Law firm intake call script: get conflict names first, then the matter, deadlines and contact details, and book the consult with Sharrk
By Sharrk Team · October 15, 2026
A law firm intake call script should ask seven things, in this order: who is calling, the names of everyone else involved (for the conflict check), what kind of matter it is, the key dates and any deadline, a short factual summary, the best contact details, and a consultation time. Sharrk runs that exact script on every call, 24/7, and books the consultation before the caller hangs up and dials the next firm.
What should a law firm ask on an intake call?
Read it as-is, or paste it into your intake agent's instructions.
- Greeting and role. "Thanks for calling [Firm]. I'm the intake assistant, not an attorney. I'll take a few details so a lawyer can review your matter and set up a consultation. Please share only what I ask for now; you'll go over the full story with the attorney." (Florida's bar says nonlawyers doing interviews should identify their nonlawyer status (Florida Bar Opinion 88-6), and ABA Opinion 510 says a firm may ask callers to share only the information it requests (ABA).)
- Caller's name and relationship. "What's your full name? Are you calling for yourself or for someone else?"
- Conflict check information. "Who is on the other side? Please spell their full names, plus any business, insurer or other person involved." Also ask: "Has anyone else at our firm spoken with you about this before?"
- Matter type. "In a sentence, is this about an injury, a family matter, a criminal charge, a will or trust, or something else?"
- Key dates and deadlines. "When did this happen? Do you have a court date, hearing, or any letter with a deadline on it?" Flag anything inside 30 days as urgent.
- Short factual summary. "Briefly, what happened?" Facts only; the attorney gets the detail.
- Contact details. Best phone number, email, preferred time to call back, and whether it is safe to leave a voicemail or text.
- How they found you. Referral, search, ad, past client.
- Book the consultation. "The first opening with an attorney is [day, time]. Does that work?" Confirm by text or email.
- Close. "Nothing about this call means the firm has agreed to represent you. The attorney will confirm that after the consultation. If your deadline is close, tell me now."
Why does the conflict check come before the story?
Because what a prospective client tells you can bind the whole firm. Under ABA Model Rule 1.18, a firm generally may not use or reveal what a prospective client shared, and a lawyer who received significantly harmful information can be barred from representing the other side in the same or a substantially related matter. That bar can spread to the rest of the firm unless the firm took reasonable steps to limit what it heard, screened the lawyer and gave written notice.
The conflict rules you are checking against:
- Rule 1.7: conflicts with current clients.
- Rule 1.9: duties to former clients in the same or a substantially related matter.
- Rule 1.10: one lawyer's conflict is generally imputed to every lawyer in the firm.
ABA Formal Opinion 510 (March 20, 2024) says firms should obtain from the prospective client only the information reasonably necessary to decide whether they can take the matter, whether it fits their skills, and whether they want it (ABA). A Washington State Bar News column on Rule 1.18 adds that running a conflict check before a substantive meeting is prudent, and that handing intake to non-lawyer staff does not remove the firm's responsibility, because lawyers supervise staff under Rule 5.3 (WSBA Bar News). So: names first, story later, and only the short version.
What questions should you add by practice area?
Keep steps 1 to 10 for everyone and add these factual questions in step 6.
| Practice area | Extra intake questions | Deadline to flag |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury | Date and place of the accident? Type of accident (car, slip, work, dog bite)? Injuries and where you were treated? Police or incident report? Names of the other driver or property owner and their insurer? Have you signed anything or given a recorded statement? Any other lawyer already involved? | Date of injury (filing deadlines vary by state) |
| Family law | Name of spouse or other parent? Children's ages? Any existing court orders or open case numbers? Which county? Is anyone in danger right now? | Next hearing date, any response deadline on papers served |
| Criminal defense | Name of the person charged? What are the charges? Date of arrest? Are they in custody, and where? Bond set? Case number and court? | Next court date (arraignment, hearing) |
| Estate planning | Who is the plan for? Married? Children or other people to provide for? Any existing will or trust? Roughly what kinds of property (home, business, accounts)? Any health concerns that make this time-sensitive? | Upcoming surgery, travel or illness |
Personal injury dates deserve special care. Nolo's state chart shows injury filing deadlines from 1 year (Tennessee) to 6 years (Maine) (Nolo). The intake script never tells a caller how long they have; it captures the date and routes anything close to the attorney fast.
What should law firm intake staff or an AI never say?
ABA Formal Opinion 506 (June 7, 2023) says trained, supervised nonlawyers may gather initial facts (parties, incident dates, the nature of the matter), run initial conflict checks and answer general questions about how the firm charges. Questions that apply the law to the caller's facts must go to a lawyer, and the prospective client must always be offered the chance to talk with the lawyer (ABA Formal Opinion 506). Florida's Opinion 88-6 says nonlawyers in initial interviews gather only factual information and give no legal advice about the case or the fee agreement (Florida Bar).
| Never say | Say instead |
|---|---|
| "You definitely have a case." | "The attorney will review this with you at your consultation." |
| "We'll take your case." | "The firm confirms representation after the consultation." |
| "You have two years to file." | "Thanks for that date. I'm flagging it for the attorney today." |
| "You should plead not guilty / sign / not sign." | "That's a question for the attorney. Let's get you on their calendar." |
| "Your case is worth about $X." | "Only the attorney can talk about your case." |
| "Tell me everything that happened." | "Just the short version for now; the attorney will go through the rest." |
Put these lines in your script and your AI agent's instructions, and review transcripts like a new hire's calls.
How does Sharrk run your intake script 24/7?
Sharrk answers every call on the first ring, 24/7, in a natural voice, and handles many calls at once, so a 2 a.m. arrest call gets the same script as a Tuesday-morning call. Your agent asks the intake questions you set, in your order, with your "not an attorney" opening and your never-say list. It then books the consultation on Sharrk's built-in calendar, Calendly or Cal.com (bookings can show on your Google Calendar). Callers with an urgent matter you define, such as a client in custody or a hearing this week, get a live transfer to a person.
Every call lands in the CRM with a summary and transcript, so the attorney reads the conflict names and dates before calling back. Web-form leads get a text and a call in under 30 seconds, and a Strike follows up with calls, texts, emails and voicemail drops until they reply or book, all inside 8am to 8pm in your timezone. Comparing intake options for your firm? Read legal answering service vs live receptionist, and see what fast replies do for conversion on speed to lead.
Mako builds it for you. Mako is the AI assistant inside Sharrk. Tell it in plain English, "Build an intake agent for a personal injury and family law firm: say you're not an attorney, collect the other party's names first, flag any court date inside 30 days, transfer custody calls to my cell, and book consults on my Calendly," and Mako builds the agent, the follow-up Strike and the automations. It shows every change and waits for your OK.
You can build and test your intake agent free, with no credit card, on Sharrk Free. Sharrk Core is $99 a month with every feature live (pricing). Want to see it on your own script first? Book a demo.
To see what each of those calls costs to win, read how much law firm leads cost.
Sources
- ABA Model Rule 1.7, Conflict of Interest: Current Clients (checked October 15, 2026)
- ABA Model Rule 1.9, Duties to Former Clients (checked October 15, 2026)
- ABA Model Rule 1.10, Imputation of Conflicts of Interest (checked October 15, 2026)
- ABA Model Rule 1.18, Duties to Prospective Client (checked October 15, 2026)
- ABA News: Formal Opinion 510 on prospective-client conflicts, March 20, 2024 (checked October 15, 2026)
- ABA Formal Opinion 506, Nonlawyer Assistants at Client Intake, June 7, 2023 (checked October 15, 2026)
- The Florida Bar, Ethics Opinion 88-6 (checked October 15, 2026)
- Washington State Bar News, "RPC 1.18: Duties to Prospective Clients," March 13, 2025 (checked October 15, 2026)
- Nolo, Statute of Limitations State Laws Chart (checked October 15, 2026)
Related on Sharrk: AI receptionist for law firms · AI answering service · AI receptionist · Speed to lead
Frequently asked questions
What should a law firm ask on an intake call?
Ask for the caller's name, the names of everyone else involved for a conflict check, the matter type, key dates and deadlines, a short factual summary, contact details, and a consultation time. Sharrk can run that script on every call, 24/7, and book the consultation.
Why should intake collect names before the full story?
Because ABA Model Rule 1.18 protects what prospective clients share and can disqualify the firm from the other side's matter. ABA Formal Opinion 510 (2024) says firms should obtain only the information reasonably necessary to decide whether to take the matter.
Can non-lawyer intake staff give legal advice?
No. ABA Formal Opinion 506 (2023) lets supervised nonlawyers gather facts, run initial conflict checks and answer general fee questions, but questions applying law to facts must go to a lawyer, and Florida Bar Opinion 88-6 says nonlawyers give no legal advice.
Should the intake call tell the caller the firm will take the case?
No. The script should say the firm confirms representation only after the attorney's consultation, and should never predict outcomes, values or filing deadlines.
Can an AI receptionist handle law firm intake after hours?
Yes. Sharrk answers every call 24/7, asks the intake questions you set, books consultations on Sharrk's calendar, Calendly or Cal.com, and transfers urgent callers you define to a person live.
How much does Sharrk cost for a law firm?
You can build and test agents free on Sharrk Free with no credit card, and Sharrk Core is $99 a month with every feature live, one phone number and 47,500 credits a month.