.
- Consultation: During the scheduled appointment, the attorney conducts a more in-depth consultation or evaluation of the potential client's legal issue.
- Secure the client: Based on the consultation, both the potential client and the attorney decide whether to proceed with formal representation. If both parties agree to move forward, the attorney-client relationship is established, and the representation begins.
- Engagement letter: The law firm prepares and presents an engagement letter or retainer agreement outlining the terms of representation. The potential client reviews and signs the agreement to formalize the relationship.
By following these steps, law firms can effectively manage inquiries from potential clients, evaluate legal issues, and initiate client representation in a systematic and efficient manner.
What is an example of an intake process?
Some examples of an intake process include sending confirmation emails to new clients, assigning and moving tasks into a team member’s workflow, and prioritizing tasks based upon deadlines. Lawmatics legal intake software makes it easy to create your own client intake process, efficiently capture client information with a client intake form template, and keep everyone at the firm on the same page.Are you ready to take the stress out of client intake? Sign up for a Lawmatics product demo today.
A legal client intake form is a crucial document used by law firms to gather essential information about a client and their legal matter. Legal client intake automation, including the use of an intake process template, streamlines the intake process so legal teams can prioritize casework. By establishing a clear and consistent process for client intake, you can save time, eliminate pesky errors and keep everyone in your practice on the same page.
What information does the client intake form collect?
A client intake form collects various information the legal team will need to handle a case, including:
- Client Information:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Contact information (address, phone number, email)
- Occupation
- Legal issue details:
- Description of the legal issue or matter
- Date the issue arose
- Other relevant dates, events, or deadlines
- Names and contact information of other parties involved
- Case history:
- Any previous legal actions or proceedings related to the issue
- Current or previous legal representation for the matter
- Financial information:
- Billing information
- Fee structure (hourly rate, flat fee, contingency fee, etc.)
- Retainer agreement details
- Payment preferences
- Conflicts:
- Any potential conflicts of interest with the law firm or its attorneys
- Previous relationships with opposing parties or attorneys
- Documentation:
- Copies of relevant documents (contracts, agreements, court orders, etc.)
- Any correspondence related to the legal matter
- Goals:
- Client objectives and desired outcomes for the case
- Expectations regarding communication and updates from the attorney
- Confidentiality:
- Explanation of attorney-client privilege and confidentiality
- Consent for the law firm to use and share client information
- Authorization:
- Consent for the law firm to represent the client in the specified matter
- Signature of the client and date
Additionally, firms must ensure that their intake process complies with relevant legal and ethical requirements, including client confidentiality and data protection laws.
What should a client intake form include?
Intake form should be tailored to the specific practice areas and needs of the law firm. For example, in addition to the above information, an intake form for a personal injury attorney should include:
- Incident details:
- Date, time, and location of the accident or incident
- Description of how the accident occurred
- Parties involved (including witnesses, if any)
- Police report information (if applicable)
- Injuries:
- Description of injuries sustained in the accident
- Medical treatment received and healthcare providers involved
- Hospitalizations or surgeries
- Current medical condition and ongoing treatment needs
- Insurance:
- Details of the client's insurance coverage (health insurance, auto insurance, etc.)
- Information about the at-fault party's insurance (if known)
- Damages:
- Property damage incurred in the accident
- Lost wages or income due to inability to work
- Other financial losses incurred (e.g., medical bills, rehabilitation expenses)
- Witnesses:
- Names, contact details, and statements of any witnesses to the accident
- Visual evidence:
- Photographs or videos of the accident scene, vehicles involved, or injuries sustained
- Medical records:
- Authorization to obtain medical records and bills related to the injuries
- Copies of any medical reports or documentation already obtained by the client
Automated client intake form templates make it easy for firms to create their own intake process and efficiently capture the client information they need according to the practice area.
What is the purpose of an intake form?
A legal intake form gathers vital information about a prospective client and their legal issue that an attorney needs to assess the situation, evaluate the viability of the case, and determine whether they can provide assistance. When a prospective client completes the intake form, they formally engage with the attorney and give consent to seek legal advice and representation, which establishes the attorney-client relationship.
How do you write an intake form?
While intake forms were traditionally created manually and required a considerable amount of work, lawyers who handle their client intake process efficiently rely on legal intake software. A well-constructed intake form includes fields for a client’s basic information including name, address, contact details, and the details about the nature of their case. The more details that are requested on an intake form, the better a lawyer can qualify a lead before setting an appointment. Client intake software creates customized templates for lawyers that can be repurposed for each practice area in a firm and inputted directly into the law firm database, accelerating the process and reducing errors.
What is an intake form example?
Custom intake forms make it easy to qualify new prospects, organize contact information, and feed new matters into your automated processes. Here’s a client intake form example:
Is Your Firm Struggling with Client Intake? Lawmatics Has the Answer
Lawmatics offers best-in-class tools for legal client intake automation and much more. Are you ready to learn how to accelerate the growth of your firm by engaging and retaining new clients faster and more efficiently? Get a demo today.
Client intake is extremely important for law firms, as it establishes the attorney-client relationship and converts a prospect into a paying client. Although law firms traditionally completed intake manually, legal client intake automation and the use of intake process templates can dramatically streamline the process by engaging and retaining new clients faster than ever before.
What is the intake phase for a law firm?
The intake phase is the first step that potential clients take. An efficient intake process is critical to ensure that a law firm can effectively evaluate potential cases, provide appropriate legal advice, and ultimately provide solid legal representation. Here’s a client intake process example utilizing automation:
Dana is looking for legal help and reaches out to an attorney by filling out a custom intake form directly embedded into the firm’s website. She schedules an appointment with the firm’s legal calendaring software, and receives an automated reminder. Before the appointment, the firm’s technology automatically pre-screens the case for viability and performs a conflict check. She then attends the appointment and decides to hire the attorney. A retainer agreement is automatically generated which Dana signs electronically, after which it is sent back to the attorney for signature. Work on the case can begin.
How does the intake stage work?
The intake stage generally involves engaging with potential clients through initial contact, screening for case viability, conducting conflict checks, and setting up consultations to establish the attorney-client relationship. Many firms perform manual client intake processes, which can present several challenges. Manual intake workflows tend to be:
- Time consuming. Manual intake is time consuming and involves significant time and effort, which can lead to delays in retaining new clients.
- Error prone. Manual data entry increases the risk of typos, missing information, inaccuracies, and other errors.
- Limited access. Paper-based intake forms are often difficult to access and share among staff members, particularly if they are stored in physical files across various locations.
- A security risk. When sensitive client information is stored in paper files or shared via unsecured channels, this can expose the firm to data breaches and regulatory noncompliance.
- A bad client experience. Lengthy and burdensome intake processes can lead to client frustration and dissatisfaction and as a result, they might look for firms with more streamlined processes.
When firms automate their intake process, they can improve efficiency, accuracy, and client service while reducing risks and costs associated with manual methods.
What are the parts of the intake process?
Here’s are the typical steps taken during the client intake process:
- Initial contact. Potential clients often reach out to a law firm via phone, email, or through the firm's website contact form and fill out a questionnaire to provide basic information about their legal issue and their interest in obtaining legal representation.
- Screening. The law firm's intake team or attorneys gather more details about the legal matter, such as the nature of the issue, relevant dates, parties involved, and any prior legal actions taken.
- Conflict check. The firm will conduct a conflict check to ensure that there are no conflicts of interest that would prevent them from representing the potential client, including any prior or existing relationships with parties involved in the case.
- Consultation. If the case passes the initial screening and conflict check, the potential client may be scheduled for an initial consultation to review the details of the case, discuss the legal options available, and provide preliminary advice on how to proceed.
- Retainer agreement. If both the client and the attorney agree to move forward with representation, they will typically sign a retainer agreement outlining the legal fees, scope of services, and other relevant terms and conditions.
What are the objectives of the intake process?
The legal intake process has several critical objectives, including:
- Gathering information. Essential information about potential clients and their legal issues is gathered during intake.
- Managing risk. By conducting conflict checks and screening potential clients, the intake process helps manage the ethical, legal, and reputational risks of taking on a new case.
- Setting expectations. During intake, attorneys set clear expectations with potential clients about the scope of the representation, legal fees, timelines, and potential outcomes.
- Building relationships. Effective intake procedures allow attorneys to establish positive relationships with potential clients, fostering trust, confidence, and rapport.
- Streamlining workflow. A well-designed intake process helps reduce administrative burdens, minimize redundancies, and improve overall efficiency.
An efficient legal intake process lays the foundation for successful attorney-client relationships and effective representation.
How do I create a client intake for a law firm?
A law firm client intake process template can help firms establish a clear, consistent, and efficient intake process. Here’s a law firm client intake process flow chart that illustrates how automated intake works:[caption id="attachment_6228" align="alignnone"]
Source: Lawmatics[/caption]With automated intake, potential new clients can seamlessly submit an inquiry to a firm via user-friendly software that will optimize the intake process and quickly convert prospective clients into paying clients.
Lawmatics: the intake answer for law firms
Investing in a client intake software system won’t just make your job easier; it can dramatically impact your profits. To learn more about how Lawmatics client intake software can help organize your leads, optimize client follow-ups, and secure more business, download our e-book, “How to Gain More Business, While Saving Time with Client Intake Software” today.
As the foreign-born population surpassed 46 million in 2022, immigration lawyers have an expanding potential client base. Concurrently, the immigration system is straining under an enormous backlog–with over 2 million pending cases as of October 2023, triple the amount from 2017. This backlog decelerates case resolutions and imposes considerable challenges on law firms, including extended case durations and increased client uncertainty.Immigration law firms must adopt targeted marketing strategies that are client-centric to generate leads, offering security, flexibility, and resilience for their clients.Immigration law firms must blend innovative outreach with operational efficiency. By doing so, they can distinguish themselves and thrive in a demanding legal environment.
Strategic marketing assessment for immigration law firms
Before strengthening your marketing strategies, we need to take a step back and assess your marketing and technology assets. We want to get a holistic picture of acquiring and retaining clients.
Checklists for evaluating your digital marketing assets
Evaluating your firm's digital marketing foundation is crucial to establishing a competitive edge. Let's look at your online presence for its effectiveness in connecting with and captivating your target audience.
Quick website audit
Your website serves as the digital front door to your firm. Look at your website with fresh eyes and without assumptions. Does your website accurately represent your brand and the services you offer?Walk through this short checklist:
- Branding
- Does the website clearly display the firm's name and logo?
- Is the firm's unique value proposition or mission statement prominently featured?
- Services offered
- Are the immigration services offered listed and explained (e.g., Visas and Temporary Status, Citizenship and Permanent Residency, Special Programs)?
- Is there clear information on specialized practice areas within immigration law (e.g., asylum, deportation defense, employment-based immigration)?
- Are there case studies or examples of successful cases to illustrate these services?
- Target audience
- Is there a clear statement about who the firm serves (e.g., students, families, businesses)?
- Does the website address specific challenges or concerns of each target audience segment?
- Are there testimonials or client stories that resonate with these target audiences?
- Contact information
- Is the contact information prominently displayed (phone number, email, office location)?
- Is there an easy-to-use contact form available?
- Are there direct links to the firm’s social media profiles for further engagement?
Content review
Content is a key component of your firm's online presence, helping to establish your expertise in immigration law and SEO authority.
- Blog
- Are blog posts regularly published with relevant, informative content?
- Do blog topics cover a wide range of immigration issues and updates?
- Is there a consistent voice and style that reflects the brand's personality?
- Videos/podcasts
- Are multimedia elements like videos or podcasts being used to engage the audience?
- Do these videos/podcasts cover informative and relevant topics to your audience?
- Is there a schedule for releasing new videos or podcast episodes to keep the audience engaged?
- Authority building
- Does the content position the firm as a knowledgeable authority in immigration law?
- Are there articles or posts that showcase your lawyers' expertise and achievements in the field?
- Is the content shared across other platforms or publications to widen reach and credibility?
Marketing strategies for immigration law firms
Alright, so we have our foundation and a solid website. Let’s look at how you can refine sophisticated marketing strategies to stand out and reach your target audience. Given the unique challenges and opportunities in immigration law, it’s imperative to develop tailored marketing tactics that attract potential clients and foster long-lasting relationships.
Maximizing referral potential
Referral marketing is definitely one of the best and most crucial channels for client acquisition and your firm's growth. The ABA Model Rule 7.2 permits you to ask for referrals from clients and participate in referral programs but prohibits compensating anyone for recommending the lawyer's services (except paying a qualified lawyer referral service)- so check your local rules to make sure you comply.You need to spend time cultivating and diversifying your referral channels. Adopt a proactive and strategic approach to turn referrals into a robust and steady source of new business. Here are some great ways to really capitalize on referral marketing.
1Enhancing client relationships
Of course, you are already working toward building strong, trust-based relationships with your clients. Improve your client service by:
- Scheduling regular check-ins with clients during and after their matter resolution.
- Send personalized thank-you notes to show gratitude and foster goodwill.
- Provide educational resources that empower your clients, enhancing their understanding of their matter.
- Send out client feedback surveys to gauge client satisfaction and areas for improvement.
2Leveraging testimonials and reviews
Ask active clients to share their positive experiences with your firm through a testimonial or review. While direct incentives for referrals are not permissible, satisfied clients often willingly provide testimonials or online reviews.
- Follow up with clients to request testimonials or online reviews after a successful case resolution. You can provide clients with questions to help guide their testimonials, making it easier for them to provide meaningful feedback.
- Feature client testimonials prominently on your website and office, ensuring compliance with ethical guidelines.
- Monitor and professionally respond to online reviews to enhance your firm’s reputation.
3Staying in touch
Keeping in touch with leads or former clients to keep the firm top-of-mind may indirectly lead to referrals.
- Send regular newsletters to your clients with updates on immigration law, case studies, and relevant legal tips.
- Send holiday, milestone, or birthday greetings to former clients to maintain a warm relationship.
- Share anonymized success stories in your communications to showcase your firm’s effectiveness.
4Professional network alliances
Forge alliances with other professionals who often interact with potential clients, like community leaders or other legal specialists. Collaborate on initiatives like educational workshops, which can indirectly lead to referrals.
- Actively participate in associations or groups focusing on immigration, such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
- Host educational or networking events aimed at professionals in compatible fields, such as cultural community groups, universities, businesses, ESL teachers, etc.
- Create joint content like CLEs, webinars, or articles with other lawyers or compatible professionals.
- Maintain consistent communication with your network to reinforce your relationships.
5Tracking and analyzing referrals
Incorporate a referral tracking mechanism into your CRM to keep tabs on where new inquiries are coming from. Analyze this data to identify your most productive referral sources and adjust your strategies as needed.
- Have your team score the quality of the referrals by channel so you can see where your best quality matters are coming from.
- Include a cost analysis of acquiring clients through different referral sources.
- Monitor the success rate of cases coming through referrals to assess the quality of these leads.
- Track how actively engaged your referral sources are over time (e.g., how frequently they refer clients).
- Look for trends and patterns in your referral data over time, such as seasonal variations or changes in referral behavior.
SEO priorities for immigration law firms to boost online visibility
You need an SEO strategy, even a simple one, to establish a commanding online presence. SEO is a complex, evolving field, and staying ahead requires a strategic, long-term approach. The top three SEO strategies outlined here are designed to be impactful and sustainable investments for your firm, ensuring you effectively reach and engage your target audience.
1Produce high-quality, educational content
Resonate with your audience by creating high-quality, educational content. Go deep into the concerns and questions that are most relevant to your potential clients. Your firm will become a trusted resource and improve its online visibility and search engine rankings by producing rich, informative content that addresses these issues in an accessible manner.
- In-depth client issue analysis: What are your clients worried about? What questions is your intake team always answering? Answer these questions, and use tools like Google Trends or keyword research to capture what potential clients are searching for regarding immigration law.
- Rich content creation: Develop comprehensive articles, guides, and FAQs that address these client concerns in a clear, informative manner, avoiding legal jargon and empowering your clients.
- Utilize various formats: Incorporate various content formats like infographics, downloadable guides, and blog posts for a broader appeal.
- Expert contributions: Collaborate with immigration experts for guest articles to enhance credibility and provide diverse insights.
2Leverage video marketing for enhanced engagement
Video marketing offers a dynamic way to connect with and educate your audience because it shows off your personality, communication skills, and expertise. By producing a range of video content on immigration topics, your firm can effectively engage potential clients.
- Establish a YouTube channel: Create a dedicated channel for immigration law education using SEO-optimized video titles, descriptions, and tags.
- Diverse video content: Produce different kinds of videos, including explainers, client testimonials, and case studies, to cater to viewer preferences.
- Interactive webinars: Host live sessions and webinars to directly engage with your audience, providing a platform for Q&As and real-time discussions.
3Optimize for local SEO
Local SEO is where you target clients in your geographic areas. Here are four ways to get local visibility:
- Google My Business optimization: Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing to improve local search visibility.
- Consistent NAP information: Ensure your firm's name, address, and phone number are consistent across all online directories and your website.
- Local keywords: Include location-based keywords in your website's content and metadata to effectively target local clients.
- Local community engagement: Participate in local community events and share these activities on your website and social media channels.
Checklist: additional technical SEO activities for immigration law firms
Going beyond the basics, numerous technical SEO activities can further enhance your firm's online presence. Each of these tasks helps fine-tune your website to be more discoverable and appealing to search engines and potential clients.
- Conduct regular technical SEO audits to identify and fix issues like broken links, crawl errors, and slow page loading speeds.
- Use SSL encryption to secure your website, as HTTPS is a ranking factor for Google.
- Optimize your website’s architecture for easy navigation and effective indexing by search engines.
- Ensure your website is fully responsive and provides an optimal viewing experience on mobile devices.
- Implement accelerated mobile pages (AMP) for faster loading times on mobile.
- Test your website’s mobile usability regularly using tools like Google's Mobile-Friendly Test.
- Engage in ethical backlink building by contributing guest posts to reputable legal and immigration-related websites and blogs.
- Participate in legal forums and discussions, providing valuable insights and including a link to your website where relevant.
- Collaborate with other legal professionals and industry influencers for joint content creation or webinars, which can provide backlink opportunities.
- Implement schema markup on your website to help search engines better understand the content of your pages (e.g., markup for articles, attorney profiles, and FAQs).
- Use structured data to enhance your search results with rich snippets, which can improve click-through rates.
Multilingual capabilities as a client-centric marketing strategy
Offering multilingual services demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity and can differentiate you as an accessible and client-focused immigration lawyer.
Integrating multilingual offerings into marketing
Effective marketing in immigration law requires demonstrating an understanding of and respect for the diverse backgrounds of your clients. Integrating multilingual offerings into your marketing strategies is more than just a service feature; it's a testament to your firm's commitment to inclusivity and cultural competence.
- Deploy multilingual content to connect with specific communities across appropriate channels.
- Spotlight your cultural competence and multilingual capabilities as a cornerstone of your value proposition.
- Ensure website and digital content reflect multilingual accessibility.
Promoting specialized staffing and resources
Your team's language abilities and cultural knowledge are tremendous assets! Showcasing these skills in your marketing can build trust and rapport with potential clients from various backgrounds.
- Showcase language abilities and cultural expertise on all platforms.
- Introduce client-facing staff with relevant language skills and experience.
- Tout extensive multilingual materials and translation services.
Assessment of client-centric marketing impact
To evaluate the effectiveness of your client-centric marketing efforts, focus on how well your strategies align with and address the needs of your diverse client base. Analyze data from your marketing campaigns to see if they're reaching and resonating with the intended audiences.Here's a streamlined checklist to support your evaluation:
- Multilingual messaging impact: Review how well your marketing communications highlight language services and resonate with target segments.
- Market penetration analysis: Examine the depth of your marketing reach within different cultural communities and how effectively it engages these audiences.
- Trends in client acquisition: Monitor the rate of new client engagements from various linguistic groups to evaluate the direct impact of your targeted marketing efforts.
- Competitive benchmarking: Compare your marketing reach and client feedback with your competitors to identify gaps or improvement opportunities.
This approach ensures that your marketing strategies are comprehensive and precisely tailored to meet the nuanced needs of a diverse client base, thereby enhancing overall client acquisition and retention.
Leveraging PPC and digital ads for immediate lead generation
For immigration law firms seeking immediate client leads while building long-term SEO and referral networks, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is a great tool to add to your marketing toolkit. PPC works by strategically placing ads on search engines and social media platforms. You can directly target potential clients actively seeking immigration legal services.Here's a step-by-step approach to digital ads:
Step 1: Keyword research
- Competitor Analysis: Analyze competitors’ keyword strategies to find gaps and opportunities for your campaigns.
- Search Intent Focus: Prioritize keywords based on search intent, ensuring you capture users at different stages of the decision-making process.
- Niche-Specific Keywords: Identify keywords tailored explicitly to your immigration law services, including family-based visas, asylum cases, and employment-based immigration.
Step 2: Creating compelling ads
- Clarity and Conciseness: Craft ad copy that is clear and to the point and addresses potential clients' main concerns or questions.
- Emphasize Unique Selling Points: Highlight what sets your firm apart, such as specific expertise in immigration law, success rates, or personalized client care.
- Strong Call-to-Action: Include a compelling call-to-action (CTA) that motivates potential clients to take the next step, such as scheduling a free consultation.
Step 3: Optimizing landing pages
- Match Ad and Page Content: Ensure consistency between your ads and the landing pages to maintain user interest and trust.
- Mobile Optimization: Ensure landing pages are mobile-friendly, considering a significant portion of users will access them via smartphones.
- Conversion-Focused Design: Design landing pages that focus on converting visitors into leads – easy navigation, concise forms, and persuasive content are essential.
Step 4: Budgeting and bidding
- Cost-Effective Bidding Strategies: Adopt bidding strategies that balance achieving high visibility and cost-effectiveness.
- Budget Allocation: Allocate your budget based on campaign performance, investing more in high-performing ads and keywords.
- Focus on ROI: Regularly review the return on investment of each campaign to adjust your budget and strategy accordingly.
Step 5: Targeting and audience selection
- Geographic Targeting: Focus on areas where your firm can legally practice and where there is a high concentration of potential immigration clients.
- Language Targeting: Use language targeting to reach non-English speaking audiences who may be seeking immigration services.
- Demographic and Interest-Based Targeting: Utilize demographic and interest-based targeting options to refine your audience to those most likely to require immigration services.
Step 6: Tracking and analytics
- Performance Metrics Monitoring: Track critical metrics like CTR, conversion rate, and CPC to understand the effectiveness of your ads.
- Analytics Tools Integration: Use tools like Google Analytics and your CRM to gain deeper insights into user behavior and campaign performance.
- Lead Quality Assessment: Regularly assess the quality of leads generated from PPC campaigns to ensure they align with your target client profile.
Step 7: A/B testing
- Iterative Testing: Regularly conduct A/B tests on ad elements like headlines, images, and CTAs to optimize performance.
- Landing Page Variations: Test different layouts and content on landing pages to find the most effective conversion combination.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Make changes to your campaigns based on concrete data gathered from A/B testing.
Step 8: Continuous optimization
- Adapt to Market Changes: Stay responsive to changes in immigration law or client needs, adapting your campaigns accordingly.
- Keyword Refinement: Continuously refine your keywords list, adding new relevant terms and pausing underperforming ones.
- Budget Reassessment: Regularly reassess and adjust your budget allocation based on campaign performance and market trends.
Optimizing communication and engagement with technology
Leveraging your tech stack is essential for rapidly responding to and engaging with potential new clients (PNCs). Digital tools enable high-touch, personalized interactions while providing data-driven insights to refine marketing strategies. Investing in the right solutions can profoundly impact client acquisition and retention.
Respond quickly
Automating initial communication using chatbots, virtual receptionists, and automated email responses can drastically improve engagement speed with PNCs, positioning your firm as readily accessible. Integrate all of these channels with your CRM to track PNC inquiries as they come in. Responsiveness signals dependability and earns trust with time-pressed clients.
Personalize your responses
Utilizing technology to personalize communication is key. Tailoring your responses and content to address various immigrant groups' concerns demonstrates your firm’s commitment and understanding of their unique needs.Invest in tools that offer robust client communication options. These could include multilingual chatbots and personalized email marketing campaigns. These technologies streamline communication and provide insights into client preferences and behaviors.
Checklist: technology and operational assessment
Conducting routine technology audits is crucial to ensure that your systems fully support your marketing and operational goals, particularly in identifying and addressing any gaps in client communication.
- CRM
- Efficiency: How effectively is the CRM managing and categorizing leads?
- Client segmentation: Can the CRM segment clients based on specific criteria (e.g., case type, urgency)?
- Follow-up process: How well does the CRM support follow-up with leads (e.g., reminders, scheduling)?
- Website sync: Is the CRM seamlessly integrated with your website for lead capture and data accuracy?
- Social media connectivity: Assess the CRM’s integration with social media platforms for tracking engagements and leads.
- Digital platform compatibility: Check compatibility with other digital platforms (e.g., email marketing tools analytics software).
- Call tracking integration: How well does your call tracking software integrate with your CRM?
- Automated communication systems
- Response efficiency: Monitor how quickly automated systems respond to inquiries.
- Communication gap identification: Identify gaps in current communication channels and processes- anywhere your team may be slower to respond to inquiries.
- Multilingual capabilities: Ensure your communication tools are equipped to handle multilingual interactions, catering to a diverse client base.
- Response management: Assess how your call tracking system aids in managing and responding to client calls. Determine if the call tracking system provides insights into call quality and client satisfaction.
- Client portals
- User interface: Evaluate the ease of navigation and user-friendliness of client portals.
- Document access: Check how easily clients can access and upload documents.
- Client communication: Evaluate how quickly client communication is responded to.
Optimizing your marketing systems and consistently evaluating performance helps drive higher conversion rates and greater client satisfaction over the long term. These digital systems enable high-touch, personalized interactions while providing data-driven insights to refine marketing strategies.
Client-focused systems will boost immigration law firm marketing
It's clear that integrating client-focused systems like multilingual content, fast responses, and a CRM is pivotal for converting leads. These systems are more than just functional assets–they are central to amplifying the impact of your marketing efforts.Complimenting your marketing efforts and integrating and optimizing a CRM and other intake tools brings personalization that resonates with your clients. These tools ensure that potential new clients experience a seamless, engaging, and informative journey from the very first point of contact.Intake tools complement your marketing efforts, ensuring every client interaction is an opportunity to build trust, demonstrate expertise, and establish lasting relationships. To explore how CRM and intake tools can transform your firm's marketing and client management strategies, book a demo with the Lawmatics team.
Lawmatics CEO Matt Spiegel recently joined the Legal MastermindPodcast, hosted by Ryan Klein and Chase Williams. They discussed the history and culture of Lawmatics, and the everyday legal problems that led to its founding.
The founder's journey
Matt’s arc from practicing criminal defense attorney to serial legal tech entrepreneur is an unusual one. He dives into how his experiences have led him to founding the #1 CRM and automation platform for law firms, including:
- How a bar complaint led to Matt becoming an entrepreneur
- His path from MyCase, to venturing outside legal tech, to Lawmatics
Inside Lawmatics
Ryan and Chase ask about the things that make Lawmatics stand out from the pack.
- The values and culture that make Lawmatics one of the best places to work
- Growth goals for Lawmatics this year
Stay tuned for some insights on how technology like AI and predictive analytics will shape the legal landscape. Listen to the audio player above, or read the transcript below.
Podcast transcript
Matt Spiegel:Our culture is everything to us. One of the things that we've been very fortunate is everyone's getting rid of offices, we just moved from 4,000 square feet to 12,500 square feet. We more than tripled the size of our office because people are coming in. We have this amazing culture. That's the part that I'm most proud of. It's what makes me get up every day is the team that we've built.Speaker 2:You're listening to the Legal Mastermind podcast with your host, Ryan Klein and Chase Williams, the go-to podcast for learning from the experts in the legal community about effective ways to grow and manage your law firmChase Williams:Today, on the Legal Mastermind podcast, we have Matt Spiegel. He's the founder and CEO of Lawmatics. He actually founded another company you might be familiar with called My Case and back in the day he started off as a lawyer and so there's lots to talk about today, Matt. So welcome to the Legal Mastermind podcast.Matt Spiegel:Yeah, thank you guys for having me. Super excited for the conversation today.Chase Williams:For sure. And we were riffing so hard beforehand just about one, how your experience was wake surfing for the first time with the CEO of Clio and how fun that was. And then just started talking about you were a lawyer and you found a need, I assume for your firm, which we'll talk about in a minute. And then you started my case and then you're one of the few entrepreneurs that I've ever spoken to that's found two successful tech companies or SaaS products. That's where I guess the sexy slogan would be for what you guys do.Matt Spiegel:I guess. Yeah.Chase Williams:So how did that story start? I mean, you graduated law school and then worked for an attorney's office for a couple years and then started your own firm. So take us from starting the firm to your first-Matt Spiegel:That's right. I mean, I guess it goes back earlier than that too because I don't really think I ever wanted to be a lawyer if I really think about it. I think I just wanted to own a business and I guess somewhere in my... Well, parents actually made me go to law school. This is my senior year of college and I'm getting ready to go on spring break. I'm sitting at home and I'm leaving the next day for this awesome spring break trip senior year, which is the most epic year. And they're like, we don't want you to go into real estate. You need to go to law school. And that was literally the first I ever thought about it. And this was March of my senior year of college. And so I kind of shotgun took the LSAT and then went to law school.So it's not like I ever was like, oh my God, I have this dream of being a lawyer. It definitely was not romantic for me, but I thought it could be a good business to run. And then during law school I decided that of all the types of law firms to have, criminal defense would probably be the easiest to run a business. I could build a repeatable process. I think I could advertise and actually attract customers. So basically I thought that I could start a law firm without much experience and probably get people in the door.So after law school, I ended up going and working for a kind of notorious firm in San Diego for four years. Really, really high volume criminal defense practice. And then I had enough experience, I had helped hundreds of clients at that point. And so I'm like, all right, time to do my own thing. So I left to do my own thing and within two weeks I think I got a bar complaint. And so what was funny was that bar complaint is ultimately what led me down this whole road. So if it wasn't for that bar complaint, I probably would not be here talking to you guys. I would not have started My Case and then certainly would not have started on with Lawmatics.Chase Williams:I'm surprised you didn't start your own AVO competitor since you had that great AVO score after that bar complaint, I'm sure.Matt Spiegel:Well, you want to talk about AVO, that's a whole different story. We can talk about that. Because somehow, as I make the money sign, I maintained my 10.0 score. But no, it was a complaint about client communication. Basically they were just like, my lawyer didn't call me back quick enough. So I started thinking, I'm like, how do I... This guy called me at like 9:00 in the morning and I called him back at six. And that wasn't quick enough for him. But I was in court all day. I'm a criminal defense lawyer. I'm in trial. I can't answer the phone when I'm in judge's chambers or when I'm talking to a jury. I got back to him as quick as I could and I have other clients and I started hearing the same thing from other clients, although they didn't make bar complaints. And the issue, it's not like they had something critically important to talk to me about. They wanted to know when was their next court date and where's my police report? I want to see my police report.These are two very basic things that if I could just provide them with that information, they wouldn't need to call me all the time. And so I'm like, well, wait a second, can't I just add this to my website so that my clients can log in and they could just see their calendar. I could upload their court documentation and police report. And so my cousin who was building my website, he was just a basic website builder. I'm like, "Dude, can you build something on the back end of my site so that my clients could get this stuff?" And he's like, "I mean, I can try." He's like, "I have no idea how to do that though." So we kind of hacked it together and I'm talking to my friends and my friends are like, hey, can you build that for us? I'm like, no.Chase Williams:Was there anything out there that was similar to-Matt Spiegel:No. So we were using a couple products. I think I was using Clio at the time. I also had tried Rocket Matter and those are brand new, just online practice management solutions for billing and stuff like that. But they really didn't have any sort of client... There was no client portal. That wasn't a thing really. And so I hired on a buddy to come basically found My Case with me alongside of my cousin and I'm like, hey, you're an engineer. Can you build this? I think other lawyers would want this portal. And so we invented the client portal and that's all that My Case was. And we were like, other lawyers are going to want this. And we started trying to show other lawyers and other lawyers were like, hey, this is really cool, but we don't want to use it on its own. It needs to be part of this big solution. And so we went back and we just built our own practice management system and that's how My Case got started.Chase Williams:How long did it take?Matt Spiegel:I mean, it's never done. My Case just sold to LawPay. Big transaction worth a billion dollars now. And it's still not done. The software is never finished, but it took like six months to build a version that we could go out to people with, really a year before we really went to market. And then it was a year and a half later that we had grown pretty big and we sold to a company called AppFolio. So it was a pretty quick run before acquisition. And then I stayed with that company for years after that still running My Case. But I did it alongside. I mean, I started my law firm in 2009. I had the idea for My Case at the very end of 2009. Also had my first kid or found out that we were pregnant with our first kid right in there too. Just a whirlwind. And then I still had my law firm. My law firm was just getting started. So the first year and a half, almost two years of building My Case, I also had my law firm. It was crazy.Ryan Klein:The story about your cousin building the website, it sounds like when Chase and I were starting an agency, we'd be pitching lawyers and at the end of the day they'd be like, you know what? My cousin's just going to build the website, he's going to get me a deal. So maybe we were talking to you for all we know back in the day. So when you're going through this process, and obviously you're a busy lawyer and you're kind of assembling this dream team to launch this new software, how are you coordinating it? Were you essentially leading it or someone else or are you arranging for time on weekends or late evenings?Matt Spiegel:Yeah. No, I mean that was the trick was I had this law firm and the law firm was... I was having a kid, a law firm is what's putting food on the table and a roof over our head. This pie in the sky idea of building a software company, it's just a dream at that point. I had like four offices in my law firm and one of the offices was my cousin and my other co-founder who were working on building My Case. And so everyone was just sort of moonlighting. It was one of those things where it's like, you have this idea, you have something that you think could be really cool, but everyone needs to work. Everyone needs to still make money. And we weren't raising millions of dollars from a venture capital at that point, things like that. It's a side hustle. It was totally a side hustle at that point. And what we really figured out how to do was to leverage the law firm to help us build My Case.One of the biggest things, one of the toughest things was creating conviction amongst my co-founders that this was worth it. That was the first hurdle was like, you're going to do something like this where everyone's going to work on nights and weekends, they're going to give up a lot of their life in order to do this. And unfortunately, I couldn't really code, so there wasn't all that much for me to do. I can sit alongside of them and watch them do it, but at the end of the day, in the beginning, the early days, it's really all them writing code. You've got to convince them that this is worth it. And I think doing that was a bit of a challenge, and so we ended up just trying to figure out ways to make it fun. When you're doing a side hustle like that, I feel like you've got to make it fun. It can't feel like work.Chase Williams:Was there a point where you built it out and you would try to go to market and you're just like, man, nobody wants this. Did we waste our time? Did you have that feeling or were you pretty much like, this is going to work, no doubts.Matt Spiegel:I'm a super competitive guy. I think you kind of have to be competitive if you're in this world. And so losing was never really an option for me. But when we went to market, we went to this conference, this is going to date me I guess a little bit, but there was a legal... There's a big conference in New York called Legal Week. It used to be called Legal Tech, and they used to have one on the West Coast, they used to have one in LA. So this was like 2010. And we took the My Case client portal, we took it there and that's where we got the feedback from people like we're not going to use this. We might use it if it's part of a bigger practice management system, which could be cool, but we're not going to use it. And that was a moment where it was like, these guys had built this thing and I told them that other lawyers were going to want this, and now other lawyers are telling us that they're not going to use it.And so it's a little bit of a challenge I think at that point for myself too to sort of regroup and be like, guys, now I'm saying that we need to go and build this massive product. This was something pretty easy to build, this client portal, but now we need to go build something really big and this is going to take a lot of time and a lot of effort. And rallying behind a negative experience because being told that no one's going to use your product is a negative experience, rallying around that was definitely... We did it over a lot of beers, that's for sure.Chase Williams:Were you guys all at the conference hearing this news or was it just you and then you had to relay?Matt Spiegel:No, no, no. We were all there. We were all experiencing it. And I think what's cool is that lawyers were really great at this point. The feedback was, yeah, we're not going to use it, but it was like, we want to. We want to use it, you've just got to give it to us alongside of other tools because we just don't want this other thing that we have to use.Ryan Klein:Yeah, that's true. I mean, even today it's hard enough to get anyone to adopt one piece of technology. We have people that you could talk until you're blue in the face about the benefits of implementing this and showing the before and after, like you're using Excel spreadsheets or PDFs or handwriting things and this technology is going to solve it, but it's just going to take a little bit of dedication in the beginning, and they won't do it. So I can imagine 10 years ago.Matt Spiegel:Yeah, I mean, look at what's going on in the market right now, right? The idea of all in one solutions is still prominent, it's still what a lot of companies, big companies out there, Clio, My Case, File Vine, Smokeball, RocketLink, these companies are all trying to sort of strive for that all in one field. It's still the mentality and it was very much the mentality back then.Ryan Klein:So how do you get people to really start adopting new technology and giving it a shot, especially when law firms especially can be so averse? Did you have a breakthrough moment or have to do some sort of clever positioning?Matt Spiegel:No, I mean, I think at that point my strategy has always been very simple and it is just always listen to the customer, never listen to me basically. I'm a product junkie. At my companies where I spend most of my day to day beyond just basic CEO duties is in product. That's where I focus my time. And I made the mistake early on of building what I thought lawyers... I was a lawyer, so I was building stuff and maybe very early on that worked to build stuff that would basically scratch my own itch. But as we started to build and put a product out to market, you realize you cannot do that. You just have to listen to what your customers are telling you. And if you let your customers drive you and drive your product roadmap, it's been very successful for us.So that's where, to me, the breakthrough moment is really just deciding that we're going to listen 100% to our customers. And honestly as a law firm, you kind of should do the same thing. Our discussion today is really fun and may seem completely unrelated to law firms, but I actually think it's very related to law firms too. If you're treating your law firm like a startup, you're building this business, it's not just about how you practice law, it's also about the service that you provide and the experience that you provide and you need to listen to your customers in order to figure out how to make your experience better. And so when we started doing that as a product department at our company at My Case, and we've done that since day one at Lawmatics, that's when we really saw, okay, now lawyers, they're very happy to adopt our technology because we're building stuff that they are telling us to build.Chase Williams:So I assume you received some success at My Case and then it got to a point where you sold the company. So what happened next? You worked for the company some more I believe you said, and then you exited at one point.Matt Spiegel:Yeah, so we exited. I sold the company in 2012 and it was a great experience. I loved the company that we sold it to. We IPOed in 2015 and then that's when I left. So I was there about three years, almost three years after the acquisition, and incredible experience. And then I ended up going and messing around for a little while. I got brought on to a totally non-legal tech company. It's actually owned by a guy in Australia who owns a lot of legal tech companies, but I wasn't allowed to go work for a legal tech company at that time. So I went and worked for his non-legal tech company. I ended up taking that company over as CEO for a couple years and I was going back and forth to Sydney, Australia all the time, which was cool in the beginning, and then at that point now I had two little girls, and so traveling over there for a couple weeks at a time every two months got to be a lot.And honestly, I was the CEO, but I was still working for somebody. I had a chairman and I decided I needed my own thing again. I wanted to build my own company and be able to control the product, build a software product because the company I was working for was not really a software company. And then Lawmatics was what happened. We really saw this need in the market. We identified this need for our CRM back at My Case in 2014, and then in 2017 when I was going to start another company and we're like, man, this is still this massive hole in the market. And so we set out to solve it.Chase Williams:So I bet your experience starting Lawmatics was a little bit different. Did you call your cousin again or how did that work?Matt Spiegel:No, definitely did not call my cousin. My cousins was off doing other things, enjoying life a little bit more. I had another engineer who was working with me at My Case who I had brought along to my companies that I had done after I left My Case. And so I brought him on to kind of be our founding CTO. The beauty is this time around, one thing that I realized is I had a lot more access to great people the second time, and so I was able to build a team around me. Also had a little bit more access to capital the second time around, so I was able to build a little bit of a bigger team earlier on to go and build this thing. Lawmatics is a freaking beast, I mean, we've been building this thing for five years and we're just getting started. It is a massive piece of product. And so it took a while to build something that we could really be comfortable going to market with that had some product market fit.And then it's just been a wild ride ever since and much different path though, whereas My Case, we never really raised money for it. We sort of built it as a side hustle and then ended up getting acquired pretty early on. We're two or three rounds into venture funding now. We've raised almost $20 million, built a big company and been doing it for five years and are really pushing hard down the path of doing it ourselves without hitching our wagon to anybody. It's a very different approach.Ryan Klein:What do you think is different about your day-to-day leading this versus My Case? Is the day comprised of different responsibilities and types of meetings?Matt Spiegel:Totally. It couldn't be any different. When the company gets to a certain size, your day-to-day as a CEO becomes about the people and not about the product. My issues are managing people and people problems and not as much the product. I try to focus as much time on the product as I can, but we have a big team and that big team requires lots of different attention points, whether it's career path and promotions or hiring, firing, performance. All that becomes really important at a company our size. And that's a big difference. And in My Case, when we sold My Case, it was me and two other people, well technically three other people. We were four people at the company. That was it. And we definitely grew pretty quickly under AppFolio. I had a lot of help there because AppFolio had some incredible executives who were there to help me learn how to lead the company at scale.But here at Lawmatics, it's just me. We're doing it on our own. It's a very different experience, but it's so much fun. Our culture is everything to us. One of the things that we've been very fortunate is we just moved offices, everyone's getting rid of offices, we just moved from 4,000 square feet to 12,500 square feet. We more than tripled the size of our office because people are coming in. We have this amazing culture. That's the part that I'm most proud of. It's what makes me get up every day is the team that we've built.Chase Williams:What do you think makes the culture so amazing?Matt Spiegel:Man, that's a good question. So we have this super cheesy value, but I think it plays into why our culture is so great, and that is friend before colleague. Obviously you're not going to be best friends with everyone that you work with, but it's that we want everybody to treat each other as a friend before just a colleague. And that means just a different level. A colleague is someone you just work with and so the relationship is work centric, right? But a friend is someone you're going to have different compassion for and you're going to understand them on a different level and have sometimes a deeper connection with, and we strive for that and it's been incredible.Chase Williams:Is that a core value of the company? If you find somebody that doesn't follow that mantra, are they gone or is it more-Matt Spiegel:Yeah, I mean, we've never had to fire somebody for lack of fit culturally. So we've done a good job of hiring. I think we look for that. We look for a good fit. I mean, I think we've had people leave, they weren't fired, but they left who maybe weren't the best culture fit. So I think that they just don't assimilate as well. It's not as fun for them to be on the team. But it is definitely one of our core values and something that is very important to us. We're not hiring 100% remote people. We are hiring people in San Diego who are going to be excited about coming into the office and being around people. And we do it three days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Thursday and Friday are remote days. But if I were to show you our office right now, you would see a whole bunch of people still here who even on the day where they can be remote are choosing to come in. It's really cool.Ryan Klein:That's cool. Yeah. I like what you were saying about the core values. I agree. I think that once they're established and people really own them, it kind of works itself out. It permeates the organization and people either kind of start to adhere to it or they start to naturally make their way out as it's observed more and more. So what are you all looking forward to the most this year? It's January, we're just getting started. Do you have any initiatives that everyone's really rallying around right now?Matt Spiegel:Yeah, we do. We really do. This is actually a huge year for us. We're really, really excited. What I'm most excited about is conferences are in full swing again this year. We love going out face to face with our customers. We love traveling to these different places where conferences are. I know we were talking earlier, I think you, Chase, met some of our team at a conference just a month or two ago. We love doing that. I'm really excited because we have a full slate of conferences set up. I'm actually going to New York next week. These are things I really love to do personally and our team loves the opportunity to do it as well.But we're really focused on scaling the business, the infrastructure of the business as we start to really hit pretty massive milestones inside of our application, like the volume of things getting processed and just our general infrastructure. We're really focusing on the reliability of our platform in 2023 and making sure that it is scalable for the future. That's a big focus of ours. We're also starting to attract bigger law firms. That's a big focus for us is we've always been there for the solo and small firms. That's been our bread and butter, but the product has really evolved to be very suitable for a bigger firm, and that's a big focus for us too is moving upstream a little bit this year.Chase Williams:I'm very curious about what are your thoughts on... The buzz topic right now obviously is AI. So are you guys thinking about integrating any sort of AI into Lawmatics? I could see there's possibilities there. I just want to get your opinion there.Matt Spiegel:We've always had a little bit of our own AI. It's not really AI, but it's more like predictive analytics around your leads. And I think it could be really valuable there. It can sort of take a look and say, this lead has the potential to be worth this much to your law firm, given all of the different data points of a particular lead, the type of case, maybe everything about the person. AI can take a look at that and compare it to all the leads you've gotten and the cases that you've handled and see could this be a good fit for your law firm? I think that there's some value there. Where everyone likes to talk about it now is around actual legal work like contract review and contract generation and ChatGPT and building things for you. And I don't know that the question is... I definitely think it can be useful for certain things, but I definitely don't think it's going to...First of all, lawyers aren't going to let AI replace them. It's a big enough union that the institution won't let it happen. And I think that there's going to be a lot of hairy issues around it too. If you start to use AI to do things that a lawyer would've normally done and you don't have a lawyer at least review that, I think there's going to be some rocky roads down the way. But there are a lot of things that AI can be really useful for. And so I look at it as like things that are relatively harmless, low impact. So one of the things about Lawmatics that's really a feature that is value proposition that is extraordinarily powerful is the marketing side of it.Lawmatics does all of your marketing, all of your email marketing, your newsletter campaigns, birthday emails, drip campaigns, anything you want to do in Lawmatics. You guys as marketers, you're going to have all these amazing ideas and best practices, and Lawmatics is what actually helps you execute them. Lawyers who are out there, small law firms who maybe can't afford to have a good agency, help them with experimenting with content or managing their campaigns, they can maybe go to AI and get content for an email that might work really well. I think that those are areas where it can help. But the other areas, I'm a little skeptical.Chase Williams:For sure. Yeah, I mean there's basic, I don't even want to call it AI, but if you had a preset document, you just type in this new client running through this process, and all that really is is stuff that you could do in Excel, essentially, but they can call it AI.Matt Spiegel:That's why I say, we have a little bit... Like Lawmatics, you're building your own AI a lot of times because you're building these automations, right? But as far as real AI that is consuming data and making decisions about what content to give you or decisions about something, it's scary for some parts of legal when you start talking about replacing the work lawyers do. But when you're talking about ancillary things, whether it's, hey, I want to put an ad out there, I want to do a banner ad on a website, or I want to do a paper click campaign and I need a catchy headline, I think AI could be a great place to start for that. I think that it's not the place to end, but it's a good place to start.Chase Williams:No more writer's block.Matt Spiegel:Yeah, right. It's good inspiration if nothing else. Right?Chase Williams:Well, Matt, thank you so much for your time. If any of our listeners want to learn more about Lawmatics or you personally, what's the best way to reach out?Matt Spiegel:So I'm always excited and happy to get emails directly from anybody. My email address is Matt, M-A-T-T, @lawmatics.com. Our website is lawmatics.com. Anyone can feel free and go there if you're interested and in the business side of your law firm and managing the business side, Lawmatics is really the only [inaudible 00:29:34] out there for you. Go check it out. But if you have any questions just about... If you're someone who's looking to start a side hustle on top of your law firm, I'm happy to chat about it. Reach out.Speaker 2:Thanks for listening to the Legal Mastermind podcast. If you're interested in working with Ryan and Chase, please email mastermind@marketmymarket.com. Make sure to join the free mastermind group for growing and managing your firm a lawfirmmastermind.com. Ryan Klein and Chase Williams are the managing partners at Market My Market, one of the top legal marketing companies in the United States.
Lawmatics CEO Matt Spiegel recently joined the Love Thy Lawyer podcast, hosted by Louis Goodman. Their conversation ran the gamut from law firm marketing strategy to cultivating positive client relationships. Stay tuned for some inside baseball on creating a legal tech startup and the path that took Matt from practicing attorney to founder of MyCase and, eventually, Lawmatics. Here are some key points:
The client journey
Matt and Louis discuss the client journey and what it means to delight a client. They dive into the big ‘Why?’ of Lawmatics and the importance of optimizing the client intake process.
- What are the phases of the client journey?
- What steps can firms take to create a full client journey?
- How can attorneys create a client journey by empathizing with the client’s experience?
Legal CRM
More specifically, Matt and Louis talk about critical operational questions that a legal CRM can address:
- What mistakes do law firms make in building their business?
- How do you create a marketing strategy for a law firm?
- How can legal software improve client communication (and reduce bar complaints!)?
Listen to the audio player above, or read the transcript below.
Podcast transcript
Louis Goodman — 00:03 Welcome to Love Thy Lawyer, where we talk to practicing attorneys about their lives in and out of the practice of law. I'm Louis Goodman, the host of the show, and yes, I'm a lawyer. Nobody's perfect! Matt Spiegel is an attorney and entrepreneur in the legal tech space. He is the founder and CEO of Lawmatics, an automation platform for client intake, marketing and billing. Matt also founded and developed MyCase, a legal practice management software that is widely used and cloud-based, and it is a law practice management system. Matt worked as a criminal defense attorney for six years. He lives in two places, the world of building law firms and the golf course.Matt Spiegel, welcome to Love Thy Lawyer. Matt Spiegel — 00:59 Yeah. Thank you, Louis, and I appreciate that warm intro and thank you for having me. I will just point out one correction. I do not live on the golf course nearly as much as I used to or I want to these days, but separate conversation. Louis Goodman — 01:13 Well, we'll have to get you back out there more.Matt Spiegel — 01:16 Yeah, I think that's gonna be easier said than done with the way in which this company is growing, but yeah. Louis Goodman — 01:23 Where is your company growing? Where are you right now? Matt Spiegel — 01:27 So, we are in, we're based in San Diego. Louis Goodman — 01:29 Tell us a little bit about what type of business that you have now. Matt Spiegel — 01:34 My business that I have now is called Lawmatics. Lawmatics is what we call software as a service, right. It's just a web-based software platform like almost everybody is used to using in their daily lives now. And we really look to solve a very specific problem for law firms. It's a problem that I've experienced for a long time. It's pain that I experienced for, you know, prior to my career in tech, as you know, when I was a practicing lawyer.But we really, so we really look at the world and in terms of what's the journey that a client goes through with a law firm, right? So, we like to think of, we like to put ourselves, Louis, in the shoes of our customers' customer, right, the client of a law firm. And we look at it as three different phases to the journey. There is like phase one, which is the intake phase. You know, customers, potential client is determining whether they wanna hire the lawyer. The lawyer is determining whether they wanna take the case. And you know, it's a sales process. That's phase one. Phase two is you hired them, you hired the law firm. Now you have an active case, right? And then phase three is after the case is over, right. They're now a former client and there's a lot of aspects to that relationship which are important to a law firm. Along that, well, most of the traditional software out there, including my first business, MyCase, Clio, PracticePanther, Filevine, Smokeball, like all these products out there are focused on phase two, which is, you have an active case. What tools do I need to help me manage my cases, right? Lawmatics has really been focused on everything in phase one and everything in phase three. So everything you need before the person's hired you, help you do sales, help you do marketing, and then everything after the case is over, engaging with that, you know, nurturing that relationship, helping turn your old business into new business, things like that. So that's really where Lawmatics sits. Louis Goodman — 03:27 So Lawmatics really is more in terms of client development and marketing rather than running the case itself? Matt Spiegel — 03:39 You're absolutely right. Yeah, that's a great way to look at it. Louis Goodman — 03:42 Okay. Well, where are you from originally? Matt Spiegel — 03:46 Originally, I'm from New Jersey. Louis Goodman — 03:47 Really? Whereabouts? Matt Spiegel — 03:49 Yeah. Yeah. A place called Livingston. Louis Goodman — 03:51 Oh, well I grew up in Milburn. Matt Spiegel — 03:54 Oh, okay. Right next door! Louis Goodman — 03:57 Yeah. We used to play you all the time in football and wrestling and basketball. Matt Spiegel — 04:03 That's true. So I was there in some early formative years. And then like for middle school, high school, we moved out to Arizona, to Scottsdale. And so that was the second part of my childhood and then I went to school in Tucson and then migrated out to San Diego thereafter. Louis Goodman — 04:23 So, where'd you go to college? Matt Spiegel — 04:25 I went to college at U of A, University of Arizona. Louis Goodman — 04:29 And then from there you went to law school in San Diego? Matt Spiegel — 04:33 I came out here and went to the only law school that was still accepting applications. Given that I applied very late in the process. It's a school called Thomas Jefferson. Got a great education there, had a lot of fun. Passed the California bar in the first try and then went off and practiced criminal defense for about five years. Louis Goodman — 04:53 So, between the time you graduated from the University of Arizona and you went to Thomas Jefferson, did you take any time off or did you go directly through?Matt Spiegel — 05:02 I went directly through. And what's interesting about my story getting into becoming a lawyer, is I was sitting at home prior to going on my senior spring break trip, senior year of college. So pretty late in the game, right? You're talking March of my senior year of college. And my parents sat me down and they're like, what are you doing after you graduate? I'm like, oh. I'm like, dad, I'm gonna kind of follow in your original footsteps. What he had done back east, he didn't do it any, you know, at the time he wasn't in the business, but back east, he was in commercial real estate. And I'm like, what are you talking about? I'm going into commercial real estate, and they're just like, no. We do not think that that's gonna be a good move for you. Louis Goodman — 05:46 Why didn't they think that commercial real estate would be a good move for you? Matt Spiegel — 05:49 I don't know. Maybe they just thought I wasn't good at selling or something. I have no idea. Or I, maybe I, you know, or maybe my dad had a bad experience with it. All I know is that they said like, why don't, like, we think you need to go get a further degree. Why don't you become a lawyer? Maybe it was because we were like, I feel like, you know, I come from a good Jewish family, and most good Jewish families have a lawyer in there and we didn't, so maybe they felt like they needed a good lawyer in the family. Whatever the reason was, this is what they said. And so they said, why don't you go to law school? And I'm like, what are you talking about? It's March. And I've never even thought about law school. So I thought about it for like a little bit, maybe like an hour. And I'm like, yeah OK. I'll go to law school. And so, I went on spring break. I came back from spring break. I studied for like a month for the LSATs. I took the LSATs. I did pretty well, and that's where I ended up. Louis Goodman — 06:41 When you got out of law school, you ultimately had a job as a criminal defense attorney. Can you talk a little bit about that process? Getting out of law school and then getting into the criminal defense world?Matt Spiegel — 06:55 I'll be very forthcoming. The reason why I went into criminal defense, I don't know that I ever wanted to be, I don't know that I ever saw myself being a practicing lawyer for the rest of my life. And I've always been a bit more of an entrepreneur than anything else. And I think that that showed itself with my choice to go into criminal defense.I think, one, I enjoy the action, and so I just thought like, wait a second, I'm a lawyer. Doesn't that mean, shouldn't I be in court all the time? And then I realize that very few practice areas actually put you in court, all the time. But one that does was criminal defense. So that was one reason. But the more important reason to me was I thought that it could be a good business to run.I thought that having a criminal defense firm would lend itself really well to building like a repeatable business model. Louis Goodman — 07:48 How did that work out? Matt Spiegel — 07:50 Well, it worked out pretty well. You know, I was able to, I went and worked at a firm for like four years, and then I started my own firm. And when I started my own firm is when I really put into motion these ideas I had about building, you know, a repeatable process around criminal defense.And so that was like, okay, every person that comes in, this is the process they're gonna go through. This is how I'm gonna treat them. This is, it's like an assembly line, not as far as their case is concerned, but as far as their experience is concerned. And I like the fact that it was, I thought it's easier to run a business and it's easy to have a more predictable business if you're billing flat fee, whereas an hourly business is not as predictable.And so I went the route of criminal defense primarily because I thought it would be a good business model. Louis Goodman — 08:34 So can you talk a little bit about what sort of theories and procedures that you had in terms of the criminal defense practice and how you built that practice? Matt Spiegel — 08:47 Yeah, I mean, I had a pricing schedule really. I was like, okay, if you have a DUI that fits into this mold, like this is what the cost is going to be, right? There was no, doesn't matter the number of hours or it didn't matter the amount of work, the level of complexity was this was a flat fee. And so I could very say, okay, if I go get this many DUIs, this is how much money I'm gonna make. If I get this many felony cases, this is how much money I'm gonna make. And the reason why that was important is just kinda the way I looked at the world. And you know, ended up being very relevant to the type of businesses that I've built since, especially Lawmatics. But I look at it as like, okay, I'm trying to build a business. What's one of the first things you have to do if you wanna go get business? You gotta advertise, you gotta do marketing, right? The business isn't just gonna come to you without doing anything, even though most lawyers think that that's the case. So I was like, all right, well if I go spend money on marketing, how do I know if what I'm spending is worth it? Right? Like what's the value of going and spending a dollar on advertising? Well, if I go spend a hundred dollars on advertising and I get a case that I have no idea how much I'm gonna make from, might be a lot of billing, might be a little bit of billing, that's not really great from a, from a KPI standpoint. If I'm measuring, if I'm trying to measure data, if I'm trying to measure the value of a dollar spent on marketing, it's hard if I don't know how much is gonna come outta the back end.So by going into criminal offense, which was a very flat feet oriented practice area, I knew. So I knew if I go and spend $500 to acquire a DUI client, I make $2,500 off of it. That's $2,000 in profit when it comes to acquisition cost. Right? And it's very formulaic. And now I can go spend a ton of money on advertising and I will always be able to formulate whether my acquisition cost is worth it.And things like acquisition cost are things that lawyers just typically don't think about. It's one of the reasons why we built Lawmatics, but it really is critical to any business, and this is just how I looked at the world when I was getting started with my own practice, and it's just translated to now.Louis Goodman — 10:55 Yesterday I did a podcast interview with a very successful lawyer who has a family law practice, and she was telling me about how her firm uses MyCase. Matt Spiegel — 11:08 I've heard of it! Louis Goodman — 11:09 And yeah, and I said, well, that's interesting because tomorrow I'm gonna be talking to the guy who developed MyCase. Tell us a little bit about MyCase and how you developed that and what the point of MyCase is.Matt Spiegel — 11:23 MyCase is designed to be a product for a law firm. MyCase got started, it's an interesting story in the sense that it's not many people know it, but MyCase was only started because I had a problem at my law firm that I wanted to solve, right? So, the truth of the matter is, shortly after I started my law firm, I got a bar complaint from an existing client, right? And that bar complaint, if you have any knowledge at all about what the number one complaint at any state bar is, then you would know what my bar complaint was. Louis Goodman — 11:59 You didn't return their phone call. Matt Spiegel — 12:01 You are a hundred percent accurate. That is exactly what it was. It was attorney-client communication, and it wasn't like that I didn't call, it was simply that they were calling me, I was in court all day and I didn't return their phone call quick enough. Right? So I got a bar complaint because of that. And I thought to myself, this is insane. Like, how am I still dealing with this issue? First of all, that's ridiculous. I was in court all day. I called you back as soon as I got out of court, you know, and it was six hours, seven hours tops. What's the big deal there? But also I'm like, why am I still communicating this way? Like, there's all this great tech in the world. How in the world am I still not able, and you know, what they wanted from me was not earth-shattering. It wasn't like they needed to discuss something that was urgent. They just wanted to know what was going on. Louis Goodman — 12:52 How's my case? Matt Spiegel — 12:52 How's my case going? When's my next court date? Where's my discovery, right? So I'm like, man, I could, like I said to my cousin, my cousin was building my website for my law firm, just my basic website. It was like, you know, whatever, some basic HTML thing. And I said to him, I'm like, hey, look, listen Alex, can you just build like a backend to my website where I can put things up there so my clients can just see it without having to call me? And he is like, I don't know. I mean, maybe. He's like, but I don't know how to do that. I'm not that kind of developer. So, I'm like, maybe I could just find somebody to do it. So I found a friend who was an engineer or software engineer, and I'm like, can you do this? He's like, yeah, I guess whatever. So, he started to do it. I started telling my friends I was doing it, and they're like, oh, that's cool. Can they do it for me? And I'm like, no. And I said to them, hey, I'm getting some friends asking me about this. Do you think that maybe we should build a product that just does this for lawyers? Lets them communicate with their client? And so the first ever legal client portal was built, right? That's what we built. That's what MyCase was in the beginning. MyCase was not a practice management software. MyCase didn't even know what time and billing was, right? It was just simply a way to talk to your clients in a way that they were used to being talked to. And so we released that product, or we tried to release it and we went to a conference and we started talking to random lawyers and they're like, yeah, this is kind of cool. I'm not gonna pay extra for it. It should just be part of like these other, you know, practice management softwares that have been around. And so we said, huh, okay. And so then I'm like, Hey guys, I got another idea. How about we just turn this into a practice management software? Because I wasn't very happy with the other solutions that were out there. And I had been using a couple of them. At the time I was using Clio, I was using Rocket Matter. Both of those products have come a long way and they're actually, you know, obviously now they're very great, robust and mature products, but back then they were brand new. They didn't solve the problem I needed to solve.So, I convinced these two guys, my cousin and my friend Chris to build, basically build the company with me. And that's how MyCase got started. And you know, a year and a half later or two years later, we were acquired by a much larger company and then we went public in 2015 and the story is still being written for MyCase.Louis Goodman — 15:24 Yeah, I hear about people using it all the time. Matt Spiegel — 15:26 So now MyCase is owned by the parent company that owns LawPay, so it has become a very big, very big player in the legal tech space. Louis Goodman — 15:35 When did you decide to leave MyCase and then go and start Lawmatics? Matt Spiegel — 15:44 Yeah, that's a good question. So, I left MyCase. Time was up. The company was growing a lot pretty fast. I had like a deal with the company that acquired us, that required that I'd be there for a certain amount of time, and then when that ended, it was the right time for me to exit as well. And I actually went and did some non-legal related stuff. So for a couple years, Louis, I was just off, I was running a totally unrelated company as CEO, I was actually headquartered primarily in Sydney, Australia.And so, I was going back and forth to Sydney, Australia frequently. And as a husband and as the father of two young girls at the time, it wasn't great. And so after about two years, I'm like, a couple things started to percolate. One was all this travels a lot. Two was, I wanna be my own boss again. So I was the CEO, but I had a board, I had a chairman. It wasn't really the arrangement that made me the most happy. so I decided I wanted to build my own company again. And I also decided that the legal space, I thought I wanted to get away from it, but I really liked it and it was a space I knew really, really well. And thirdly, back at MyCase, we had identified a shift or, or the beginnings of a shift in the legal market as a whole. We started to see law firms begin to understand that they need to think about their law firm more as a business and less as a law firm, right? And now it was just a kernel of an idea. It hadn't really become a mainstream concept yet, but this was back in 2013, 2014. So now fast forward to 2017, and I'm wanting to build another company in the legal tech space.And I thought to myself, this little kernel of an idea that we saw years ago has now become a little, there's a lot more inertia behind it. And it's becoming more of a mainstream idea that like the law firm is not just a law firm, it's a business like any other. And it was that that allowed us to build Lawmatics. We needed that market shift. We needed that mindset shift in lawyers in order for Lawmatics to make sense. It wouldn't have made sense eight, nine years ago, but it made sense at the end of 2017, beginning of 2018, when I was coming back into the space. Louis Goodman — 18:12 And if I understand Lawmatics correctly, it has to do with funneling clients into your firm.And then while they're there as clients, perhaps a firm would want to use something like MyCase or Clio, but then once they are done, once the case is over, you still wanna keep client contact with them because they're the people who are gonna be referring you new business. Matt Spiegel — 18:44 You're a hundred percent right. Yeah. You think about it exactly the correct way. Lawmatics is sort of the bookend around the bookends of other products that exist in the market. And that final part of the journey, that part where the case is over and they're a former client, that's the part, Louis, that so many lawyers get wrong. They neglect it, right. We talk to lawyers all the time, obviously, and I go all around the country and I talk to bar associations and all these big groups of people. And I always say, like, I always tell people, how many of you have more than 500 past clients? Right? And almost everybody raises their hand.And then I say, how many of you send all of them an email on their birthday? And all of the hands go down. Like, what are we doing here? That's so easy. What you have to remember. What I think lawyers, what we tend to forget and like, what I always like lawyers to think about more than anything else is like for, for 95% of the practice areas out there, consumer driven law, personal injury, estate planning, bankruptcy, family law, criminal defense, to your client, this is the most important thing going on in their life, no matter what, right? It's the most important thing. To the lawyer, just another client, and you just can't think of it that way. You have to think about it in terms of like, this is the most important thing going on in their life. And if you think about it like that, you realize the relationship is a lot more important.And you realize that like when their case is over, you're just dropping them and not communicating with them anymore. That doesn't feel very good, right? You helped usher them through the most important thing in their life, and now you just want nothing to do with them like they don't exist to you anymore? No. You need to be, you should be sending 'em an email on their birthday. You should be reaching out every now and again. You should be sending them updates about your law firm. And at the end of the day, that is ultimately gonna result in a better experience, which will result in a better business for the law firm. Louis Goodman — 20:52 And people referring their friends, relatives, and that sort of thing.Matt Spiegel — 20:57 That's exactly right. Yeah. People forget about it. I don't know. Louis Goodman — 21:01 Well, what do you really like about working with lawyers? Matt Spiegel — 21:04 Lawyers are receptive to tech, right? So what I like about lawyers are they're not heavily invested in technology, typically. It's still an, it's still an industry that is behind the times, believe it or not, right?Louis Goodman — 21:16 Oh yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. Matt Spiegel — 21:19 And I love that because that's such an opportunity to, the same way that as a lawyer, I want to delight my customers, I wanna delight my clients, I want them to have a great experience. I feel the same way now. I want the law firms that I work with to be delighted. I want them to have a great experience.And it's really cool when you talk to a lawyer who's not using tech, not leveraging it in a way that really benefits them or leveraging it at all. When you hit them with that value proposition and when they see what technology can do for them, it's a really cool moment, right? And you can't do that in all industries because other industries have been using technology to streamline their processes, to make them more efficient for a long time. But legal just hasn't quite been there. So it's probably the thing I like the most is just really being able to have a significant impact with not a lot of effort. Louis Goodman — 22:15 What sort of mistakes do you think lawyers make? Matt Spiegel — 22:17 That's a good question. I mean, I think I pointed out a big one already, which is that they don't treat their law firm like a business. I think you could be the best lawyer in the world, but you could suck at bedside manner. So you could be the best lawyer in the world and you could have a terrible business, right? Because you don't provide a good customer experience. The flip side is you could have a great business because you provide a great experience. It's not always about the outcome of the case. And lawyers, I think lose sight of that. All they think about is, I'm gonna deliver you a good outcome. I'm gonna get you more money, I'm gonna get you... And that's great. Obviously at the end of the day, you know, you wanna be a good lawyer, but there's a lot more to it than being a good lawyer, right? It's like the same reason why, you know, we go shop at Trader Joe's as opposed to, you know, Ralph's or Safeway or whatever grocery stores in your community. It's because we get a good experience when we go there. You can buy eggs from any grocery store, but you go to the one that you like because it provides a good experience for you. Lawyers are becoming more and more ubiquitous and the difference between lawyers I think is becoming less and less. You have so many lawyers who are out on their own, so many great lawyers who are providing really good outcomes, competitive services, advertising on Google. Like if I need a criminal defense lawyer now I go on Google and I type in San Diego DUI lawyer, I'm gonna get a hundred guys. And all of them are ultimately gonna be able to deliver me about the same outcome, but they're not gonna all deliver me the same experience. And that's where I think lawyers make mistakes, is they just don't think about those things.Louis Goodman — 24:08 How do you define success? You've had a lot of success from an objective point of view. How do you, Matt, define success in your own life? Matt Spiegel — 24:19 I'm a big believer in the cliche of, if you love what you do, you never work another day in your life. It couldn't be more accurate. And to me that, you know, when it comes to professional success, that's how I view it. I don't consider myself having a job, right? Like I'm just sort of always working, and I'm always not working because it's just like my life is intertwined with what I do professionally and it's just, it just is, right? It's not like, okay, I get up in the morning, I gotta go to the office and it's like a switch, and then I leave the office and it's switched off. It's not like that at all. It's just all intertwined. My whole life is intertwined with the business I build and my family and my friends and everything just works together. And to me that's success, to me. I don't care how much money I make, that doesn't really measure success to me. I think that's a byproduct of, of being successful. But, you know, building a business that supports you, you know, financially obviously is critical, but it's more. It's feeling like you don't work and it's just your life and everything kind of revolves around each other, to me is how I measure success and I have a feeling a lot of solo lawyers out there probably feel the same way.Louis Goodman — 25:48 How has being in this business affected and fit in with your family life? Matt Spiegel — 25:56 Building a startup is not for the faint of heart. I built MyCase, I had the idea for MyCase the very same week that I found out we were pregnant with our first daughter. And that's hard. It is hard to build a startup and have a kid have a baby. Yeah. That was tough. But again, I've been able to have it become just intertwined with my life. So, if I need to go do something for my family, I just go do something for my family. It doesn't mean I'm not working, right. It doesn't mean I am working, it just means I'm doing what I need to do.And then, you know, the business is a 24/7 thing. There's no hours for a business like mine, right, like a tech company, a software company. We're always working, we're always thinking, we're always, our head is always in the business. Even if we're, you know, if we're also participating as something else with our family.And so for me, I've really learned this work life balance almost being forced to. Because, you know, truth of the matter is I've seen like a lot of, you know, families and relationships devastated by building a startup, right? Because it is really, really hard work. It takes up more time than you can imagine.But I was really open with my wife when doing it. We were very upfront with what it was gonna take and what it was gonna look like. But then very quickly we learned how to morph and balance and turn the business into our life instead of kind of fitting everything around it. Louis Goodman — 27:30 Have you had any interesting travel experiences?Matt Spiegel — 27:32 I'm actually not very well traveled, Louis. I had this whole Australia thing for a while and I don't know, have you ever been to Sydney? Have you ever been to Australia? Louis Goodman — 27:42 Yeah, I have. Matt Spiegel — 27:44 Did you like it? Louis Goodman — 27:45 I loved it. I thought it was amazing. I thought it was a wonderful mix of Southern California and British culture.Matt Spiegel — 27:56 So that's a really good way to put it and I would totally agree with you. And I would actually go on a limb and say that Sydney might be one of my, might be my favorite city in the world. I did get to go play golf in Scotland, which is probably one of my highlight travel experiences. I also lived in Spain for a summer when I was 16 to train on clay courts. I was a tennis player and I went to train on clay courts for a summer. Louis Goodman — 28:20 What keeps you up at night? Matt Spiegel — 28:22 That's a really tough one. Well, it's not a tough one, but it is what it is. At a tech company, product is the most important thing. You know, in my opinion, you gotta have a good product. And what keeps me up at night is the fear of like Lawmatics going down, or, you know, waking up in the morning and, and seeing that, like, we broke something massive, which has happened before, and it'll happen again. But I think that keeps me up at night is like the fear that like, at any moment it could all, it could all fall apart. And it can. It's an, you know, we, we have an amazing team. We built an amazing product. We know what we're doing when it comes to building software. But there's always still this fear in the back of my head that like, you know, God, it's like we had to have screwed up somewhere along the way and at some point it's just gonna all explode. You know? And I think if anything keeps me up at night, it's that.Louis Goodman — 29:22 Let's say you came into some real money. You and your wife came into, let's say three or four billion dollars. What, if anything, would you change in your life? Matt Spiegel — 29:32 Well, if you asked my wife nothing would change. If you ask me, probably a lot, but really like other than stupid stuff, because if I came into that kind of money, I'd probably buy like a sweet car because I'm really into cars.I think the only thing that would change would be the way that, the amount of time that we experience life outside, like I think I would travel a lot more, like you mentioned travel earlier. I think that's where the biggest change would be, is I think we would just, you know, travel. You know, clearly we don't, I mean, we do travel a bunch, but it's just not the crazy places usually. I think that would change if, if we came into that kind of money. I don't think, I don't think I'm, you know, life is gonna change where I'm gonna move and buy new houses and do all this crazy stuff. I think I'm just gonna travel a lot more. And to be honest with you, Louis, maybe you're the type of guy that feels the same way, but I think I would still build the company I'm building. I don't think I would, I don't think I would be taken away from that. Louis Goodman — 30:28 Matt, if someone wants to get in touch with you and has some interest in Lawmatics or in speaking with you, is there a website or a place that they can go where they can open up that communication? Matt Spiegel — 30:45 Yeah, totally. So, If you wanna look at Lawmatics, which, you know, go, please do lawmatics.com super easy. Go there. Maybe more importantly, if you have any questions for me, if you have any thoughts. I love just talking to lawyers in general. As hopefully I've illustrated, I've been doing it for a long time now, and I love hearing stories from lawyers. I love lawyers who have problems and, and wanna try to figure out creative ways to solve them.You can email me anytime. My email is matt@lawmatics.com. I love hearing from people. Louis Goodman — 31:20 Matt, is there anything that you'd like to discuss or touch on that we haven't had a chance to talk about? Matt Spiegel — 31:26 No. We've talked about a lot and some cool stuff, to be honest with you, so I'm not sure that there's any like one thing or any parting wisdom or anything I have. I don't think I'm very wise. But I think the only thing if I could leave lawyers with any, you know, with any thought, and this is, you know, again, from my own experience as, you know, a lawyer, not just someone who's been helping lawyers, but also as a lawyer. It's like, just remember that this is the most important thing your clients are going through and remember, you know, just put yourself in their shoes and how you would want to be treated during that time.Forget about the outcome of the case and just think about how they want to be treated throughout that process. And if you can do that. I just think you're gonna have a better practice, a more successful practice, and you are just gonna be much happier, which is all what it translates to. So that would be all.Louis Goodman — 32:23 Matt Spiegel, thank you so much for joining me today on the Love Thy Lawyer podcast. It's been a pleasure talking to you. Matt Spiegel — 32:30 Yeah, Louis, it's been a pleasure to be here and I appreciate you having me on. Louis Goodman — 32:34 That's it for today's episode of Love Thy Lawyer. If you enjoyed listening, please share it with a friend and follow the podcast. If you have comments or suggestions, send me an email. Take a look at our website at lovethylawyer.com, where you can find all of our episodes, transcripts, photographs and information.Thanks to my guests and to Joel Katz from music, Bryan Matheson for technical support, Paul Robert for social media and Tracy Harvey. I'm Louis Goodman.