This procedure defines how a lead who submits the website contact form is acknowledged, qualified, conflict-checked and converted into a scheduled consultation, so that no web lead sits unworked for more than one business hour and no consultation is booked before conflicts are cleared.

Applies to: Every lead who submits the contact form on the firm's website, from form submission through to a scheduled consultation.

Does not cover: Leads arriving by phone call or live chat (see INTAKE-002), leads referred by another attorney or professional (see INTAKE-003), and post-consultation retainer signing (see CLIENT-001).

• Website contact form — Lead source
• CRM — Admin access
• Case Management Software — Standard access
• Scheduling calendar — Standard access
• Phone / dialer — Standard access

• The website contact form captures name, phone, email, case type and a brief description of the matter
• Form submissions route automatically into the CRM intake pipeline, tagged New Web Lead
• An automated acknowledgment email and text are configured to fire immediately on submission
• The qualification script and disqualification criteria are documented and accessible to all intake staff
• The conflict check database is current
• The attorney's consultation calendar is synced to the booking widget

1. 1

   Confirm the form submission notification

   Within five minutes of the alert, open the lead record and confirm the name, contact details and case type entered on the form.

   CRM

2. 2

   Verify the automated acknowledgment went out

   Confirm the lead received the we-got-your-message auto-reply within minutes of submitting. This is not the qualification call — it only confirms receipt.

   CRM

3. 3

   Call the lead within one business hour

   Speed to lead is the single biggest driver of consultation show rate for web-submitted leads, who are often submitting to more than one firm.

   Phone

   • Attempt 1 — immediately on confirming the lead
   • Attempt 2 — two hours later if there is no answer
   • Attempt 3 — the next business morning if there is still no answer
4. 4

   Run the qualification script

   Walk the caller through the standard intake questions to confirm the case fits the firm's practice criteria.

   Decision point

   Does the case meet intake criteria? Yes — continue to step 5. No — mark it Not a Fit, send the referral-out email, and stop here.

5. 5

   Collect any intake information not captured on the form

   Date of birth, incident date, opposing party name, insurance carrier where applicable, and the best contact method.

6. 6

   Run the conflict check

   Search the opposing party and every named individual against the firm's active and closed matter database.

   Case Management Software

   Decision point

   Conflict found? Yes — escalate to the attorney immediately and do not schedule. No — continue to step 7.

7. 7

   Offer consultation times and book on the call

   Use the calendar widget to offer the next two available slots and confirm the booking before the call ends.

   CRM

8. 8

   Send the confirmation and intake packet

   Trigger the automated confirmation email and text, and the pre-consultation intake form.

   CRM

9. 9

   Log the lead status and consultation details

   Update the case management record with the qualification notes, the conflict check result and the confirmed appointment time.

   Case Management Software

10. 10

    Confirm the day before the appointment

    The automated reminder fires twenty-four hours out.

    • If the lead has not confirmed within two hours of the appointment, call manually
11. 11

    Hand the prepped file to the attorney

    The attorney receives the intake summary and the conflict check confirmation before walking into the consultation.

• If

  The form is submitted after business hours

  Then

  The auto-reply goes out immediately; the live call happens within the first hour the firm opens the next business day

• If

  A submission is missing a required field, such as a phone number

  Then

  Reply by email requesting the missing information before attempting to schedule

• If

  The lead does not answer after three attempts

  Then

  Move them into the nurture campaign — do not mark them dead

• If

  The conflict check flags a possible match

  Then

  Escalate before any scheduling — do not book the consultation

• If

  The lead is outside the firm's practice area or service area

  Then

  Mark them disqualified and send the standard referral list

• Treating the auto-reply as the qualification call

  Why it happens: The automated we-got-your-message email feels like contact was made, so the live call gets deprioritized.

  Fix: The auto-reply only confirms receipt. A human qualification call is still required within one business hour.

• Scheduling before the conflict check clears

  Why it happens: The coordinator books the slot on the call to lock the lead in before finishing the conflict search.

  Fix: Step 7 cannot happen until step 6 is confirmed clear. No exceptions.

• After-hours submissions sitting until mid-afternoon

  Why it happens: Overnight and weekend leads get worked whenever the coordinator gets to them.

  Fix: Web leads submitted overnight are often shopping several firms at once. The first call attempt happens in the first hour the firm opens, not sometime that day.

• The conflict check returns a possible match

  Escalate to the Managing Attorney immediately. Do not proceed to scheduling.

• The lead is upset, or makes a complaint on the call

  Escalate to the Office Manager the same day.

• No consultation slots are available inside the firm's response window

  Escalate to the Office Manager to add calendar capacity.

• The form or the automation stops sending notifications

  Escalate to technical support immediately — this is a lead-loss risk.

• SOPINTAKE-002 — Phone and live chat intake
• WorkflowWeb lead automation
• FormWebsite contact form — fields and routing
• FormPre-consultation intake packet
• ListReferral list — not-a-fit leads