Who this checklist is for
Law firms preparing new individual or company matters for their own review.
Free template · 11 checklist items
Legal Client Intake Form & Document Checklist
Collect enough background to assess a new matter without asking the client to tell the same story across a form, a phone call and an inbox of attachments. Keep the information used for conflict checks separate from the evidence needed for the matter.
No signup required. Edit the CSV in Excel, Google Sheets or another spreadsheet.
Before you send it
Define when a prospective client should send sensitive evidence and explain that submitting an intake form does not by itself establish an engagement. Your firm sets the conflict, identity and source-of-funds checks appropriate to the matter.
What to include in the request
These are starting points to adapt, not universal requirements. The CSV contains the same items and instructions as this preview.
| Section | Item | Format | Provided by | When to request | Instructions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contact | Client name and contact details | Contact fields | Client contact | At initial intake | Identify the prospective client and the contact for this matter. |
| Identity | Address and identity evidence | Address / file request | Relevant client | At the stage your firm requires | Explain what evidence is needed and avoid collecting unrelated documents. |
| Matter | Type of legal service | Choice | Client contact | At initial intake | Use your firm’s actual practice areas. |
| Matter | Background and assistance requested | Long answer | Client contact | At initial intake | Ask for a concise description of what happened and what help is needed. |
| Conflicts | Other parties involved | Long answer | Client contact | Before conflict review | Ask for names and relationships so your firm can perform its own checks. |
| Matter | Important dates | Date / long answer | Client contact | If relevant | Ask the client to flag dates that may affect the matter; your team assesses their significance. |
| Evidence | Supporting matter documents | Multiple file request | Document owner | When your firm requests evidence | Name the correspondence, agreements or other records relevant to this matter. |
| Funding | Source of funds and evidence | Answer / file request | Relevant client | Only where appropriate to the matter | Use the firm’s own risk assessment to decide what to request. |
| Business | Company details and registration | Answers / file request | Company contact | For a company client | Identify the legal entity and who is authorised to instruct the firm. |
| People | Relevant directors or representatives | Separate member sections | Each invited person | If needed for this matter | Ask each person for their own information rather than circulating their evidence through one contact. |
| Engagement | Accuracy and engagement confirmations | Checkboxes | Authorised client | At the stage the firm specifies | Use the firm’s approved terms and declarations; this template is not a legal agreement. |
Use this template in Intaky
Adapt the “Legal client onboarding” starter template in Intaky. Choose the individual and business sections you need, replace the declarations with your firm’s wording, and name a reviewer. Intaky collects the material; your firm performs the checks.
After setup, share your application link. Applicants access their own checklist through an email link with no password to create. Your team reviews the submitted answers and files and requests corrections on the items that need them.
Put the checklist into practice
Turn the checklist into a client request.
Create your workspace, adapt the questions and file requests, and collect the answers in one place.
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