Client intake for family law.

Most family firms charge for the first consultation, so the hour is not wasted the way it is elsewhere. What is lost is the person. They call three firms, reach one, and book with whoever let them explain themselves. A written intake gives them that before any fee, and it gives the lawyer a file that already says who the other party is, where the children are sleeping this week, and whether anyone is in danger. The conflict check matters more here than in almost any other practice: the other party is a spouse, and spouses call the same firms.

• Who the other party is: full name, any former names, and where they live now.
• The children: names, ages, where each child is living this week, and any existing arrangement.
• The dates: when the couple married or began living together, and when they separated, as the person understands it.
• Whether there is any existing order, agreement or court file, and whether anything has been served.
• Safety: whether there has been violence or threats, whether police have been involved, and whether the person feels safe at home. Asked plainly, once, with a way to say yes.
• The headlines of property and income: the home, pensions, a business, who earns what. Headlines only; the details are for the meeting.
• Whether either side has already spoken to a lawyer.
• What the person wants to happen, in their own words.

• The spouse or partner, with every name they have used.
• The children, by name.
• New partners on either side, where named.
• Parents and in-laws, who often fund the case or hold title to the home.
• Any business the other party owns or runs.
• Any lawyer either side has consulted, including duty counsel or a mediator.

A threat to someone's safety, a child about to be taken out of the jurisdiction, a hearing within days, or papers served with a response date. The intake records each of these as the person states it and raises a flag on the lawyer's side. It never tells the person whether a deadline has passed or how much time they have. If the person or a child is in danger now, the intake stops and tells them to call the firm directly, or emergency services.

• It never says who is likely to get custody or decision-making, or what parenting time will look like.
• It never estimates child support, spousal support or a division of property.
• It never says whether a limitation period, a response deadline or an appeal window has passed.
• It never contacts the other party, and it never suggests the person do so.
• It never gives a grade or an opinion the person can see. The lawyer reads the file; the person is told only that the firm has it.

The machine takes the statement. The lawyer takes the case.