# Client Intake Agent

> Source: https://ibl.ai/resources/agents/client-intake-agent


*A 24/7 AI receptionist for law firms that screens new leads, runs conflict checks, qualifies matters, and books consultations — on infrastructure the firm owns.*

The Client Intake Agent is an autonomous AI agent that answers new-client inquiries around the clock, screens and qualifies matters, runs preliminary conflict checks, and books consultations.

It captures the details that matter, applies the firm's intake criteria, and routes qualified prospects to the right attorney, instead of leads going to voicemail after hours.

This is not a scripted answering bot. It is an active agent that intakes, screens, schedules, and follows up — deployed on infrastructure the firm owns, with client information kept under the firm's control.

## Agent vs. Chatbot

A website chatbot collects a name and email. The Client Intake Agent runs a real intake — qualifying the matter, checking conflicts, booking the consult, and following up — autonomously, 24/7, across every channel.

| Dimension | Chatbot | Agent |
|-----------|---------|-------|
| Execution | Captures a contact form | Qualifies the matter, runs a conflict check, books the consult, and opens the intake record |
| Initiative | Waits passively on the website | Follows up on partial inquiries and nurtures leads that go quiet |
| Memory | Stateless — forgets between sessions | Maintains intake history and prior contact across channels and time |
| Tools & APIs | Cannot reach practice systems | Writes to Clio and Lawmatics, runs conflict checks, and books via the calendar |
| Data Control | Lead data sits in a vendor cloud | Runs on infrastructure the firm owns; client information stays under the firm's control |
| Channels | Web chat only | Web, phone, and SMS, with multilingual handling |
| Confidentiality | No conflict awareness | Screens for conflicts before a consult is booked, with a complete audit trail |
| Autonomy | A human handles every qualification | Runs a continuous intake-screen-schedule-follow-up cycle without prompting |

## Core Capabilities

### 24/7 Multichannel Intake

Answers new-client inquiries on web chat, phone, and SMS at any hour, in the prospect's language.

*Autonomous action:* Engages every after-hours inquiry immediately and captures the matter details instead of sending it to voicemail.

### Matter Qualification

Applies the firm's intake criteria to determine whether a matter fits practice areas, jurisdiction, and case thresholds.

*Autonomous action:* Qualifies or politely declines a matter against the firm's rules and routes good fits to the right attorney.

### Preliminary Conflict Checks

Screens parties against the firm's conflict database before a consultation is scheduled.

*Autonomous action:* Runs a conflict check on the named parties and flags potential conflicts to staff before booking.

### Consultation Scheduling

Books consultations on the right attorney's calendar based on practice area and availability.

*Autonomous action:* Schedules the consult, sends confirmations and reminders, and reschedules on request automatically.

### Lead Follow-Up & Nurture

Re-engages incomplete inquiries and prospects who have not yet booked.

*Autonomous action:* Follows up on partial intakes and unbooked leads on a cadence, so fewer prospective clients slip away.

## How It Works

1. **Receive — Engage the Inquiry:** The agent answers the inquiry on web, phone, or SMS and captures the prospect's situation and contact details.
2. **Reason — Qualify and Screen:** It applies the firm's intake criteria, identifies the practice area, and runs a preliminary conflict check on the parties.
3. **Act — Book and Record:** The agent books the consultation, opens an intake record in Clio or Lawmatics, and notifies the assigned attorney.
4. **Evaluate — Follow Up:** It tracks unbooked or incomplete inquiries and re-engages them, learning which sources convert.
5. **Report — Surface Intake Insight:** The agent logs every intake to an audit trail and reports lead volume, conversion, and source performance.

## ROI & Impact

| Metric | Value | Description |
|--------|-------|-------------|
| After-Hours Lead Capture | +40% | Answering every inquiry immediately captures leads that previously went to voicemail. |
| Consultation Conversion | higher | Immediate qualification and booking lift the rate at which inquiries become booked consults. |
| Reception Hours Reclaimed | significant | Automating intake and scheduling frees staff from phone and form triage. |
| Speed-to-Lead | seconds | Prospects are engaged in seconds rather than the hours that erode conversion. |
| Licensing Cost vs. Per-Seat Tools | ~10x cheaper | Enterprise-wide flat-fee licensing eliminates per-seat or per-call intake pricing. |

## FAQ

**Q: Is this an AI receptionist for law firms?**

Yes — and more. It answers inquiries 24/7 across web, phone, and SMS like a receptionist, but it also qualifies the matter, runs a preliminary conflict check, books the consult, and follows up, then logs everything to the firm's records.

**Q: How does it keep client information confidential?**

It runs on infrastructure the firm owns, so intake details and client information stay under the firm's control rather than sitting in a third-party answering-service cloud, with a complete audit trail of every intake.

**Q: Can it run conflict checks?**

Yes. It screens named parties against the firm's conflict database before a consultation is booked and flags potential conflicts to staff for review.

**Q: Which systems does it integrate with?**

It integrates with Clio, Lawmatics, calendar and scheduling tools, phone/SMS, and website chat, opening intake records and booking consultations automatically.

**Q: Does it handle multiple languages?**

Yes. It can intake and qualify prospects in their preferred language across channels, which is valuable for immigration, family, and community-facing practices.

**Q: Do we own the source code?**

Yes. ibl.ai delivers the complete source code, so the firm can audit, modify, and operate the intake system permanently, independent of ibl.ai's pricing or roadmap.