Legal Client Intake
An encrypted legal client intake form for law firms — matter details, parties involved, relevant background, conflict-check information and privileged narrative, all secured end-to-end.
About this template
This template provides law firms and legal practitioners with a structured client intake form. It captures matter type, the client's narrative, parties involved, timeline, available documents, and conflict-check information — all before the first consultation. All data is encrypted end-to-end and protected by attorney-client privilege.
What it collects
- Client identity and contact details
- Type of legal matter (civil, corporate, family, criminal, etc.)
- Narrative description of the situation in the client's own words
- Opposing party or adverse parties — names and relationship to the client
- Key dates and events in the timeline
- Documents available to support the matter
- How the client heard about the firm (referral tracking)
Attorney-client privilege and encryption
Information provided by a client to their lawyer is protected by attorney-client privilege (Berufsgeheimnis / secret professionnel). End-to-end encryption ensures the intake form is unreadable in transit and at rest — consistent with the duty of confidentiality under Art. 13 BGFA.
How to use it
Use this template
Click 'Use template' to create a copy in your dashboard.
Customise for your practice area
Add practice-specific fields — e.g. contract amount for commercial matters, or custody arrangement for family law.
Send before the first consultation
Share before the appointment so you can complete a conflict check and prepare the consultation.
Why law firms need a digital encrypted client intake form
Client intake in legal practice is not just an administrative step — it is the foundation of the conflict-check process and the first record under the duty of confidentiality. A new client who provides party names, the type of matter, and a factual narrative before the first consultation gives the firm the information it needs to: (a) complete a conflict check before advice is given; (b) allocate the right attorney; and (c) prepare for a productive first meeting rather than spending it on basic facts.
For the client, a structured digital intake form signals professionalism and gives them time to articulate their situation carefully. For the firm, it creates a documented record of what the client stated at intake — which is particularly valuable if the matter later involves disputes about the scope of engagement or what facts were originally disclosed.
What a legal client intake form should include
- Client identity — individual or entity, full name, contact details
- Matter type — practice area, urgency level
- Factual narrative — the client's account in their own words, without legal framing
- Parties — all persons or entities involved, especially adverse parties for the conflict check
- Timeline — key dates and the sequence of relevant events
- Documents — what the client holds and what they need from third parties
- Referral source — for business development tracking and complying with referral disclosure obligations
Legal intake data — privilege, GDPR and Swiss lawyer confidentiality
Legal intake data is among the most sensitive personal information a person can share. It sits at the intersection of GDPR/nFADP obligations (the firm is a data controller processing personal data) and the professional duty of confidentiality under Art. 13 BGFA and Art. 321 StGB. The data must be stored securely, shared only with authorised personnel on the matter, and retained for the required period (typically ten years after matter closure). End-to-end encryption satisfies the technical-security requirement and is consistent with the absolute confidentiality obligation that Swiss law places on legal practitioners.
Email intake vs encrypted digital intake
| Email intake | Encrypted digital intake | |
|---|---|---|
| Confidentiality | In transit on email servers | Encrypted before leaving the client's device |
| Conflict check | Parties buried in free text | Parties in structured, searchable fields |
| Completeness | Clients forget details | Guided form ensures all key fields completed |
| Documentation | Chain of emails, hard to audit | Single timestamped record |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Taking client instructions by email without encryption — this breaches the duty of confidentiality from the first communication.
- Not capturing adverse party names at intake — a conflict check cannot be completed without them.
- Failing to document what facts the client stated at intake — important if the scope of engagement is later disputed.
- No retention policy — legal files must be retained for the required period then securely destroyed.
Frequently asked questions
Is the information provided in the intake form privileged?
Yes. Information provided to a law firm in the context of seeking legal advice is protected by attorney-client privilege under Swiss law (Art. 13 BGFA and Art. 321 StGB). This applies from the first communication, including the intake form.
Can I use this form before accepting the engagement?
Yes — and you should. The intake form is the basis for the conflict check that must precede the acceptance of a new engagement. Use it to gather party information before agreeing to act.
Is the intake data encrypted?
Yes. All answers are encrypted in the client's browser before submission. Only your firm holds the decryption key — not Schweizerform, not email servers.
For more context, see our use case for legal practices and law firms, our guide to encrypted client data collection, and our comparison of Schweizerform with other form tools for law firms.