Legal Services
Move legal inquiries from reception to matter review
A detailed first call is not the same as an accepted legal matter.
The short version
- Capture the requested service, the caller's relationship to the matter, and the references your practice needs for initial review.
- Separate a customer's request from a confirmed appointment, approved scope, or completed action.
A detailed first call is not the same as an accepted legal matter. Your intake should make the request easy to assess while keeping that distinction clear to everyone involved.
Clarify the request first
Capture the requested service, the caller's relationship to the matter, and the references your practice needs for initial review. Follow approved conflict and identity procedures. Keep representation, advice, and scope decisions with the authorized professional.
Build a useful intake
Use these as prompts, not a questionnaire to read out in full. Confirm what you already know, ask what changes the next step, and leave unrelated fields blank.
- Contact details and preferred contact method
- General type of matter and jurisdiction
- New inquiry or existing file reference
- Consultation request and availability
- Access restrictions required by the firm
Keep the next step clear
Keep the inquiry with the relevant contact and file reference. Name the person responsible for the next action and record what they need to confirm before work proceeds.
Follow the inquiry in Zweelie
Use this request with test details to check the customer activity, related records and next action in your Zweelie workspace:
Test a caller who assumes submitting a form means representation has started. Check that the next-step message stays accurate.
Have a colleague who did not take the original call review the record. They should be able to explain what is requested, what remains unconfirmed, and which action they own. If they have to reconstruct the conversation, change the intake or the handoff.
Put Zweelie to work on the request
In Zweelie, start with the customer activity and open the relevant contact and opportunity. Keep supporting files and notes associated with the right request, assign the person responsible and set a follow-up reminder for outstanding work. When the customer gets back in touch, your team can use that context to continue the conversation. Share only the information needed for the work, with the appropriate access. Book a Zweelie demo to see this inquiry move through the workspace, or use your trial to organize your first customer request.
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About the author
Alex Hanna is the founder and CEO of Zweelie. He writes about bringing customer conversations and everyday business work into one connected workspace.
