Your intake form is not an interrogation
Let’s clear something up early.
A good intake form is not:
- A law school exam
- A memory test
- A 47-question endurance challenge
And definitely not:
“Tell us everything about your life since 2003 and attach supporting documentation.”
A good intake form is a filter.
Think of it as a velvet rope, not a TSA checkpoint.
It should help the right prospects move forward quickly, while gently slowing down or filtering out the wrong ones before they eat up your calendar.
Start with what you actually need to know
Now that your Clio Manage fields are ready and synced into Clio Grow, every question in your form should map to a purpose.
Ask yourself:
Do we need this to decide if this is our client?
Do we need this before the consultation?
Will this be used in Clio Manage later?
Will this help us avoid back-and-forth emails?
If the answer is no, cut it.
You can always ask later. You cannot give a prospect back the five minutes they spent wondering why you needed their fax number.
Use different forms for different practice areas
One of the most common mistakes is using one intake form for everything.
Family law, estate planning, and personal injury should not share the same questions like roommates who barely tolerate each other.
Instead, create separate intake forms based on practice area.
For example:
Family Law Form
- Date of marriage
- Date of separation
- Children involved
- Existing court orders
Estate Planning Form
- Marital status
- Children
- Existing will or trust
- Assets overview
Personal Injury Form
- Date of incident
- Location
- Injury type
- Insurance information
Same platform. Different conversations.
This is where your synced Clio Manage fields really pay off. Each form feeds clean, relevant data into the right place.
Be clever with your fields (but not too clever)
Clio Grow gives you flexibility with how you build forms. Use it wisely.
A few practical tips:
Use dropdowns when possible
They standardize answers and make reporting easier.
Use conditional logic
If someone says “Yes” to having children, then ask about children. If not, move on. No one enjoys answering questions that clearly do not apply to them.
Avoid duplicate questions
If you already asked for a phone number, do not ask again “just in case.”
Use plain language
“Opposing party” might make sense to you. “Who is the other person involved?” might make more sense to your prospect.
Good forms feel easy.
Great forms feel almost invisible.
Qualify before you schedule
Not every lead should get a consultation.
That is not harsh. That is efficient.
Your intake form should help answer:
Is this in our practice area?
Is it in our jurisdiction?
Is there urgency?
Are there obvious conflicts or red flags?
Does this align with our ideal client profile?
This does not mean rejecting people rudely.
It means not booking a 30-minute consultation just to discover in minute three that:
“This is not something we handle.”
That is not a consultation. That is a very polite dead end.
Share forms the smart way
Once your forms are built, they should be easy to access.
Clio Grow allows you to:
- Send forms via email
- Share links directly with prospects
- Embed forms on your website
- Bookmark forms for your intake team
This matters more than it sounds.
Because intake speed matters.
If a prospect has to wait for a form, dig through emails, or call back to get a link, you are already introducing friction.
And friction is where good leads quietly disappear.
Do not forget the human on the other side
Most prospects are not filling out your form for fun.
They are:
Stressed
Confused
Frustrated
Sometimes embarrassed
Often unsure if they even need a lawyer
So the form should feel:
Clear
Respectful
Straightforward
Not overwhelming
A good intake form says:
“We know what we are doing.”
A bad intake form says:
“We copied this from somewhere and hoped for the best.”
Test your form like a real client
Before you send your form into the world, test it.
Not as an admin. As a human.
Fill it out on your phone.
Fill it out quickly.
Fill it out incorrectly.
Skip questions.
Try to break it.
Then ask:
Was anything confusing?
Did anything feel unnecessary?
Did it take too long?
Did the answers land correctly in Clio Grow?
Because once a real prospect hits friction, they do not file a support ticket.
They leave.
Coming Next
In Part 3, we will tackle what happens after the form:
Scheduling, conflict checks, and first impressions.
We will look at how to:
Eliminate calendar back-and-forth
Route prospects to the right person
Run conflict checks early
Create a smoother, faster intake experience
Because getting the form right is important.
But what happens next is where you either win the client or lose them to the firm that replied faster.
Need Help With Clio Grow?
If your intake forms feel too long, too messy, or not connected to Clio Manage the way they should be, 2b1 Inc. can help.
We work with law firms to design smarter intake forms, cleaner workflows, and better client experiences from first contact to signed engagement.
Call 2b1 Inc. at 415-284-2221 or fill out the form below.
Because your intake form should not feel like homework.