Case Study: How a Law Firm Automated Client Intake and Saved €10,000 Annually

For law firms, the client intake process is the critical first step in any engagement. It's also notoriously manual, time-consuming, and prone to errors that can create downstream problems. A boutique family law practice approached us with this exact problem: their paralegals were spending too much time on administrative tasks and not enough on high-value legal work.

The Challenge: A Manual Bottleneck

The firm's intake process was a multi-step, manual workflow:

1. A potential client fills out a form on their website.
2. A paralegal manually transcribes this information into their case management software (Clio).
3. The paralegal then runs a conflict check.
4. An engagement letter is manually generated and sent for e-signature via DocuSign.
5. Once signed, the paralegal creates a client folder in Dropbox and sends a welcome packet.

This process took, on average, 45 minutes per client and often led to data entry mistakes. With dozens of new clients per month, this administrative drag was costing them dearly in billable hours and operational inefficiency.

The Solution: An AI-Powered Intake Operator

We designed and deployed a "Personal AI Worker" to orchestrate the entire intake workflow. The automation is triggered the moment a potential client submits the website form.

Here's how the new, automated process works:

• Step 1: The AI Worker instantly parses the form submission and uses the Clio API to create a new client contact and matter, eliminating manual data entry.
• Step 2: It automatically runs a conflict check against all existing matters in Clio and flags any potential issues for immediate review by a human.
• Step 3: If no conflicts are found, the system uses the client's data to populate a pre-defined engagement letter template and sends it for signature via the DocuSign API.
• Step 4: Upon receiving a webhook notification that the document has been signed, the AI Worker creates a secure, standardized client folder in Dropbox and emails the client a welcome packet with next steps.

The Results: A Clear Return on Investment

The impact on the firm's efficiency was immediate and profound.

This massive time-saving translated directly into financial gains. By freeing up their paralegals to focus on billable tasks, the firm calculated an annual cost saving of over €10,000. Furthermore, the new process eliminated data entry errors and ensured every new client received a consistent, professional, and prompt onboarding experience.

This case demonstrates how targeting a single, high-friction process with intelligent automation can deliver a significant and measurable ROI. Ready to find the bottleneck in your business? Let's talk.