Case Screening
Evaluating a potential case to determine if it meets your firm's criteria before committing resources to pursue it.
Case screening is where you decide: do we want this case?
It's different from qualification (can we take this case) and intake (gathering information). Screening is the business decision about whether a case is worth pursuing.
The Screening Decision
Every case has costs: your time, your staff's time, court fees, expert fees, opportunity cost of not taking other cases.
Screening asks whether the expected return justifies those costs.
For a contingency fee practice, this is explicit math. A case that will cost $50,000 to litigate and might settle for $100,000 looks different than one costing $50,000 with a $500,000 potential verdict.
For hourly practices, screening focuses on ability to pay and scope of work. A client who wants $20,000 worth of work but can only pay $5,000 isn't a good fit.
Screening Criteria
What factors matter varies by practice area:
Personal injury screening looks at:
- Liability clarity
- Insurance coverage
- Injury severity
- Treatment timeline
- Prior representation
Criminal defense screening looks at:
- Charges and potential penalties
- Client's financial resources
- Case complexity
- Trial likelihood
Family law screening looks at:
- Asset complexity
- Custody disputes
- Client's ability to pay
- Opposing party situation
The Decline Conversation
Screening means saying no sometimes. How you decline matters.
A good decline:
- Thanks the person for reaching out
- Explains honestly why it's not a fit (if appropriate)
- Suggests alternatives when possible
- Leaves a positive impression
People you decline today might refer cases tomorrow. They might encounter a different issue you do handle. The decline conversation is marketing, even though it feels like rejection.
Screening Tools
Screening happens at different points:
Pre-intake screening: Basic criteria checked before full intake begins (practice area, location, timing)
During intake screening: Detailed information gathered, evaluated in real-time
Post-intake screening: Full review of captured information by attorney
AI can handle pre-intake and during-intake screening automatically, flagging cases that meet criteria and filtering those that don't.