1. Inbound Lead Processing
Some law firms will want to incorporate the intake process with their marketing platform so they can measure and evaluate their client-facing marketing efforts.
2. Information Gathering
The information gathering process will vary based on the nature of the proposed work. This information will be used to determine the viability of the case. During this stage, as much detail as possible regarding the nature of the work must be collected. The information should be detailed enough so that an appropriate business decision can be made. This is also an opportunity to gather resources to perform the necessary conflict of interest analysis for the next stage.
3. Conflict and Risk Assessment
If the business case supports moving the work forward, a risk mitigation assessment is performed. A conflict of interest process will be determined by existing business policies and procedures. Information collected during stage two is critical for a thorough conflict of interest analysis. In some cases, additional resources and/or information gathering may be required.
4. Final Approval
Upon a full assessment of the business case and risk mitigation, a final decision will be made to move the work forward, permanently decline or, where applicable, postpone the work for future consideration.
5. New Work Onboarding
When the decision is made to move the work forward, additional agreements will likely be executed. If the work pertains to a new client, there will likely be specific requirements to establish a formal relationship. Information collected during the earlier stages will be reviewed, made current and augmented where necessary.
6. Matter Assignment
The final step of the intake process will move the work into your organizational process flow. During this stage, specific responsibilities are assigned to the appropriate team members. Milestones are set, tasks and events are delegated and the work proceeds to the execution phase of the engagement. Next week, our blog series continues with a discussion on a holistic vision for matter and new business intake.
