Five questions do most of the screening: the type of matter, the state, whether a deadline or court date is coming, the opposing party's name, and whether another lawyer is already handling it. In GoHighLevel, forms with conditional logic can act on the answers by redirecting, showing a message, or disqualifying the submission. The bottom line: collect only what routing and a conflict check need, because the more a prospect tells the firm, the more Rule 1.18 protects.
Why collect less
Model Rule 1.18 gives prospective clients confidentiality protection for what they share, and ABA Formal Opinion 10 457 warns that inviting website visitors to submit information can create those duties and possible disqualification. So the form asks for facts that sort, not the story.
The five questions
| Question | Screens out | Logic |
|---|---|---|
| What type of matter is this? (list) | Matters the firm does not handle | Disqualify and show a referral message |
| Which state is the matter in? | States where the firm is not licensed | Disqualify and show a message |
| Is there a hearing or deadline in the next 30 days? (date field) | Nothing, but flags urgency | Route to the on call line |
| Who is the other party or parties? | Conflicts | Send to intake for a conflict check |
| Is another lawyer already handling this? | Duplicates and substitution issues | Route to an attorney |
What the not a fit message says
Minnesota Lawyers Mutual's non engagement guide advises against giving a reason for declining, against expressing an opinion on the merits, and, where time limits apply, telling the person generally that limits apply and to seek other counsel promptly, without stating a calculation. A form message should follow the same pattern: the firm cannot help with this type of matter, time limits may apply, and the person should contact another lawyer soon. It can offer the state bar's referral service.
Build it in GoHighLevel
GoHighLevel's help page on conditional logic in forms and surveys describes actions such as redirecting, showing a message, disqualifying, and showing or hiding fields, run from top to bottom.
- Create a form with the five questions, a required consent line, and a disclaimer that submitting does not create an attorney client relationship.
- Add a conditional rule for each screening question, using the Disqualify or Message action with the not a fit text.
- Route qualified submissions to a workflow that creates an opportunity and a call back task.
- Send disqualified submissions to a workflow that tags the contact Declined by form and stops all messages, and consider a lawyer approved non engagement letter.
- Embed the form on practice area pages and connect it to the chat widget so both use the same rules.
- Review disqualified submissions weekly to catch questions that reject good leads.
Form, chatbot, and phone screening compared
| Method | Strength | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Web form with conditional logic | Consistent, works at night, no staff time | Long forms lose visitors |
| Chatbot | Feels like a conversation, can ask follow up questions | Bar opinions require AI disclosure and review |
| Phone screening by staff | Human judgment, catches urgency | Costs staff time and only works in office hours |
Most firms use all three, with the same five questions in each so the answers land in the same fields. The form is the cheapest, the chatbot recovers visitors who will not fill a form, and staff handle urgent calls. Whichever is used, the rule is the same: sort first, collect confidences later, in a consultation with a lawyer.
Worked example
For example, a firm receives 80 form inquiries a month and 20 are matters it does not handle. The form screens those 20 out (80 times 0.25) with a polite message, and the intake attorney reviews 60 instead of 80.
Mistakes to avoid
- Asking for the whole story. Collect sorting facts only.
- A not a fit message that gives advice. Keep it generic.
- Ignoring deadlines the person mentions. Route those first.
- No review of rejections. A bad rule loses good leads.
How this was handled before
Receptionists screened callers by asking what type of case it was. Web forms replaced the receptionist but asked for long narratives. A short form with logic recreates the screening without inviting confidences.
What to measure after launch
Track submissions, disqualified submissions, and disqualified submissions later found to be good matters. Review a sample of rejections weekly and adjust the logic.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Have counsel approve the form's disclaimer, since ABA guidance says disclaimers must be clear and consistent with what the firm actually does. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
What should an intake form ask?
Matter type, state, upcoming deadline, other parties, and whether another lawyer is involved. Avoid asking for the full story.
What can conditional logic do?
GoHighLevel's help page lists redirect, message, disqualify, and show or hide field actions.
What should a not a fit message say?
Minnesota Lawyers Mutual advises against giving a reason or an opinion on the merits, and to say generally that time limits may apply.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.