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Turn consult calls into paying clients with five smart intake questions on your Booking Page. You reduce back-and-forth, pre-screen matters, and avoid conflicts. As a lawyer, your calendar fills fast with consults, hearings, and deadlines — and when intake is thin, you risk no-shows, bad fits, and unpaid time.
The good news is that you can gather key facts before the consult without adding friction. When you add targeted intake questions to your Booking Page, you show up prepared. You know the matter type, urgency, and parties involved. You can quote fees with confidence. With Doodle, you set your availability once, connect your calendar, and let clients pick a time that works for them. Your questions do the screening for you.
Below are five essential intake questions to add today. Each section explains why it matters, what to ask, and how to set it up in Doodle.
The challenge facing legal professionals
Lawyers juggle new inquiries, active cases, and firm administration. Common issues include:
Endless emails to secure a consult time
Showing up to meetings you cannot ethically take
Missed conflict checks
Clients booking long slots for simple questions
Last-minute cancellations that derail your schedule
A Booking Page helps — but the right intake questions make it powerful. You stop guessing and start advising.
Why intake questions matter for lawyers
Good intake delivers four wins:
Stronger and faster conflict checks
Better triage by practice area and urgency
Fewer no-shows and fee disputes
Higher consult-to-client conversion
When your Booking Page asks the right things, you protect your time and set clear expectations about fees, documents, and next steps.
Intake question 1: Who are the parties involved?
Conflicts can sink a consult. You need names upfront to run a check before you meet.
What to ask
“Your full legal name”
“Names of any other parties, businesses, or opposing counsel”
“How are you related to these parties?”
Field types in Doodle
Short answer for the client’s name
Long answer for other parties and relationships
Mark both as Required
Why it helps
You screen for conflicts before speaking
You redirect quickly if you cannot advise
You avoid hearing facts from someone you cannot represent
Practical tip
Add a short note:
“Please do not share sensitive or confidential details in this form. We will confirm conflicts before discussing your matter in detail.”
Example
A family law prospect enters “Ava Martin” and “Ben Martin.” A quick check reveals your firm already represents Ben. You decline before the consult and refer out — avoiding wasted time and ethical issues.
Intake question 2: What is the matter type and your goal?
You need a quick read on fit. A clear set of matter options helps you assign the right slot length and preparation.
What to ask
“What brings you in today?”
Offer multiple-choice matter types, e.g.:
Divorce or custody
Criminal defense
Personal injury
Small business formation
Contract review
Landlord–tenant
Estate planning
“What outcome are you hoping for?” (short paragraph)
Field types in Doodle
Multiple choice for matter type
Long answer for goals
Mark both as Required
Why it helps
You set the right duration (15, 30, 60 minutes, etc.)
You bring the correct intake checklist
You avoid meetings outside your scope
Practical tip
Create separate Booking Page event types for each practice area. Each can have its own length, fee, and intake questions.
Example
A business owner selects Contract review and writes “I need a vendor agreement by next week.” You attach your standard issues list, block 30 minutes, and collect a deposit via Stripe at booking.
Intake question 3: Do you have any deadlines or court dates?
Urgency changes everything. A case with a court date next week may require referral or rapid triage.
What to ask
“Do you have any deadlines or court dates?”
“If yes, list the date and describe the deadline.”
“Is there a statute of limitations concern?”
Field types in Doodle
Yes/No multiple choice
Long answer if “Yes”
Mark the first question as Required
Why it helps
You avoid meetings you cannot service on time
You prioritize urgent matters
You manage cancellations and timing expectations
Practical tip
Add this to your meeting description (Doodle AI can generate it automatically): “If your court date is within 7 days, please call the office instead of using this form.”
Example
A personal injury client reports a statute date three weeks away. You move them to the earliest slot and add a reminder to avoid missed follow-ups.
Intake question 4: Where is the issue, and how do you want to meet?
Jurisdiction drives fit. Meeting format affects logistics and preparation.
What to ask
“Which state and county is this matter in?”
“Do you prefer to meet in person or by video?”
“If in person, choose your preferred office location.”
Optional: “Case number (if available)”
Field types in Doodle
Short answer for state/county
Multiple choice for meeting format
Multiple choice for office locations
Why it helps
You confirm you are licensed or admitted where needed
You assign a conference room or attach a video link
You manage travel time and buffers
Practical tip
Connect Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, or Cisco to Doodle. Your Booking Page automatically adds the video link to the invite.
Example
An immigration client selects video meeting. Doodle creates the Zoom link and adds it to both calendars. You include a note asking them to have their passport and I-797 ready.
Intake question 5: How do you plan to handle fees?
Talking about money upfront reduces no-shows and fee disputes. Doodle lets you collect paid consult fees via Stripe.
What to ask
“Our initial consult is 30 minutes. The fee is $150. Are you comfortable with this fee?”
“How would you like to handle payment if we proceed?”
Hourly
Flat fee
Retainer
Unsure
Field types in Doodle
Multiple choice for fee acceptance
Multiple choice for payment type
Mark the first as Required
Why it helps
You reduce no-shows
You identify fee preferences
You set up the right engagement letter flow
Practical tip
Turn on Stripe in Doodle to collect payment at booking or after the consult — whichever fits your policy.
Example
A startup founder agrees to a $200 consult. Stripe processes payment at booking. Your paralegal prepares the LLC package before the call.
Bonus intake prompts you can add later
If you want more context without overwhelming clients:
“How did you hear about us?”
“Have you worked with a lawyer on this matter before?”
“List any documents you can bring to the consult.”
“Best phone number for day-of-meeting issues.”
Aim for five required questions, plus one or two optional prompts. Keep the experience quick.
Practical tips to build your Booking Page
Choose the right event type Create separate Booking Page events for each practice area.
Add your intake questions Use required fields for conflicts, matter type, and fee acceptance.
Set scheduling rules Add buffers, daily limits, and minimum notice windows.
Connect your calendar Doodle syncs with Google, Outlook, and Apple to avoid double booking.
Add video or location Auto-generate Zoom, Meet, Teams, or Webex links.
Turn on payments Use Stripe to collect consult fees at booking.
Brand your page Use Doodle Pro for your logo, colors, and AI meeting descriptions.
Automate reminders Add 24-hour and 2-hour reminders to cut no-shows.
Send data where you need it Use Zapier to send answers to your CRM or spreadsheet.
Add a short disclaimer Clarify that booking a consult does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Common mistakes to avoid
Asking for too much detail — save long narratives for your secure portal.
Hiding the fee — be clear and collect via Stripe.
Skipping conflicts — always ask for names.
Using only free text — multiple choice is faster.
Ignoring time zones — Doodle adjusts automatically.
Not setting buffers — avoid back-to-back overload.
Tools and solutions for lawyers in Doodle
Doodle Tool | Best Use Cases | Key Benefits |
Booking Page | New consults, returning clients | Intake questions, Stripe payments, video links, reminders |
1:1 | High-value clients, follow-ups | Curated time slots, private scheduling |
Group Polls | Mediations, multi-party meetings | Easy coordination, deadlines, reminders |
Sign-up Sheets | Clinics, workshops | Seat limits, slots, automated reminders |
Payments (Stripe) | Paid consults | Reduce no-shows, secure payments |
Calendar Connections | Daily scheduling | No double booking, privacy preserved |
AI Meeting Descriptions | Confirmations and prep info | Consistent, on-brand communication |
Zapier Integration | Intake workflows | Send data to CRM or spreadsheets |
Real-world examples
Solo family lawyer
Before: Free 30-minute calls with no context.
After: Conflict names, matter type, and goals added to Booking Page. A $50 consult fee via Stripe reduced no-shows dramatically.
Small business attorney
Before: Clients booked 60 minutes for simple questions.
After: Matter type question routes them to a default 30-minute slot. Prep list is auto-added via Doodle AI.
Personal injury firm
Before: Staff missed urgent statute dates.
After: Deadline question triggers priority routing and reduces risk.
Immigration practice
Before: Clients emailed nonstop about documents.
After: Booking Page captures county, case type, and meeting format. Video links auto-attach.
Key takeaways
Five intake questions help screen for fit, conflicts, urgency, and fees
Use multiple choice where possible to keep intake quick
Ask about deadlines to triage properly
Collect fees with Stripe to reduce no-shows
Connect your calendar and video tool so every meeting lands correctly
Get started with better scheduling
You do not need a heavy intake system to make progress. Add these intake questions to your Booking Page, connect your calendar, and turn on reminders. If you charge for consults, connect Stripe. For multi-party matters, use Group Polls; for clinics, try Sign-up Sheets.
Ready to improve your scheduling and intake today? Create a clear Booking Page with Doodle, add these five questions, and start meeting better-fit clients this week.
Ready to save time on scheduling? Create a Doodle and see how lawyers keep their calendars sane while growing their practice.
