Lead Scoring
A system for ranking potential clients based on how likely they are to become valuable cases, so your team knows who to prioritize.
Not all leads deserve equal attention. Lead scoring gives you a systematic way to prioritize.
How Scoring Works
Lead scoring assigns points (or grades, or tiers) based on factors that predict case value and likelihood of conversion.
A simple scoring model might look like:
Case type: Personal injury +10, Traffic ticket +2 Injury severity: Surgery required +15, Soft tissue +5 Liability clarity: Clear fault +10, Disputed +3 Timing: Happened this week +10, Happened last year +2 Readiness: "I want to hire a lawyer today" +15, "Just exploring options" +5
Add up the points, and you have a score. Higher scores get callbacks first.
Why Bother With Scores
When you have more leads than you can call back immediately, scores answer "who do I call first?"
Without scoring, you're either going in order (first in, first out) or guessing. Both approaches leave money on the table.
The lead that came in at 8 AM might be a minor fender bender. The lead from 2 AM might be a catastrophic injury with clear liability. FIFO would have you call the fender bender first. Scoring fixes that.
Scoring Factors
Common factors in legal lead scoring:
Case characteristics
- Type of case
- Severity of damages or charges
- Clarity of liability or defense
- Defendant's ability to pay
Lead behavior
- How urgently they communicated
- How much detail they provided
- Whether they mentioned other attorneys
- Time sensitivity mentioned
Fit factors
- Is this in your wheelhouse?
- Geographic match
- Practice area alignment
Manual vs Automated Scoring
Manual scoring means someone reviews each lead and assigns a score. Accurate but slow and inconsistent.
Automated scoring means software assigns scores based on information collected. Fast and consistent, but only as good as the criteria you set.
AI-powered intake can score leads in real-time, as the conversation happens. By the time the conversation ends, you have a score—no human review required.
Avoiding Score Obsession
Scores are tools, not truths. They help prioritize, but they don't replace judgment.
A low-scoring lead might mention something in passing that signals a bigger opportunity. A high-scoring lead might have red flags the scoring system didn't catch.
Use scores to guide, not dictate. The goal is better decisions, not blind automation.