Law Firm Intake Call Script: What Your Front Desk Should Say

Most law firms leak revenue on the very first phone call—not because their attorneys aren’t skilled, but because their front desk isn’t saying the right things to potential clients. Building trust during the intake call is crucial, as it sets the tone for the entire client relationship. The caller is stressed, uncertain, & deciding in under two minutes whether your firm feels like “their lawyer” or just another number to dial. Without a clear script, that decision often goes the wrong way.

Consider these numbers: many firms miss 30–40% of incoming calls during business hours, and a significant share of those callers never try again. Each missed call or fumbled conversation represents a case that walks out the door—often to a competitor who simply answered better. Using a script is a best practice for law firms, ensuring consistency and professionalism in every interaction. The intake process is where cases are won or lost.

We’ll walk you through why scripts matter, what each stage of a strong intake call looks like, the exact language your receptionist can use, & how to handle the curveballs that come up in real conversations. By the end, you’ll have a usable template & a plan to put it into action. Following best practices in intake calls is essential for converting potential new clients into loyal legal clients.

Why a Law Firm Intake Call Script Matters (More Than You Think)

An intake call is the first live interaction where a stranger decides in minutes whether your firm is “their lawyer” or not. They’re often anxious, sometimes in pain, and almost always comparing you—consciously or not—to other firms they’ve already called or will call next.

Without a script, front-desk staff improvise. Tone, questions, and next steps vary by person and by day. One receptionist might be warm and thorough; another might rush through or forget to ask for a callback number. This inconsistency confuses prospects, erodes trust, and hurts conversions.

Structured intake scripts deliver concrete benefits:

• Consistent professionalism: Every caller gets the same positive, professional tone and first impression, whether it’s Monday morning or Friday afternoon.
• Fewer dropped leads: Staff never forget to capture contact details or explain next steps.
• Better qualification: The right questions surface case details early, helping staff identify key client information from the start so attorneys spend time on matters that fit.
• Compliance with firm policies: Conflict checks, fee disclosures, and data privacy protocols happen every time.
• Better use of attorney time: Lawyers focus on legal work instead of fielding calls that could have been screened, and a script ensures intake is handled in a timely manner, improving efficiency.

Whether your practice area is personal injury, family law, criminal defense, or employment disputes, the same structured backbone applies. The facts change, but the flow stays the same.

A script is not a robotic checklist. It’s a framework that frees staff to be warm & human while still collecting all the information the firm needs. Think of it as a roadmap: the receptionist still drives the conversation, but they always know where they’re headed.

The Anatomy of a High-Converting Intake Call

Every strong intake call follows the same rough arc: greet, calm, understand, qualify, set next steps, and close. When your front desk knows this structure, they can handle any caller confidently—even if the specific facts are unfamiliar.

Here are the key stages and what each accomplishes:

• Greeting & Identity: Signal professionalism in under 10 seconds. Confirm the caller has reached the right law office and introduce the person answering by name. It’s important that the caller speaks to a real person during phone calls, ensuring a genuine and empathetic first impression.
• Empathy & Control: Acknowledge the caller’s situation and gently take control of the conversation. This calms anxious prospective clients and sets the tone for a productive call.
• Case Snapshot: Learn what happened and when, in the caller’s own words. Early in the conversation, identify the caller’s legal issue to tailor your questions and demonstrate expertise. Avoid interrupting; let them share the story briefly before asking follow-up questions.
• Qualification & Conflicts: Confirm the matter fits your practice area, check for conflicts, and gather basic viability details (jurisdiction, incident date, urgency).
• Expectations & Next Steps: Clearly explain what happens after the call—who will follow up, when, and how the caller should prepare.
• Contact Confirmation: Verify the best phone number, email, and preferred contact time before ending the call.
• Closing: Thank the caller, restate the next step, and end on a positive note.

These stages map naturally to fields in most case management or CRM systems. When the call ends, your intake specialist can push the data into software immediately—no duplicate entry, no lost details. These workflows not only streamline current processes but also help prepare your firm for the future by enabling ongoing client relationship management and data analysis.

Virtual phone systems like Talkroute supports this structure with features like call routing, a Call Menu/IVR for directing callers to the right department, and call recording for training. These tools help ensure consistency whether the call is answered by your in-house front desk or a remote team.

What Your Front Desk Should Say: A Practical Intake Call Script

This sample script is designed for a live human receptionist or virtual receptionist—not a robotic IVR tree. For best results, consider having a person dedicated to handling intake calls using this script, ensuring consistent professionalism and accountability. Adapt the language based on your firm’s practice areas and culture, but keep the structure intact.

The script is crafted to help turn prospects into clients by making a strong first impression on every prospective client who calls your law firm.

Greeting

“Good morning, thank you for calling the Law Office of Smith & Lopez. This is Maria speaking. Who do I have the pleasure of speaking with today?”

• Use the caller’s name once you have it. It builds rapport immediately.
• Confirm you’re speaking with the right person if the call is a callback.

Empathy & Transition

“Thank you for calling us, [Caller’s Name]. I’m here to help. Can you tell me a little about what’s going on so I can make sure you’re connected with the right attorney?”

For sensitive matters, adjust the empathy line:

• Personal injury: “I’m sorry you’re going through this—you did the right thing by reaching out.”
• Family law: “These situations are stressful, and I want you to know we’re here to help.”
• Criminal defense: “Let’s get some quick information so we can see what help is available right now.”

Case Snapshot

“Can you briefly tell me what happened and when this occurred?”

• Let the caller speak. Take notes on key facts: incident date, parties involved, injuries or damages, urgency.
• If the caller goes into excessive detail, gently refocus: “I appreciate you sharing that. Let me jot down the key points so our attorney can review.”

Qualification Questions

“Thank you for explaining that. I have a few quick questions to make sure we can help you today.”

Ask in this order:

1. “Where did this happen?” (jurisdiction check)
2. “Are you currently represented by another attorney on this matter?”
3. “Is there any immediate deadline or emergency we should know about?”
4. “What’s the best phone number and email to reach you?”

Handling Non-Ideal Fits

If the matter is outside your practice area or jurisdiction:

“It sounds like this may fall outside the types of cases we handle here, but I don’t want to leave you without options. Would it be helpful if I suggested a few resources or another firm that might be able to assist?”

This preserves goodwill and ensures consistency even when you can’t take the case.

Setting Next Steps

“Here’s what happens next: I’m going to share this information with one of our attorneys. Someone from our team will call you back within [X] hours to discuss your situation in more detail. Does that work for you?”

Be specific about timelines. Vague promises like “soon” create confusion and erode client satisfaction.

Closing

“Thank you for calling the Law Office of Smith & Lopez, [Caller’s Name]. We’ll be in touch shortly. Have a great day.”

Tone, Timing, and Questions: How to Qualify Without Sounding Cold

What you say is only half the battle. How and when you say it determines whether callers feel respected or interrogated. Legal intake can feel clinical if the receptionist rattles off questions like a checklist. The goal is to qualify without making the caller feel like a data point.

Tone Principles for Receptionists

• Slow down slightly: Rushed speech signals impatience. A calm pace conveys competence.
• Use the caller’s name: Repeat it naturally once or twice during the call.
• Avoid legal jargon: Say “the person who hit you” instead of “the defendant.” Say “when did this happen” instead of “date of loss.”
• Never rush off the phone: Even if the matter isn’t a fit, end graciously.
• Signal next steps clearly: Ambiguity breeds anxiety.

Conversational Qualifying Questions

Instead of sounding like a form, frame questions naturally like this:

Robotic Version	Conversational Version
“Date of loss?”	“When did this happen?”
“Status of matter?”	“Is anyone currently in custody?”
“Opposing party?”	“Who was involved in this situation?”
“Prior representation?”	“Are you working with another attorney on this?”

Order Matters

Collect name and callback number early—if the call drops, you can follow up. Basic case facts come second. Money questions and conflict checks should wait until some rapport is built.

Adapting Tone by Practice Area

• Injury and family cases: More reassuring and reflective. Let the caller vent briefly before probing.
• DUI and criminal matters: More precise and time-sensitive. Urgency is often real.
• Contracts or corporate calls: More businesslike. These callers often want efficiency over empathy.

Call recording (where legally permitted) allows the firm to coach staff on tone and pacing based on real conversations. Listening to actual calls is far more effective than hypothetical training.

Handling Common Intake Scenarios and Objections

Even the best script must anticipate real-world curveballs: upset callers, price questions, “quick questions,” and after-hours emergencies.

Here’s a playbook for common situations:

Emergency situations: If a caller is in immediate danger or needs urgent legal help, your front desk should calmly advise them to contact emergency services or the appropriate authorities. Make sure to document the call and notify the appropriate attorney as soon as possible.

If a prospective client cannot be reached, it is important to leave a message as part of your follow-up process. Leaving a clear and professional message demonstrates persistence and helps maintain ongoing communication efforts, increasing the chances of converting leads into clients.

Already represented or needs a referral: If the caller is already represented or your firm cannot assist, politely explain your position and, if possible, help connect the caller with the next attorney or provide a referral to another trusted professional. This ensures the caller feels supported and maintains your firm’s reputation for professionalism.

Caller only wants to speak to a lawyer

“Our attorneys are currently with clients, but my role is to get your information in front of them today so we can see how we can help. Can I ask you a few quick questions?”

Caller is shopping for price

“I can’t quote exact fees before an attorney reviews your situation, but I can schedule a consultation so you can get a clear answer. Would [date/time] work for you?”

Never guess on fees. This protects the firm and sets proper expectations.

Caller is already represented

“Since you have an attorney on this matter, they’d be the best person to advise you. If your situation changes, we’re here to help.”

Caller is out of state or jurisdiction

“It sounds like this happened in [state], which is outside the area we cover. I’d recommend reaching out to an attorney licensed there—would you like a referral resource?”

Caller is clearly not a fit for your firm

“Based on what you’ve shared, this may not be the type of matter we typically handle. I don’t want to waste your time, but I can suggest some resources that might be a better fit.”

Emergency situations (jail, same-day hearing, protective order)

“I understand this is urgent. Let me get your contact information right now and I’ll flag this immediately for our team. Can you hold for just a moment?”

Predefined firm rules should dictate how staff escalate these calls—whether that’s forwarding to an on-call cell phone or a specialized answering service.

Phone systems with call routing & schedules support these scenarios automatically. For example, Talkroute can forward after-hours urgent calls to an on-call attorney’s mobile or route them to a live answering team using the same script framework.

Connecting the Script to Systems: Talkroute & Your Law Firm Hub

Scripts only work if they’re used consistently, tracked, and optimized over time. That requires the right phone system and workflows behind it.

Modern virtual phone systems help your law firm in several ways:

• Customizable greetings: Record professional greetings that match your script’s tone before a live person even picks up.
• Routing by practice area or language: Send personal injury calls to one team, family law to another, or offer bilingual support seamlessly.
• Voicemail-to-email for missed calls: When calls can’t be answered live, voicemails arrive in inboxes instantly for fast follow up.
• Call recording and logs: Review calls for training, spot patterns, and improve the script based on real data.

Talkroute is built for this. It supports in-house front desk staff, remote intake teams, or 24/7 virtual receptionists who follow the same script no matter who answers or when. There’s no complex hardware—just reliable call transfers, recording, and integration-ready logs.

After each call, intake data can be pushed into your case management or CRM tools immediately. This eliminates duplicate data entry and ensures no new lead falls through the cracks. This streamlined process also makes it easy to prepare and send a retainer agreement as the next step, formalizing the attorney-client relationship efficiently.

For a deeper look at setting up the phone infrastructure behind your script, visit the Law Firm Hub—it covers the system context that makes these scripts work at scale. Integrating these systems not only improves current operations but also prepares your law firm for future growth and ongoing client relationship management.

Training Your Front Desk on the Script

Handing over a script PDF is not enough. Receptionists need rehearsal, feedback, and metrics to become confident—and to sound natural, not robotic.

Simple Training Plan

1. Initial walkthrough (60–90 minutes): Review each section of the script, explain the “why” behind each stage, and answer questions.
2. Role-play sessions: Have staff practice with each other or a manager playing the caller. Cover straightforward calls and tricky scenarios.
3. Listen to recorded calls: Review real conversations together. Highlight what worked and where the script could have been followed more closely.
4. Weekly 15-minute check-ins (first month): Short reviews keep momentum and catch bad habits early.
5. Quarterly script audits: Update language based on feedback from staff, attorneys, and conversion data.

Involve Attorneys Early

Partners or senior associates should participate in at least the first training session. This gives front desk staff a clear picture of what “great” intake sounds like at your specific firm—and signals that leadership takes intake seriously.

Use Real Data

With Talkroute’s call recording and analytics (where legally permitted), you can spot where calls drop off, where questions confuse callers, or where staff go off script. Real examples are far more effective than hypotheticals.

Metrics: Is Your Script Actually Working?

Every script is a hypothesis until you measure how many callers become paying clients and how many drop off at each stage.

Key Metrics to Track

• Number of new intake calls per week: Are you getting enough new leads in the door?
• Percentage of answered vs. missed calls: Even a small reduction in missed calls can make a huge difference.
• Scheduled consultations: How many callers agree to a next step?
• Show-up rate: What percentage actually attend the consultation?
• Signed retainer rate: How many consultations turn into new clients?

Calculating Your Conversion Rate

Here’s a simple example over a 30-day period:

Stage	Number
New intake calls	100
Consultations scheduled	70
Consultations attended	60
Retainer agreements signed	30

Your intake-to-client conversion rate: 30%

If you’re below 20%, there’s likely a script or follow-up issue. Above 40% is strong for most practice areas.

Revisit and Tweak

Review the script every 60–90 days. Gather feedback from intake staff and attorneys. Look at the data: Are certain questions confusing callers? Are potential client calls dropping at a specific stage?

With Talkroute’s call logs and reporting, you can quickly see when most new-client calls arrive—say, Mondays between 9 and 11 a.m., or weekday evenings—and adjust staffing and scripting accordingly.

Conclusion: Turn Every Call Into a Real Opportunity

A strong intake script gives front-desk staff confidence, prevents lost leads, and creates a consistent, calming experience for stressed callers. It ensures consistency across every call, every day, no matter who answers.

The script structure, tone guidance, and scenario playbook in this article can be implemented in a week or less if your firm is intentional about it. You don’t need a massive overhaul—just a clear framework and a commitment to training.

Pair your new script with a reliable, law-firm-ready phone system like Talkroute, so calls are routed correctly, tracked, and never missed. The combination of the right words and the right infrastructure turns prospects into existing clients.

Here’s your next step: audit your current intake calls this week. Listen to a few recordings or sit with your receptionist for an hour. Then draft or adapt the script above, train your staff, and review results after 30 days. Improving the very first call is often the fastest way to grow a law practice—without spending another dollar on advertising.