Lead Qualification
The process of determining whether a potential client's case is viable, valuable, and appropriate for your firm before investing significant attorney time.
Lead qualification answers a simple question: is this worth pursuing?
Not every inquiry becomes a case. Not every case is profitable. Qualification separates the opportunities from the time-wasters.
Why Qualification Matters
Attorney time is expensive. Every hour spent on a lead that was never going to work is an hour not spent on actual clients or better opportunities.
Without qualification:
- Attorneys take calls with everyone, regardless of fit
- Staff can't prioritize callbacks
- Resources spread thin across low-value opportunities
- Good leads wait in line behind bad ones
With qualification:
- Best opportunities get immediate attention
- Staff knows who to call back first
- Attorneys spend time on cases that will actually close
- Your whole operation becomes more efficient
What Gets Qualified
Qualification criteria vary by practice area, but common factors include:
Case viability
- Is this a type of case you handle?
- Is there a legal claim here, or just a complaint?
- Are there statute of limitations issues?
- Is there a defendant worth pursuing?
Case value
- For contingency cases: are damages sufficient to justify the work?
- For hourly cases: can the client actually pay?
- Does this meet your minimum case value threshold?
Practical factors
- Is the case in your jurisdiction?
- Are there conflicts with existing clients?
- Do you have capacity to take this on?
Qualification Methods
Phone screening — Staff asks standard questions and filters based on answers. Manual but flexible.
Intake forms — Forms collect information that gets reviewed for fit. Scalable but limited by what people write.
AI qualification — AI gathers information through conversation and scores leads automatically. 24/7 and consistent.
Attorney review — Every inquiry goes to an attorney who decides. Thorough but expensive.
Most firms use some combination—AI or staff for initial screening, attorneys for final decision.
The Scoring Dimension
Beyond yes/no qualification, many firms now score leads on a spectrum. A lead might be:
- Hot: Clear liability, significant damages, ready to hire now
- Warm: Viable case, needs follow-up, some questions remain
- Cool: Might work, lower priority, follow up when time allows
- Cold: Doesn't meet criteria, decline politely
Scoring helps prioritize when you have more leads than capacity to handle them all immediately.