Lost Highway: Modern Law Firms Require Revised Intake Systems

More than 60% of law firm do not return voicemails.   

 

It takes an average of 8 emails to schedule an appointment with an attorney. 

 

Legal consumers, like all consumers, prize convenience, speed and responsiveness.  Law firms often strike out in trying to meet that three-part requirement.  In fact, most law firms don’t have an intake system at all.  And, it’s costing them money.

 

If you want to prevail in the modern, convenience economy (which was here before the pandemic, but which had been accelerated by it), you may have a lot of work to do.  So, of course it’s tempting to try to course-correct all at once, by launching a ‘client journey’ in full.  But, it’s important not to voluntarily overwhelm yourself.  As with any business management reform, you’ll want to take this one step-by-step. 

 

And, this starts out by being thoughtful about your intake process.  Therefore, before you do anything else, you should begin by designing an ‘intake roadmap’.  It doesn’t matter if you put that down on the back of a napkin, or build it in a workflow software.  Determine all your lead types, consider how they become clients now, and try to button that process up.  Create a followup structure, automate it where you can, and determine where you will preserve data, and how you will analyze it. 

 

From there, you’ll match your preferences to the people and technology you need. 

 

. . .

If your old school intake methods have you got you leaving money on the table, we can help. 

Through a unique partnership between the Maine Board of Overseers of the Bar and Jared Correia’s Red Cave Law Firm Consulting, Maine attorneys have access to experienced law practice management consultants at a special discounted rate. 

To get started, visit Red Cave’s landing page for Maine attorneys, and start running your law practice like a business.