A criminal defense intake form has two jobs. It gathers what the attorney needs to evaluate the case and check for conflicts, and it turns a scared caller into a booked consultation before they call the next firm. Most free templates only do the first job.
This page gives you both: a 10-step phone intake script for the first call, and a complete client intake form for the consultation. Copy them below or download the Word version further down. They are written for firms that get leads from Google Ads, Local Services Ads and referrals, so the form also records where each client came from.
Before you use it: adapt the form to your state and your practice, and have it reviewed against your state’s rules of professional conduct. Information from a prospective client is generally confidential under ABA Model Rule 1.18 even if you never take the case. This template is not legal advice.
Why intake decides whether your marketing works
A firm can buy the right clicks and still lose the case on the phone. In a Birmingham criminal defense account that signed 140 cases in 11 months from Google Ads, one of the clearest patterns was that callers who weren’t answered quickly rarely signed. Criminal defense clients often hire the first lawyer who answers, explains what happens next, and offers a time to meet.
That’s why the script below asks for a phone number first, avoids taking the story on the first call, and ends with a specific appointment time rather than a callback promise. More on this in why law firm leads don’t convert.
Part 1: Criminal defense phone intake script
Use this on every first call, whether it comes from an ad, a referral or a callback. It takes about five minutes and ends with a booked consultation.
1. Answer and identify
“Thank you for calling [Firm], this is [Name]. Are you calling about a criminal case?” Answer live within three rings if you possibly can.
2. Check urgency
“Is the person who was charged in custody right now?” “Is there a court date or hearing coming up, and when?” “Has anyone received paperwork about their driver’s license?”
3. Get the basics
Caller’s name and phone number first, in case the call drops. Then the name of the person charged, and the caller’s relationship to them if it isn’t the same person.
4. Charge and court
“What are the charges, as best you know?” “Which county or court?” “Is there a case number on any paperwork?”
5. Conflict check names
“So we can make sure we’re able to help, what are the names of anyone else involved: co-defendants and the alleged victim, if there is one?” Run the conflict check before the consultation.
6. Don’t take the story yet
“Please don’t tell me the details of what happened. The attorney will go through that with you privately.” Discourage details by text, voicemail or web form.
7. Ask how they found you
“How did you hear about us?” Record the exact answer: Google ad, Local Services Ad, Google Maps, a referral and who from, or a directory. This is the field that tells you which marketing works.
8. Set the fee expectation
Explain how consultations and fees work, for example a free consultation and flat fees for many charges, or payment plans if you offer them. Don’t quote a final fee before the attorney reviews the case.
9. Book the consultation
“The attorney can meet with you [today at 4 p.m. / first thing tomorrow]. Does that work?” Offer a specific time, not “we’ll call you back.”
10. Confirm and follow up
Confirm the time, the address or video link, and what to bring (all paperwork, bond papers, charging documents, license notices). Send a text confirmation and a reminder.
Part 2: What to put on your website contact form
Keep the online form short. Every extra field loses people, and you don’t want case details arriving by email. Five fields are enough:
- Name
- Phone number
- Email (optional)
- Charge type (a short dropdown: DUI, domestic violence, drug, theft, federal, other)
- County or court
Add one line under the form: “Please don’t include details about your case. An attorney will discuss it with you privately.” Then call every form lead back within minutes; a form that waits until morning is usually a lost case.
Part 3: Criminal defense client intake form
Complete this during or before the consultation. Fields marked for the attorney’s review are where the case is really evaluated; everything else can be collected by intake staff.
Client information
- Full legal name and any other names used
- Date of birth
- Phone number, and is it safe to leave a voicemail or text?
- Email address
- Home address
- Preferred language; interpreter needed?
- Best way and time to reach you
Person calling (if not the client)
- Name and relationship to the client
- Phone number
- Will this person be paying the fee? (The client must still consent to representation.)
The case
- Charge or charges, as listed on paperwork
- Date and location of arrest or citation
- Arresting agency
- County and court
- Case or citation number
- Next court date and time
- In custody? Bail or bond amount and conditions
- No-contact order or other release conditions
- Driver’s license notices (DUI): date received and any hearing deadline
Conflict check
- Names of co-defendants
- Name of the alleged victim, if any
- Names of key witnesses
- Has the client spoken to another lawyer about this case?
Background (for the attorney’s review)
- Prior arrests or convictions, and in which state
- Currently on probation, parole or pretrial supervision?
- Citizenship or immigration status (criminal charges can carry immigration consequences)
- Employer, and any professional license (nursing, teaching, law, real estate, etc.)
- Commercial driver’s license (CDL)?
- Student status, school or college
- Military service
Documents to bring
- Charging documents, citations, complaint
- Bond or release paperwork
- Police report, if available
- Driver’s license notices
- Any court notices or letters
- Names and contact details of potential witnesses
Marketing and fees
- How did you hear about us? (Google ad, Local Services Ad, Google Maps, website, referral from [name], directory, other)
- Fee discussed, and payment method or plan
- Consultation date and time booked
The download is a Word-compatible file (.rtf). It opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs and Apple Pages, and you can paste the fields into Clio Grow, Lawmatics, MyCase or any intake software.
Questions intake staff should never skip
- Custody and deadlines first. Someone in jail, a court date tomorrow, or a license hearing deadline changes everything about the next hour.
- Conflict check names. Co-defendants and alleged victims. Representing someone adverse to a current or former client is a problem you want to catch before the consultation, not after.
- Immigration status. Criminal charges can carry serious immigration consequences, and defense counsel generally has a duty to advise non-citizen clients about them. Ask, and flag it for the attorney.
- Professional licenses and CDL. A nurse, teacher or commercial driver may face consequences beyond the court case, which affects strategy and the value of the case.
- How they found you. Without it, you can’t tell which marketing produces signed cases.
Intake numbers to track every week
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Speed to answer | How many callers reach a person on the first try, and how fast |
| Missed calls returned within 5 minutes | How many leads you are giving to the next firm |
| Consultations booked ÷ qualified calls | Whether intake asks for the appointment |
| Signed cases ÷ consultations | How the attorney’s consultation converts |
| Signed fees by lead source | Which marketing actually pays |
The last row is the one most firms can’t answer. Make “How did you hear about us?” and “signed fee” required fields in your case management system, and connect your ad clicks to signed cases. Here’s how to track signed cases from Google Ads with CallRail and Clio.
After-hours intake
Many criminal defense calls come at night and on weekends, often from a family member right after an arrest. If nobody answers, the caller usually moves on. Options, from best to worst:
- An attorney or trained staff member on call, using this script.
- A legal answering service that uses this script and can book consultations into your calendar.
- If neither is possible, turn off your ads for those hours rather than paying for calls that reach voicemail. More on scheduling ads around intake.
Getting calls but not signing enough of them? Bellringer works only with criminal defense firms, one firm per city. Book a free 30-minute review and we’ll look at your ad leads, intake speed and signed cases together.
What should be on a criminal defense intake form?
Client and caller contact details, the charges, arrest date and agency, court and next court date, custody and bond status, release conditions, conflict-check names (co-defendants and alleged victims), prior record, immigration status, professional licenses, documents to bring, and how the client found your firm.
What questions should intake ask on a criminal defense call?
Whether the person is in custody, the next court date, the charges and county, a callback number, names for a conflict check, and how they heard about the firm. Then book a specific consultation time. Avoid taking the details of what happened on the first call.
Is information on an intake form confidential?
Generally yes. Under ABA Model Rule 1.18, which most states follow in some form, a lawyer owes duties of confidentiality to prospective clients even if the lawyer doesn’t take the case. Check your state’s version of the rule.
Should a criminal defense website form ask about the case?
No. Keep it to name, phone, charge type and county, and ask people not to include case details. The attorney can discuss the facts privately during the consultation.
How fast should a criminal defense firm respond to a new lead?
Within minutes, ideally by answering live. Defense clients often hire the first lawyer who answers, and callers who aren’t answered quickly rarely sign.
Can I use this intake form in Clio or other software?
Yes. The fields can be copied into Clio Grow, Lawmatics, MyCase or most intake tools. Make lead source and signed fee required fields so you can see which marketing produces cases.
Turn more calls into signed cases
Intake and advertising work together: the right ads bring the right callers, and good intake signs them. Bellringer manages Google Ads and Local Services Ads only for criminal defense firms. Book a free 30-minute account review, or see pricing.
