List

10 questions intake should hand to the attorney

Callers ask these on nearly every desk. A kind answer from a non-lawyer can cross the line. Here is what to do with each.
Last reviewed October 25, 2026 · By Dr. Jeffrey Scott Stanton, DCH

"Do I have a case?"

Whether a case exists is a legal judgment.

"Will I win?"

Predicting an outcome is evaluation.

"How much is this worth?"

Valuing a matter belongs to the attorney.

"Should I talk to the other side or their insurer?"

What to say to an adverse party is advice.

"Has the deadline passed?"

How deadlines apply is the law. What intake can do is get the caller in sooner.

"What should I do right now?"

Any "should" about the legal matter is advice.

"What should he say to the police?"

Common in criminal defense calls, and always the attorney's to answer.

"Will this affect my immigration status?"

A legal question, and a frightened one. Hand it off warmly and offer the earliest time.

"Do I need a trust, a will, or both?"

Which documents someone needs is legal advice.

"What are my chances in court?"

Another prediction. The hand-off line applies.

The short version

All ten get the same fixed sentence: it names the question as the attorney's, promises it will not be lost, and ends on a time. Two questions that sound legal are not: what the consultation costs and what happens at it. Those get a plain answer.

Scope, plainly: everything on this site concerns the conversation that turns an inquiry into an engagement. Nothing here is legal advice, nothing touches the legal work or the attorney's judgment, and any wording a firm adopts is reviewed by the firm against its jurisdiction's rules on attorney advertising, solicitation and fee communication before it is used.

About the Author

Dr. Jeffrey Scott Stanton, DCH is a behavioral strategist and the founder and Chief Learning Officer of R2R Diagnostic Group. He is the former EVP of Learning & Development at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, where he trained sales professionals on the conversations that turn an inquiry into a commitment. He applies the same method, the R2R Assessment and a 14-item call-review scorecard, to law firm intake teams. The work is the conversation only; legal questions and judgment stay with the attorney.

The method, the scripts and the scorecard are on how it works, the script template and the scorecard guide.