Every case starts somewhere, and at Plakas Mannos, the law firm intake process is the initial point of contact where essential client information and case specifics are gathered by our intake specialists for evaluation by our attorneys. This thorough collection of information regarding the facts and circumstances of each specific potential case enables our legal team to assess the viability of a potential case, determine if it a case we can potentially assist with, and formulate and communicate an effective legal strategy for going forward.
A well-executed intake is important to establish clear expectations, ensuring all pertinent details are gathered and documented so that your potential case can be evaluated thoroughly and promptly. Our intake specialists are trained and committed to making a potential client’s intake experience as easy and clear as possible from start to finish.
Plakas Mannos Intake Specialist Phoebe Hendrix has over 20 years of legal experience she incorporates into evaluating relevant facts and information needed to evaluate a potential case. As an Intake Specialist, Phoebe is often the first point of contact for individuals reaching out during challenging times. She personally manages intake calls for potential claims related to medical negligence, nursing home negligence, wrongful death, personal injury, workplace accidents, and product liability.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Phoebe and gain insight into each important step of the law firm intake process.
A. The intake specialists at Plakas Mannos are the first point of contact with the firm for prospective clients. Being an intake specialist is an essential role in the law firm.
As an intake specialist it is our responsibility to handle all new prospective client phone calls, gather essential details of the case and provide those details to the appropriate team of attorneys for evaluation, as well as our in-house medical analyst and our nurse attorney. The firm’s intake specialists are the prospective client’s point of contact for assistance throughout the intake process.
A. An intake at Plakas Mannos is the initiation of a potential case. As an intake specialist, the intake is when we welcome a prospective client, gather their initial case details, and provide the appropriate attorneys and teams with the case details so that they can evaluate whether our firm can legally and strategically take on the potential case and client. Intakes serve as the gateway between a potential client seeking legal help and our firm officially taking on their case.
A. Our intake specialists gather essential information such as contact details, the core narrative of the legal issue, important dates, and sometimes certain documentation. The length of time for an intake call can range from 10 minutes to 45 minutes depending upon the complexity of the legal issue and the details and information that are available.
Conflict checks are an essential step in our law firm intake process. A conflict check is the screening of the prospective client and opposing parties against our firm’s existing database to ensure there is no conflict of interest.
Once the information is gathered by the intake specialist and the conflict check has cleared, the intake is forwarded to the appropriate team of attorneys for evaluation and to determine if the case aligns with our specific practice areas, caseload capacity, and legal requirements.
The time frame for an evaluation by the attorneys depends upon the legal issue and can range from very quickly for some, to a matter of days for others- depending again on the complexity of the issue. In matters that the firm’s medical analysts are reviewing medical records or the attorneys are requesting and reviewing public records requests, more time may be required for that information to be provided and for the analysis of your potential case to be completed. That’s one of the reasons why communication is so important to this process. As an intake specialist, I keep you updated on the status of your intake, any information we are waiting on, and when you should expect a response.
A. Prior to an intake call, if the prospective client has time, it often saves them time in the long run if they can prepare a timeline consisting of the key dates and events in the order in which they occurred to provide the most accurate details during the intake call. In most instances preparing a timeline assists prospective client in recalling the important details, and helps streamline both our intake and the subsequent review.
It is important that a potential client shares all relevant facts, even the unfavorable ones, so that the attorneys can properly evaluate the potential case.
It also has become more common for potential clients to utilize AI in preparing their intake materials. While it may seem that AI can help you put your best foot forward for your intake, oftentimes the AI submissions actually make the process take longer, because the AI information is inaccurate, embellished, and can lead us down rabbit holes that don’t ultimately end up having relevance to your potential case. It is always my suggestion that any submissions you provide to us are in your own words, and not AI generated.
A. From doing hundreds if not thousands of intakes over the years, I have talked with some of the sweetest, kindest people who have gone through things that no one ever should have to live through, due to the negligence of others. I know it can seem intimidating to reach out to a law firm, but my colleagues at Plakas Mannos and I will do everything we can to hear your story and help you get through the intake process. I think the best advice boils down to a few simple things:
(1) Be honest. Don’t try to sugar coat for us, just tell it like it is so we have the full picture and can evaluate the legalities with eyes wide open.
(2) Use your own words, not AI. There is a time and place for AI, but it distracts from your story and your case when you use AI to prepare your intake materials.
(3) Be patient. For a complicated case, the intake will take some time, and the gathering of records will take time. We know that your case is the most important thing in your life, and we will gather and review the information as soon as we can, but it does take time.
(4) Trust the process. It isn’t easy to get on the phone or the internet and tell someone you don’t know something horrible that you or your family has been through. We understand that, and we empathize with you. We will do all we can to give you a comfort level in sharing with us so that we can get the information we need to hopefully be able to help you move forward.
A. As a medical/nursing home negligence, wrongful death, and personal injury intake specialist, the most rewarding part of my job is assisting prospective clients during the most stressful or tragic times of their lives and providing them with empathy and understanding.
Also, when our attorneys prevail in cases with life-changing results for the client, just knowing that it started with my intake call, that justice was achieved, and that we made a positive impact on that client’s life is fulfilling.
It can feel overwhelming to reach out to a law firm, especially after a life-altering event. Phoebe and our other intake personnel understand the trauma and stress you might be experiencing. We pride our team on their ability to guide people through these challenging moments with empathy and compassion right from that first conversation.
Our law firm intake process is designed to gather the information our attorneys need while helping prospective clients understand what to expect as their potential case is evaluated.
Excellence is what we strive for. When you call Plakas Mannos you are in the very best hands and we are here to support you every step of the way.
Thank you to Phoebe and to all of our dedicated intake specialists.