For family law firms and their intake staff
Family law intake questions for the first call
The questions a family law intake should ask a caller about a divorce, custody, support or a protective order, in the order our own intake agent asks them, with why they matter to the firm.
First: safety, a lawyer, the names and a safe way to call
Anyone in danger right now is told to call 911. The agent never asks about abuse or what the other person did.
- Do you already have a lawyer on this?A lawyer of your own on this matter ends the call, politely. The other side’s lawyer does not count as yours.
- What is your full name? If the matter is someone else’s: their full name, and how are you related?The names are read back.
- What is the full name of the other person in this: your spouse, or the other parent?Read back. It is the other half of the conflict check, which runs on the name of the person whose matter it is and the other person’s.
- What is the best number to reach you on, and is it safe for the office to call it?Read back. Then whether it is safe to call that number and, as its own question, whether the office may leave a message. If it is not safe, another number, or a good time to call. A no to a message is noted as “no messages”.
- What is the best email for you?Asked only if the caller said yes to both the call and the message. Otherwise no email is asked, and the summary says “no email -- contact not safe”.
Then: the matter, the children and the court
One question at a time, only what the agent does not have yet.
- What is it about: a divorce, custody, support, a protective order, a change to an order?In the caller’s words.
- Are children under 18 involved, and how many?The number, never their names.
- In which state and county do you live?The state and county where the caller lives.
- Is a case already open in court? When is the next hearing, and in which court?The hearing date and court, if the caller knows them, noted as said.
- Is any order already in place: a protective order, a custody or support order?Noted in the summary with the matter and whether a lawyer is on it.
What makes a family case urgent
An urgent case goes to the live-transfer step once the first four questions are done, with the reason stated as a plain fact, such as “hearing Thursday morning”.
- A protective order is needed, a hearing is today, tomorrow or the day after, or a child’s safety is at riskUrgent. A threat to harm or take a child, or a child not returned, counts as a child’s safety at risk. Anything happening right now is a 911 call, never a transfer.
What the intake never says
An intake takes facts down. It does not answer the legal questions a caller asks.
- Who will get custody, what support will be, how property is divided, whether an order will be granted, whether to move out or take the children, how to get an order, or any deadline.
- A fee of its own, or a promise of representation.
- “We don’t handle that.” The intake cannot know what the firm takes; the office decides.
How Intake Gateway asks them
Intake Gateway is an AI intake agent for law firms. Family law is off until you switch it on in your agent settings, and the agent asks these questions on a call about a divorce, custody, support or a protective order once you do.
- Off, someone calling about a divorce, custody, support or a protective order leaves a message for you.
- Someone calling about an injury who only mentions a family matter is taken through the injury intake instead.
- It notes when contact is not safe, and asks for no email in that case.
- The conflict check against your Clio, if you connect it.
- Someone who needs a protective order, or has a hearing today, tomorrow or the day after, can be offered a live transfer, in the hours you allow. Anyone in danger right now is told to call 911.
- Any other matter closes with a promised callback, or a booked or requested consultation if you connect a calendar.
- The intake in your inbox after the call, with “Family law” in the first line of its summary.
- In English, and in Spanish if you switch it on.
One plan, $149 a month, every answered call included. First month free: a 30-day free trial, every answered call included, one trial per firm. Card on file, nothing charged before day 31.
First month free, then $149 a month
- Confirm your email: we send a link that signs you in, no password.
- Set up your agent: tell us about your firm, then call your number and hear it.
- Forward your calls to your number and add a card at checkout; the first month is free.