When a new potential client comes to your firm, one of your first interactions with them will be an interview. This gives you and your client a chance to get to know each other and review the details of the case.
Asking the right questions during a client interview is a great way to ensure that the legal process goes smoothly and your client comes out of it happy.
Below, we break down the most important client interview questions lawyers should ask.
How to Prepare for Client Interviews
Before we dive into the questions you should in a client interview, let’s talk about how to prepare for these meetings. Having a strong organization system can help you make the best use of the information you get during the interview process.
Standardize Your Process
Standardizing your interview process can help you stay organized so you can find the information you need later.
It’s a good idea to develop a client intake form that will give you some baseline information about your client before you get to the interview. Make sure the case is a good fit for your firm, and make sure there aren’t any conflicts of interest before you invest time in the case.
Set up a specified procedure your team will use to gather information and prepare for the client interview.
Use Technology
There are several software programs that can make the information gathering process easier for you and your staff. Legal practice management software can make it easy to create personalized forms, keep all your clients’ information at your fingertips, and manage files for each case.
Our article on the best case management software can help you decide which system is going to work best for your firm.
Send a Reminder Email
Before your interview with your client, it’s a good idea to send them a reminder email about the meeting. People’s lives are busy, and it can be easy to forget about an appointment.
Be sure to include the date and time of your interview in the email, and ask them to reply confirming that they’ll still going to be able to make it to the appointment.
Can I Confirm Your Details?
The first thing you should do during a client interview is confirm their personal details. This can help to ensure that there weren’t any miscommunications during the intake process.
Starting with some nice, simple questions can also put the client at ease. Coming into a lawyer’s office to talk about a legal matter can be intimidating, so starting off slow can help the client relax and give you a chance to start developing a good rapport with them.
Can You Tell Me About Your Situation?
Once the client is a little more at ease, lead them into recapping their situation for you. Confirming the details of the case is critical, and this is an opportunity for you to hear the story from the client’s perspective.
This is also a good opportunity to set the tone for the meeting by letting the client lead the narrative. During this meeting, let them do most of the talking; your role is to sit back, listen, and take notes.
Have You Worked with Another Lawyer on This Matter?
The next question you should ask your new client is whether they’ve already worked with another lawyer on this case. To begin with, if they have worked with another lawyer already, it’s a good idea to find out why they left them and are working with you now.
It’s also a good idea to find out what they expect from their lawyer so you can determine if you can meet those expectations.
And finally, this question will give you an idea of how familiar your client is with the legal process and the process they’re about to go through.
Why Do You Want to Pursue This Matter?
During your interview, you should also find out what’s motivating your client to pursue this matter. Asking this question gives you a chance to hear your client’s feelings about their case and what’s important to them.
If you’re going to put a client’s needs first, you need to know what those needs are. By asking why they want to pursue this matter, you learn what their priorities are.
What Is Your Goal in this Matter?
It’s also a good idea to get a little more direct with what your client wants from this case. Not every client is going to have the same priorities with their case, and knowing what they want going in can inform your legal strategy.
How Can I Help You?
Although this question may seem strange, it can actually give you important insight into what your client expects from their lawyer. When they tell you how you can help them, you discover what they think you’ll be doing in their case and can decide whether you’ll be able to meet those expectations.
What Are You Most Worried About?
Learning about your client’s fears in their case is an important step to earning their trust.
Knowing their biggest fears in the case gives you the opportunity to build your strategy to avoid those risks. Whether they be overwhelming legal costs or a loss in the case, making sure you’re dialed into those worries can help you provide better service to your clients.
Do You Have Any Additional Information or Evidence to Share?
It’s also a good idea to check if your client has any additional that could be helpful in the case.
Asking an open-ended question like this can give your client an opportunity to tell you anything you may have missed in your questions.
Why Did You Choose Me?
It’s important to learn why your client picked you over all your competitors. For one thing, this gives you another perspective on your client’s priorities and expectations in this case.
This can also be a valuable piece of information for your marketing efforts. Once you know why clients choose to work with you, you can highlight that in your marketing materials.
Do You Have Any Questions for Me?
As with any interview, the last question you should ask your client is if they have any questions. The legal process can be confusing and intimidating for clients, and they likely have a lot of questions about what that process is going to look like for them.
Hiring a lawyer is an important decision, so your client may also want to know more about you as an attorney. Giving them the opportunity to ask you those questions can help to build trust in your client.
Get More Clients Coming in the Door
An initial client interview is one of your most important opportunities to learn what they’re looking for in their case. Asking them what they’re looking for in the case and what they’re worried about can help you better meet those expectations. It’s also a good idea to ask open-ended questions about the case so you can get as much information as possible.
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