What I Look For When I Send Leads to Firms
I work with small firms every day. I send leads to solos, two-lawyer shops, and boutique firms across the country.
And here’s the truth: You don’t need a massive team to win cases – but you do need a serious intake process.
Because if you’re fumbling leads, slow to respond, or letting cases sit in your inbox, you’re not just losing opportunities. You’re costing me money. And I take that shit personally.
Like anything else in this business, it comes down to two things:
Mindset and systems.
Do you want the work? And can you handle it when it comes? If you’re serious about building a law firm intake process that actually converts legal leads, here’s how to show it.
1. Use a Simple System to Track Every Lead
It doesn’t matter if you use a spreadsheet, a shared doc, or intake software.
But you need to be able to answer:
- When did the lead come in?
- Who followed up?
- What happened?
If you’re digging through email threads or guessing? You’re not ready for volume.
2. Respond Within Minutes, Not Hours
Speed closes cases.
Small firms lose leads all the time because they think “end of day” follow-up is good enough. It’s not.
Set up alerts. Have someone ready to respond. And if the first call doesn’t connect? Call again. Now.
3. Have a Clear Intake Process – and Actually Use It
Leads aren’t one-off events. They’re a flow.
Build a basic process:
- What happens when a lead comes in?
- Who owns the response?
- What happens if they don’t pick up?
Even a clunky process beats winging it.
For firms practicing in Alabama, clear communication and timely client response aren’t just good business. They’re part of professional responsibility. You can review the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct, especially the sections on diligence and client communication, to ensure your intake systems align with ethical standards
4. Act Hungry
You don’t need to impress the client – or me. But I should see signs that you care:
- Fast responses
- Follow-up questions
- Interest in future opportunities
If you sound like you’re doing me a favor, I’ll send the next one elsewhere.
5. Know What’s Working (and What’s Not)
Track your intake like you track your case outcomes:
- How many leads did you get?
- How many did you convert?
- Where are they coming from?
Even basic tracking puts you ahead of 90% of firms.
What Not to Do (The Fastest Ways to Blow It)
- Don’t let a lead sit in your inbox overnight.
- Don’t respond like a robot who’s “getting around to it.”
- Don’t make me wonder if you even want the case.
If your tone says “meh,” I’ll take the next lead somewhere else.
Ready to Change Your Mindset?
You don’t need a call center or enterprise software. You need urgency. You need structure.
You need a process that works – every time. Mindset and systems. That’s the game.
If you want leads from people like me, show me you can handle them.
Because I’m watching your intake – and I don’t send leads twice.
What You Need to Know About Legal Referral Platforms (And Why We Built LegalFlare Instead)
A Founder’s Perspective on What Actually Works
I’ve used legal referral platforms – the ones that promise easy case movement, quick matches, and wide networks. You’ve probably tried them too.
And if you’re thinking about using one to send or receive legal leads, here’s what you actually need to know.
If you’re using a platform to manage a solid relationship you already trust? Great. Love it. Keep going.
But if you’re hopping on there thinking it’s a good way to dump leads and let “the network” take care of the rest – you’re setting yourself up for problems.
I know because I’ve tried them. And I tested them.
The Test That Changed Everything
Early on, we were sending out test leads to multiple firms across one of the major platforms.
We used our company’s phone number as the client contact – just to see who would actually follow up.
What happened? A few of the firms rejected the cases with this excuse:
“Could not contact client.”
We were the client. They never called.
That’s not a guess. That’s a fact.
And the platform? Had no idea. No flags, no follow-up, no accountability.
That was the moment I knew we had to build something better.
What Referral Platforms Get Wrong
Most legal referral platforms aren’t built to protect your brand – they’re built to move volume.
They’re not tracking emails. They’re not reviewing messages. They’re not enforcing standards.
Why would they? That goes against the model. They’re not in the relationship business. They’re in the activity business. They’re in the body count business. They just want more firms, more users, more “movement.”
What We Do Differently
LegalFlare isn’t a marketplace. It’s a law firm that runs like a referral system.
We don’t just “match” leads. We shop them. We track them. We work them.
We negotiate splits, follow up for status updates, and yes – we cut firms that don’t do the work.
Because this isn’t about volume. It’s about trust. Every firm on our network is there for a reason.
Every referral is watched. Every case is managed like it’s our own – because in many ways, it is.
Ready to Start Winning?
Look, if you’ve got the time and energy to build deep referral relationships on your own – to track every lead, follow up on performance, negotiate fee splits, hold your partners accountable – great.
Seriously. I love that. I know it works. But if you don’t have time to do all of that? If you want to move faster and with less overhead?
That’s why we built LegalFlare. We build the relationships. We track performance. We demand accountability.
We are not fucking eBay for legal leads. Why?
Because this is what works.