An intake template per matter type
Build your intake lists once, then start each request from the one that fits. Each request gets its own copy to tailor.
Create a templateUse case
New matters, with the paperwork already in.
Photo ID, proof of address and the documents a new matter is about. Send your client one checklist for the matter through a private link, and let reminders chase the rest.
Last updated
How it works
One new matter, four steps.
The engagement is signed. Here's how the client's documents get to you before the first meeting.
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1
Pick the matter template
One list for each type of matter.
Start the client's intake request from the template for this kind of matter, then add, remove or rename documents for this client.
Create a template -
2
Send a private link
ID and documents through one link.
Set a due date and send. Your client uploads from a phone or computer, with no account, and comes back to the same link for the rest.
Create a request -
3
Let reminders follow up
Only what's missing, until it's in.
By default, reminders go out 3 and 7 days after you send the request and shortly before the due date, listing only what's outstanding.
How automatic reminders work -
4
Review each file
Approve it, or ask for the full copy.
Approve each document, or ask for a replacement when a contract is missing pages or an ID photo is blurred. Approving the last document completes the request.
Ask a client for a replacement file
Start the client's intake request from the template for this kind of matter, then add, remove or rename documents for this client.
for Ashby Partners · Due 6 Nov
Private upload link · what Ashby Partners seesNo account needed
A
Alder & Finch
Documents requested for
Due 6 Nov
Upload a few, leave some missing, then see what the reminders do.
Default schedule
Features
What gets a new matter ready to start.
A note on each document
Say which ID you accept or which version you need. Your client sees the description under that document's name.
Add, remove or rename requested documentsClient notes
Your client can explain a gap or tell the story in a note from their upload page, with or without a file.
Read and reply to client notesReplacements with a note
An unsigned draft or a cut-off ID photo: ask for a replacement with a note shown next to that item. Earlier versions stay in the history.
Ask a client for a replacement fileA link, not an account
New clients upload through a private link on any device: a PDF, or a photo of a letter. No account, no password.
How client links are protectedZIP download for your case file
Download the matter's files as one ZIP for your own system. GarnerDocs deletes them after the retention period you choose.
Download all files as a ZIPA new matter, start to finish
Before matters come in, build an intake template for each type of matter you take on, such as a commercial dispute, an employment claim or a property purchase. Each request gets its own copy to tailor.
Once the engagement is signed, add the client, a person or a business, and create their request from the template for this matter. Title it after the matter, remove what doesn't apply, set a due date ahead of your first meeting and send. Your client gets one private link for their ID and the matter's documents.
As files arrive, reminders chase only what's still missing, and stop once it's in. Your client can add a note from the same page, for example to say the original contract is with the other side.
When something's wrong, such as a contract without its signature page or a blurred photo of a driver's license, ask for a replacement with a note your client sees next to that document. The earlier version stays in the history.
When it's all in, approving the last document completes the request. Download the files as a ZIP and add them to your case file in the system you already use. GarnerDocs isn't an archive: files are deleted after the retention period you choose.
Example intake checklist
Ask only for what this matter needs. The law firm client intake checklist covers each item in more detail.
Who the client is
- Photo ID, such as a passport or driver's license
- Proof of address
What the matter is about
- Contracts and agreements, signed, with all pages
- Letters, notices and demands received
What has happened so far
- Earlier correspondence with the other side
- A timeline of events in your client's own words
There are no form fields or questionnaires, so your client writes the timeline the way they choose: in a Word document or PDF they upload against that item, or in a note of up to 2,000 characters from their upload page.
ID and conflict checks stay with you
GarnerDocs collects ID. It doesn't check it.
It doesn't verify identity or run conflict checks. Checking who your client is, clearing conflicts before you take the matter on and keeping records are yours to do, under your firm's procedures and your professional rules.
GarnerDocs doesn't claim to meet any bar rule or ethics opinion. This page isn't legal advice.
What GarnerDocs doesn't do
GarnerDocs gets a new matter's documents from your client to you, complete and reviewed. It isn't case or practice management, and it doesn't connect to Clio, MyCase or any other system. It doesn't send engagement letters or collect e-signatures, so sign yours the way you do today. If you'd like the signed copy back with everything else, add it to the request as a document.
Read how files and client links are protected on the Security page.
Questions
Can I tailor the intake list for each client?
Yes. Start from the template for the matter type, then add, remove or rename documents for this client. The changes stay on this request, and the template stays as it is.
Can my client upload from their phone?
Yes. They open the private link from the email and upload a PDF or take a photo of a letter. There's no account, password or app, and the same link takes them back to where they were.
How does my client send their timeline?
As a file, such as a Word document or a PDF, or as a note of up to 2,000 characters from their upload page. There are no form fields or questionnaires, so they write it the way they choose.
Does GarnerDocs verify ID or run conflict checks?
No. It collects the ID your client uploads and shows it to your team. Checking it, and clearing conflicts before you take the matter on, stay with your firm.
How long are files kept?
For the retention period your firm chooses: 30, 90, 180 or 365 days after a request is completed. Then they're deleted, and the workspace owner is emailed 14 and 3 days before. Download what you need into your case file first.
Related
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For law firms
New matters, estates, disputes: send your client one checklist for the matter through a private link, and let reminders chase whatever is still missing.
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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.
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Templates
Create a template
Save a checklist you send often, then start new requests from it.
Spend less time chasing. More time doing the work that matters.
Make document collection the easiest part of working with your clients.
Start your free trial
No credit card required.