Legal Client Intake Form Template
A free legal client intake form template for law firms and solo practitioners. Covers client details, matter summary, conflicts check, fees, and consent. No signup required.
What is a legal case management template?
A legal case management template is a structured document that law firms use to track all information related to an active legal matter - from case details and key contacts to tasks, deadlines, documents, and billing. It keeps everything about a case in one place so nothing falls through the cracks.
The template
Legal Case Management Template
LEGAL CASE MANAGEMENT
Firm name:
[Your law firm name]
File number:
[Case ID]
Date opened:
[Date]
Case owner:
[Responsible attorney]
Practice area:
- Corporate and commercial
- Employment and labour
- Family law
- Criminal defence
- Personal injury
- Real estate and property
- Wills, trusts, and estates
- Immigration
- Intellectual property
- Other:
Current status:
- Active
- On hold
- Pending client instructions
- Awaiting court date
- Closed
SECTION 1 - CASE DETAILS
Case name:
Case description:
Case type:
LitigationTransactionalAdvisoryRegulatoryOther:
Court or tribunal (if applicable):
Court file number:
Jurisdiction:
Judge or officer:
Case opened:
[Date]
Expected resolution:
[Date]
Last updated:
[Date]
SECTION 2 - CLIENT DETAILS
Client name:
Client type:
IndividualBusinessGovernment
Primary contact:
Email:
Phone:
Preferred contact:
EmailPhone
Additional contacts for this client:
Contact 2:
Name:Role:Email:Phone:
Contact 3:
Name:Role:Email:Phone:
SECTION 3 - KEY PARTIES AND CONTACTS
Opposing party:
Name:
Organisation:
Contact:
Opposing counsel:
Name:
Firm:
Email:
Phone:
Other key contacts:
Court clerk:
Name:
Contact:
Expert witness 1:
Name:
Speciality:
Contact:
Expert witness 2:
Name:
Speciality:
Contact:
Mediator / arbitrator (if applicable):
Name:
Contact:
Other parties:
Name:Role:
Name:Role:
SECTION 4 - KEY DATES AND DEADLINES
Statute of limitations:
Engagement start date:
Court dates:
Hearing 1:DateType
Hearing 2:DateType
Hearing 3:DateType
Trial date:
Filing deadlines:
Filing 1:DateDescription
Filing 2:DateDescription
Filing 3:DateDescription
Discovery deadlines:
Document production:
Interrogatories due:
Depositions:
Other key dates:
Date 1:Description
Date 2:Description
Date 3:Description
Next action due:
Next action date:
Responsible person:
SECTION 5 - TASK TRACKER
Task 1:
Description:
Assigned to:
Due date:
Status:
Not startedIn progressDone
Notes:
Task 2:
Description:
Assigned to:
Due date:
Status:
Not startedIn progressDone
Notes:
Task 3:
Description:
Assigned to:
Due date:
Status:
Not startedIn progressDone
Notes:
Task 4:
Description:
Assigned to:
Due date:
Status:
Not startedIn progressDone
Notes:
Task 5:
Description:
Assigned to:
Due date:
Status:
Not startedIn progressDone
Notes:
[Add additional tasks as needed]
SECTION 6 - DOCUMENT LOG
Document 1:
Name:
Type:
PleadingContractEvidenceCorrespondenceCourt orderOther:
Date filed:
Location:
Version:
Status:
DraftFiledServedExecuted
Document 2:
Name:
Type:
PleadingContractEvidenceCorrespondenceCourt orderOther:
Date filed:
Location:
Version:
Status:
DraftFiledServedExecuted
Document 3:
Name:
Type:
PleadingContractEvidenceCorrespondenceCourt orderOther:
Date filed:
Location:
Version:
Status:
DraftFiledServedExecuted
[Add additional documents as needed]
SECTION 7 - BILLING AND ACCOUNTS
Fee arrangement:
- Hourly - rate: $per hour
- Flat fee - amount: $
- Contingency - percentage:%
- Retainer - amount: $
Retainer balance:$
Total estimated fee:$
Billing summary:
Total billed to date:$
Total paid to date:$
Outstanding balance:$
Disbursements and expenses:
Item 1:DescriptionAmount $
Item 2:DescriptionAmount $
Item 3:DescriptionAmount $
Total disbursements:$
Last invoice sent:
[Date]
Last payment received:
[Date]
SECTION 8 - CASE NOTES AND COMMUNICATION LOG
Note 1:
Date:
Author:
Type:
Client communicationCourt updateInternal noteOpposing counselOther:
Note:
Note 2:
Date:
Author:
Type:
Client communicationCourt updateInternal noteOpposing counselOther:
Note:
Note 3:
Date:
Author:
Type:
Client communicationCourt updateInternal noteOpposing counselOther:
Note:
[Add additional notes as needed]
SECTION 9 - CASE CLOSURE
Date closed:
Reason for closure:
- Matter resolved - outcome:
- Settlement reached - amount:
- Withdrawn by client
- Referred to another firm
- Other:
Final outcome:
Post-closure checklist:
- Final invoice issued and paid
- All documents filed and archived
- Client notified of closure
- File transferred to client if requested
- Limitation period noted for future reference
- File archived - location:
- Conflict record updated
SECTION 10 - SIGN-OFF
Case opened by:
Name:Date:
Case closed by:
Name:Date:
Reviewed by (supervising partner):
Name:Date:
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What this template covers
Case details
case name, type, court, jurisdiction, judge, status
Client details
primary contact and additional contacts per matter
Key parties
opposing party, opposing counsel, expert witnesses, mediator, other contacts
Key dates and deadlines
statute of limitations, court dates, filing deadlines, discovery, next action
Task tracker
five tasks with assignee, due date, status, and notes
Document log
document name, type, date, location, version, and status
Billing and accounts
fee arrangement, retainer balance, billed vs paid, disbursements
Case notes and communication log
dated notes with author and type
Case closure
outcome, settlement, post-closure checklist
Sign-off
opened, closed, and reviewed by
How to use this template
Open a file immediately after intake
Complete the header and Section 1 as soon as the client intake form is accepted and a file number is assigned.
Complete Sections 2 and 3 before the first client meeting
All key parties and contacts should be documented before any work begins on the matter.
Enter all known dates in Section 4 immediately
Statute of limitations and court dates must be entered as soon as they are known. Never leave these blank.
Update Section 5 at every team meeting
Add new tasks, update statuses, and reassign where needed. A task with no owner and no due date will not get done.
Log every document in Section 6 when filed or received
Include the location - folder path or system reference - so anyone on the team can find it without asking.
Update billing in Section 7 after every invoice cycle
Track billed versus paid at all times. A gap between billed and paid is the first sign of a collection problem.
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