Checklist
Law firm client intake checklist, for every new matter.
What to ask a new client for once the engagement is signed, with "why we ask" lines, add-ons by practice area and a copyable version.
Last updated · Facts checked
A new matter can't really start until the client's documents are in. This law firm client intake checklist lists what to ask a new client for once the engagement is signed: who they are, the documents the matter is about, the money side, and short add-ons for family, estates, real estate and employment work.
Every list here is a set of typical examples to tailor to each client. Ask only for what this matter needs.
Who this checklist is for
It's written for small and mid-sized firms, and for the person who opens new matters: a partner, a paralegal or an intake coordinator. It suits most matters where the client brings documents to the first meeting, from a contract dispute to a home purchase.
It isn't a substitute for your firm's own procedures. Your engagement process, conflict check and ID requirements come first, and they decide what you must collect. Use this list for everything else the matter needs.
General information, not legal advice
This guide suggests documents to ask clients for. It doesn't describe any bar rule, ethics opinion or court requirement. Follow your firm's engagement and conflict procedures and your own professional rules.
How to use the list
- Start after the engagement and conflict check. Send the intake list once your firm has cleared the matter and the engagement is signed, so you don't collect documents for a matter you can't take.
- One request per matter. A client with two matters gets two lists, so each file stays complete on its own.
- Remove what doesn't apply. A short, exact list gets answered faster than a long general one.
- Keep the "why we ask" lines. Clients send things sooner, and more completely, when they know what each document is for.
- Set a due date before the first meeting. Then you can read the documents before you sit down with the client, not during the meeting.
Law firm client intake checklist
Typical examples to tailor to each client.
Identity and contact
| Document | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Photo ID, such as a passport or driver's license | To confirm who we're acting for, under our firm's ID procedures. |
| Proof of address, such as a recent utility bill | So letters and notices reach you. |
| For a business: formation documents, such as articles of incorporation or organization | To confirm the business exists and its exact legal name. |
| For a business: who can give us instructions, such as a resolution or a letter from an officer | So we know whose instructions we can act on. |
| Power of attorney or guardianship papers (if someone acts for you) | To confirm they can instruct us on your behalf. |
| Names of anyone else involved that you haven't given us yet | So we can add them to our conflict check before work goes further. |
The documents the matter is about
| Document | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Contracts and agreements, signed, with all pages, schedules and amendments | The exact wording usually decides the matter. |
| Letters, notices, demands or court papers you've received, with the date you got each one | Deadlines often run from the day you received them. |
| Correspondence with the other side: letters, emails, texts | To see what's already been said and agreed. |
| Photos, recordings or other evidence you hold | So nothing useful is missed early on. |
| Insurance policies that might cover the matter | Some policies cover legal costs or the claim itself. |
| Papers from a previous attorney (if you had one) | To see what's already been done and advised. |
| A timeline of events in your own words | It helps us understand what happened, in order. |
Money
Ask for this group only when the matter involves money, or when your firm needs it.
| Document | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Invoices, receipts or bank statements showing the amounts in question | To work out what's owed, paid or lost. |
| Pay records or income statements (if lost earnings or support are involved) | To show what you earned before and after. |
| Proof of your fee deposit payment (only if we've asked and it hasn't reached us) | To match your payment to your matter. |
Add-on: family
- Marriage certificate, and any prenuptial or postnuptial agreement
- Children's birth certificates
- Existing court orders, such as custody or support orders
- Recent tax returns and pay stubs
- Statements for bank, investment and retirement accounts
- A list of debts, with recent statements
Add-on: estates
- Existing wills, trusts and any later changes to them
- The death certificate (when administering an estate)
- Deeds for any real estate
- Recent statements for bank, investment and retirement accounts
- Life insurance policies and beneficiary forms
- Names and contact details of executors, trustees or guardians you've chosen
Add-on: real estate
- The signed purchase and sale agreement, with addenda
- The title commitment or title policy, and the current deed
- The survey (if there is one)
- Current leases (for property with tenants)
- Homeowners or condo association documents
- The lender's commitment letter
- Formation documents (if buying through a company)
Add-on: employment
- Offer letter and employment contract
- Employee handbook or the policies that apply
- Recent pay stubs and the last year's tax form from the employer
- Performance reviews, warnings and any complaints you made
- Termination letter or severance agreement
- Any charge or complaint filed with an agency, and replies
Documents people forget
These are the gaps that most often send a file back for a second round.
- Signature pages and schedules. Clients send the body of a contract and leave out the signed page or the exhibits it refers to.
- Amendments and side letters. The original agreement may have been changed by a later email or letter.
- When papers arrived. A notice or court paper without the date it was received or served.
- What the client sent. Clients forward what they received but forget their own letters and replies.
- Texts and messaging apps. Screenshots need dates and names visible, not just the message.
- Every person's ID. In a joint matter or a purchase with several signers, one ID isn't enough.
Copy the checklist
Paste this into your own intake email or template, then remove what doesn't apply.
NEW MATTER INTAKE: [CLIENT NAME]
Matter: [matter name]
Please send by: [date]
Typical examples - tailored to your matter.
WHO YOU ARE
- Photo ID, such as a passport or driver's license
- Proof of address, such as a recent utility bill
- For a business: formation documents
- For a business: who can give us instructions
- Power of attorney or guardianship papers (if someone acts for you)
- Names of anyone else involved you haven't given us yet
WHAT THE MATTER IS ABOUT
- Contracts and agreements, signed, all pages, schedules and amendments
- Letters, notices or court papers received, with the date you got each
- Correspondence with the other side: letters, emails, texts
- Photos, recordings or other evidence you hold
- Insurance policies that might cover the matter
- Papers from a previous attorney (if you had one)
- A timeline of events in your own words
MONEY (only if it applies)
- Invoices, receipts or statements showing the amounts in question
- Pay or income records (if lost earnings or support are involved)
- Proof of fee deposit payment (only if we've asked)
Questions? Contact [name] at [email] or [phone].
How to do this in GarnerDocs
GarnerDocs sends the list to your client through one private link and chases what's missing until it's in.
- A template per matter type. Save the core list plus one add-on as a template, such as "Family intake". Each group becomes a category, and each "why we ask" goes in the document's description.
- Short answers for a few facts. Ask for names of other parties or a date as a short answer, one line of up to 500 characters, instead of a file.
- The timeline as a file or a note. Your client uploads a document against that item, or writes a note of up to 2,000 characters from their upload page.
- A PIN for sensitive matters. Protect the request with a 6-digit PIN that you give your client by phone, never in the email.
- Replacements with a note. Ask for the signed copy or the missing pages, with a note your client sees next to that document. Earlier versions stay in the history.
- ID collected, not checked. GarnerDocs doesn't verify identity or run conflict checks, and it isn't case management. Download the files as a ZIP for your own system.
Questions
When should a law firm send the intake checklist?
Once your firm has run its conflict check and the engagement is signed, with a due date before the first meeting. Then you can read the documents before you sit down with the client.
Is this a list of documents we're required to collect?
No. It's a set of typical examples to tailor to each client and matter. What you must collect, such as ID, is set by your firm's own procedures and professional rules. This guide isn't legal advice.
How should clients send a timeline of events?
However is easiest for them: a Word document or PDF they write themselves, or a written note. Ask for it in their own words and in date order, and say it doesn't need to be polished.
Does GarnerDocs verify ID or run conflict checks?
No. GarnerDocs collects documents, including ID, from your client. Checking identity and clearing conflicts stay with your firm, under its own procedures.