Client Intake for Legal Professionals
Stop spending billable hours on intake paperwork. Your clients arrive with their legal case already organized, evidence pre-uploaded, and funding secured.
Traditional client intake is time-intensive - collecting documents, interviewing clients about facts, organizing evidence, assessing case merit, and discussing funding. Laymans inverts this process. By the time a client contacts you through our platform, they've already built a structured case using our AI assistant Leyla, uploaded their evidence to encrypted casefiles, and often established funding through campaigns or case fund applications.
You receive clients ready to work - not clients who need onboarding.
Why Laymans Intake is Different
Legal professionals on Laymans don't start from zero. Your prospective clients arrive with:
| Traditional Intake | Laymans Intake |
|---|---|
| Client brings scattered documents | Client brings organized casefiles with tagged evidence |
| You interview for basic facts | AI-extracted facts already documented in their case |
| Unclear case merit | Case structure already shows claims, parties, and timelines |
| Payment uncertainty | Campaign pledges or case fund approval already secured |
| Hours of document collection | Mass-uploaded evidence with automatic legal tagging |
| Client needs legal education | Seminar attendance shows they understand the process |
What You Get When a Client Arrives
When a layperson contacts you through Laymans, you can review:
- Their Case - Name, document type (letter/contract/litigation), attached resources, and email for correspondence
- Their Casefiles - Evidence organized with automatic legal area tagging, including articles, videos, PDFs, court records from UniCourt, and timestamps
- Their Campaign - Funding goal, current pledges, connected case, and campaign description showing public narrative
- Their Briefcase Usage - Templates and resources they've already referenced, showing case preparation level
- Attached Resources - Bookmarked casefiles, referenced parent cases, and selected reference documents
AI-Structured From the Start
Leyla (Laymans' AI) extracts facts from uploaded documents, structures legal arguments based on case type, and references attached casefiles automatically. Your client isn't guessing - they're guided through professional case structure before contacting you.
How Organized Cases Accelerate Your Workflow
1. Evidence is Already Categorized
Laymans auto-tags every casefile with:
- Legal issue area (employment, housing, civil rights, etc.)
- Legal value classification (evidence type, document category)
- Privacy status (private casefiles visible only to client and servicers)
When you accept a client, their casefiles are immediately accessible. No need to request "all documents related to the incident" - they've already uploaded receipts, contracts, correspondence, photos, and court notices.
Learn more: What is a Casefile? | Mass Upload Casefiles
2. Funding is Pre-Arranged
Clients can arrive with funding through:
- Campaigns - Crowdfunded pledges from individual donors and litigation financiers that convert when services are purchased
- Case Funds - Grant or contingency funding from institutional sources after case review
- Individual Pledges - Direct contributions from community members who support the client's content and cause
This means payment discussions happen earlier in the process, reducing uncertainty about client ability to pay.
How campaign pledges work for legal services
When a client creates a campaign on Laymans, supporters pledge money toward their legal expenses. These pledges remain uncommitted until the client actually purchases a legal service from the marketplace.
At checkout, the client can allocate campaign funds to cover service costs. Pledges convert to payments, and you receive funds securely through Stripe integration. Any unused campaign funds are refunded to pledgers if the case concludes without spending the full amount.
Learn more: How Campaigns Work
3. Cases Show Preparation Level
When reviewing a prospective client's case, you can assess:
- Document type selection - Do they understand the difference between a demand letter, contract, and litigation complaint?
- Attached resources - Have they uploaded relevant evidence or just generic documents?
- Briefcase usage - Are they using successful templates from similar cases?
- Parent case references - If this is an amendment or answer, can you see the prior case?
- Reference documents - Did they identify the triggering document (ticket, notice, bill)?
This tells you immediately whether a client understands their situation or needs more guidance.
Learn more: How to Start a Case
How Clients Build Their Cases
Before they contact you, clients use one of three methods to build their case:
- AI Conversation - Talk to Leyla for guided fact-finding and document drafting
- Project Details Form - Edit case variables, timeline, and attachments directly
- Collaborative Text Editor - Write and refine with AI-assisted editing
Understanding how they built their case helps you assess preparation quality.
Using Briefcases to Standardize Your Intake
Briefcases are your secret weapon for zero-friction client onboarding.
A Briefcase is a reusable package of casefiles, templates, seminars, services, and funds that you can share with prospective clients. Think of it as a "start here" kit for a specific legal issue.
How Professionals Use Briefcases for Intake
| Without Briefcases | With Briefcases |
|---|---|
| New client emails: "I need help with an eviction" | Client uses your Briefcase link and arrives with a structured eviction defense case |
| You send intake questionnaire, wait for responses | Briefcase auto-populates case with required casefiles and templates |
| Client asks: "What documents do I need?" | Briefcase shows exactly which evidence to upload via included educational casefiles |
| You explain your fee structure | Briefcase includes your services with transparent pricing |
| Client is confused about process | Briefcase includes seminars explaining the legal process step-by-step |
Creating a Briefcase for Your Practice
You can create Briefcases that include:
- Template Casefiles - Examples of evidence clients should gather (e.g., "Upload your lease agreement here")
- Educational Seminars - Your own seminars explaining the legal issue and process
- Your Services - Pre-selected services for this case type with set pricing
- Relevant Funds - Case funds that might apply to this legal issue
- Successful Cases - Anonymized templates from past successful outcomes (Laymans auto-generates these from resolved cases)
Example Briefcase: Wrongful Eviction Defense
- Casefiles: Lease agreement template, rent payment records, notice to vacate, correspondence logs
- Seminar: "Understanding California Eviction Law" (your educational content)
- Service: "Eviction Defense Answer Filing" - $2,500
- Case Fund: "Housing Rights Legal Fund" (for clients needing financial assistance)
When you share this Briefcase link with a prospective client, they click it, and Leyla guides them through creating a case using your template. By the time they contact you, the case structure is already complete.
Briefcases Generate Engagement Income
When clients use your Briefcase, you can receive engagement income as an individual or through your organization. This creates an additional revenue stream beyond service fees.
Learn more: How to Make a Briefcase | Add Clients Using a Briefcase
Setting Up Your Organization for Client Intake
To receive clients through Laymans, you need to establish your professional presence:
1. Create Your Organization
Set up your law firm or practice as a Laymans organization. This allows you to:
- Share resources across team members
- Offer services in the marketplace
- Create and distribute Briefcases
- Manage client cases collaboratively
- Track analytics on service performance
Learn more: How to Setup Your Organization
2. Advertise Your Services
List your legal services on the Laymans marketplace with transparent pricing. Clients can:
- Search by practice area, location, and issue type
- Filter by price range
- Purchase services directly using campaign funds or personal payment
- Receive invoices and receipts for legal expenses
Learn more: How to Advertise Your Services | Manage Services and Analytics
3. Integrate Stripe for Payments
Connect your Stripe account to receive payments securely. Laymans handles:
- Campaign pledge conversion to service payments
- Direct client payments
- Invoice generation and tracking
- Refund management for unused campaign funds
Learn more: How to Use Stripe with Laymans
Managing Client Communication and Cases
Once a client engages your services, Laymans provides tools to manage the relationship:
Case Collaboration
- Access Client Casefiles - Review all uploaded evidence with legal tagging
- Case Email - Communicate via the email address attached to the case (separate from client's personal Laymans account)
- Discuss Tab - Chat with client and Leyla within the case interface
- Edit Tab - Collaboratively edit legal documents using the text editor
- Finalize Tab - Export completed documents as certified, notarized, or court-ready copies
Campaign Management for Clients
You can help clients manage their campaigns:
- Adjust funding goals based on actual legal costs
- Write updates to supporters explaining case progress
- Apply campaign funds to case expenses
- Request additional pledges if costs exceed original estimates
Learn more: How to Update Campaign Supporters
Video Conferencing
Schedule secure video conferences directly within casefiles - no need for external meeting tools.
Learn more: How to Access Video Conferences
Advanced Intake: Using Movements and Seminars
Lead Class Action Movements
If you specialize in class actions, Laymans Movements are pre-organized collective legal actions. Clients arrive having already:
- Applied to join the movement
- Completed attestation forms
- Uploaded relevant evidence
- Connected with other affected individuals anonymously
You receive a pool of potential plaintiffs who are already organized, educated, and motivated.
Movements Bundle Resources and Funding
Movements include shared legal resources, educational materials, collective funding pools, and anonymized collaboration tools. This reduces per-client intake costs dramatically.
Learn more: How to Apply to a Movement
Create Educational Seminars
Build your reputation and pre-educate clients by creating seminars. When clients attend your seminars before contacting you, they:
- Understand the legal process
- Know what to expect from representation
- Arrive with realistic expectations
- Have already engaged with your expertise
Seminars also generate engagement income and build your professional profile on the platform.
Learn more: What is a Seminar? | How to Create a Seminar
Benefits Summary: Why Laymans Transforms Intake
| Challenge | Laymans Solution |
|---|---|
| Collecting scattered documents | Mass-uploaded casefiles with automatic legal tagging |
| Interviewing clients for basic facts | AI-extracted facts from uploaded evidence |
| Uncertain payment arrangements | Pre-funded campaigns and case fund approvals |
| Explaining legal process to every client | Briefcases with educational seminars pre-educate clients |
| Building case structure from scratch | Cases already structured by document type with attached resources |
| Tracking down prior documents | Parent case references and reference documents already linked |
| Assessing case merit during intake | Review prepared case before accepting client |
| Managing communication across platforms | Integrated messaging, email, and video conferencing in casefiles |
The result: Your billable time is spent on legal strategy and representation, not administrative intake. Clients arrive ready to work, evidence is organized, funding is secured, and case structure is established.
Getting Started with Professional Intake
Guided Workflow for Earning Money
Follow the step-by-step Earning Money Workflow to set up your organization, advertise services, and start receiving clients.
Quick Start Checklist
| Step | Action | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Create professional account and organization | Setup Your Organization |
| 2 | Connect Stripe for payments | Use Stripe with Laymans |
| 3 | List your services in the marketplace | Advertise Your Services |
| 4 | Create intake Briefcases for common case types | Make a Briefcase |
| 5 | Share Briefcase links on your website/social media | Add Clients Using a Briefcase |
| 6 | Create educational seminars to build reputation | Create a Seminar |
Additional Resources
| Feature | Description | Learn More |
|---|---|---|
| Localization | Filter clients by county for jurisdiction-specific practice | Localize to Your County |
| Issue Filtering | Receive clients filtered by specific legal issues | Filter by Issue |
| Public Records | Access government records for client cases | Access Public Records |
| UniCourt Integration | Look up real court cases for client research | UniCourt Lookup |
| Financial Tracking | Monitor client expenses and service revenue | View Legal Fees and Expenses |
| Event Management | Host legal clinics and workshops | Manage Events |
Ready to transform your client intake process? Set up your organization and start receiving pre-organized, pre-funded clients today.