--- title: "Criminal defense website intake form: what to ask" description: "Brief a criminal defense inquiry form with limited screening fields, attorney-approved warnings, clear receipts, and a tested private staff handoff." canonical: "https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/criminal-defense-website-intake-form" --- ## Site navigation - [Scale With Search](https://scalewithsearch.com/) - Services - Services - [AI systems](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-systems) - [Site build](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#site-build) - [Whole website fix](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#whole-website-fix) - [Content library with SEO](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#content-library) - [Working session](https://scalewithsearch.com/audit) - Start here - [Send your brief](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#send-your-brief) - [Example scope](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#review-the-example-scope) - [Prices and terms](https://scalewithsearch.com/work#prices-and-terms) - Industries - Real estate - [Real estate agents and teams](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate) - [Platforms, ownership, and IDX](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-platforms-ownership-idx) - [Search, content, and AI](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-search-content-ai) - [Inquiries, campaigns, and handoffs](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-inquiries-campaigns-handoffs) - [Buyer, seller, and local pages](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-buyer-seller-local-resources) - [Rules, privacy, and trust](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/real-estate/real-estate-website-rules-privacy-trust) - Browse by business - [Trades and home services](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-trades) - [Health, wellness, and animal care](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-practices) - [Law, finance, and IT](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-professional) - [Marketing and SEO agencies](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-agencies) - [Shops and manufacturers](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-manufacturing) - [Restaurants, shops, studios, and nonprofits](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/#group-local-services) - Chiropractic practices - [Chiropractic and wellness practices](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-wellness-practices) - [Chiropractic and physical therapy clinics](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/chiropractic-and-physical-therapy-clinics) - [All industries](https://scalewithsearch.com/for/) - Resources - Free tools - [AI readiness check](https://scalewithsearch.com/check) - [Free tools](https://scalewithsearch.com/tools/) - [Free Starter Kit](https://scalewithsearch.com/kit/business-memory-starter-kit.zip) - Guides - [AI-native library](https://scalewithsearch.com/ai-native) - [Industry intelligence](https://scalewithsearch.com/intelligence) - [Office job guides](https://scalewithsearch.com/guides/) - [Business memory](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/business-memory-for-ai-agents-guide) - [Agent governance](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/ai-agent-governance-guide-small-business) - [Migration and ownership](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/leaving-vendor-ai-memory-guide) - Articles - [All articles](https://scalewithsearch.com/articles/) - [What changed](https://scalewithsearch.com/changes/) - About - Evidence - [Proof](https://scalewithsearch.com/proof) - Scale With Search - [About](https://scalewithsearch.com/about) - [How it works](https://scalewithsearch.com/how-it-works) # Criminal defense website intake form: what to ask Design the first criminal-defense form around an initial contact request. Have the responsible attorney decide what the firm needs before conflict screening and whether the page should accept a narrative at all. Keep evidence uploads, legal advice, and deadline decisions outside this website brief. The form's field count is a design choice that must follow the firm's intake policy. ## Review the invitation before the field list ABA's comment on Model Rule 1.18 explains that electronic communications can constitute a consultation depending on the circumstances. It discusses invitations to submit information and clear cautionary statements. It also recommends limiting an initial consultation to information reasonably necessary to consider representation. [ABA Model Rule 1.18 comment, checked 2026.10.22](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_18_duties_of_prospective_client/comment_on_rule_1_18_duties_of_prospective_client/). These are ABA model materials. Have the firm's attorney apply the jurisdiction's current rules and approve the entire contact invitation. Do not treat a generic no-relationship disclaimer as a complete intake policy. ## Ask the attorney to approve each field Use this proposed worksheet rather than copying a long intake questionnaire into a public page: | Proposed field | Decision for the firm | | --- | --- | | Name and callback route | What staff need to establish contact | | Safe contact preference | How to avoid an inappropriate callback or message | | County or court, if known | What the first screening step requires | | Broad matter category | Which choices reflect matters the firm accepts | | Existing representation | Whether and how staff ask before further discussion | | Date the visitor wants staff to review | How to receive it without calculating or promising a deadline | The attorney may remove or change any field. Keep accusations, admissions, witness accounts, and evidence files outside the first public form unless counsel has defined an appropriate process. ## Put the warning beside the action Have the attorney supply the exact instructions for information the visitor should withhold. Place them before the narrative field or submit control, wherever the approved design requires them. Identify the contact route for time-sensitive questions using the firm's actual monitored hours. Do not promise immediate review, court attendance, or representation unless the firm has approved that precise statement. ## Make the receipt accurate W3C recommends clear feedback for successful and failed form submissions. Its notification guidance includes error descriptions and correction instructions. [W3C WAI: User notification, checked 2026.10.22](https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/forms/notifications/). Specify receipt language that confirms a submitted request only when the implementation supports that statement. Keep acceptance of a case and response timing separate. Obtain the attorney's approval of any automatic acknowledgment. ## Test the receiving boundary Use synthetic facts and contact details you control. Arrange a marked test with authorized intake staff. Confirm who receives the request and who can access it. Check missing-field errors, the receipt, and the alternative contact route. Confirm that the chosen county and safe contact preference arrive intact. Do not send a real matter through a test environment. Ask the maintainer to inventory where submission data appears, including notifications and logs. Have the firm review those destinations before accepting the form. ## Scope the contact path Bring the approved field list, warning text, receiving role, and test requirements to the [family and criminal defense website brief](/for/family-and-criminal-defense-law-firms). Request the agreed page through [Scale With Search's written work scope](/work). Continue the website review: [AI-native family and criminal defense firms: first functions](/articles/ai-native-family-criminal-law-first-functions); [Criminal defense website chat: where do transcripts go?](/articles/criminal-defense-website-chat-transcript-review); [Criminal defense website call button: check the number](/articles/criminal-defense-website-phone-button-check); [Family and criminal defense AI rules: data, approvals, spend](/articles/family-criminal-law-ai-rules-data-approvals-spend); [Family law county pages without doorway content](/articles/family-law-county-pages-without-doorways); [Family law website calendars: review reminder privacy](/articles/family-law-website-calendar-reminder-privacy); [Family law website PDFs: review before publishing](/articles/family-law-website-public-pdf-review); [Family law website testimonials: review permission](/articles/family-law-website-testimonial-permission-review); [Attorney bio credentials for family and defense firms](/articles/law-firm-attorney-bio-credentials); [Law firm Google profiles: firm or individual attorney?](/articles/law-firm-google-practitioner-profile-plan); [Outdated law firm articles: audit before changing dates](/articles/law-firm-outdated-legal-content-audit); [Law firm intake analytics: keep client details out](/articles/law-firm-website-intake-analytics-data-review). [family and criminal defense law firms](/for/family-and-criminal-defense-law-firms): website and search resources. ## Related: family and criminal defense law firms - [Criminal defense website call button: check the number](/articles/criminal-defense-website-phone-button-check) - [Family and criminal defense AI rules: data, approvals, spend](/articles/family-criminal-law-ai-rules-data-approvals-spend) - [Family law county pages without doorway content](/articles/family-law-county-pages-without-doorways) ---- ```text .|########||. .|########||. .|########||. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |##||. .||##|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#|. .|#|. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. .#| .#. .#| .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .# ||#########| #| .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. .#. |######||######|. .#. #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# #. .##|###|##|#|######| .# || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || || |##|#||||||||||||#||#| || # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. # |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # # .#||||||||||||||||||||||||#| # || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || || ....|||#||||||##|#|||#|#||##||||....|. || #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# #. . ....|# ....#||| ||| .#||| ....#. .# # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. # . ||||#| .#####|| . .#| .#||| ||||# #. .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || .| ||||| #. |#|||||. || #. |#||. .||||| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || || |.... #. ....|#. |. ...|. ....|| || #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# #. .||||||##||||||##||####|||||||#||||||#| .# # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .||####|###########################|. # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#||||||.#.|| # |. ..# #| #|||||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||||| .. |# ## |#| ...#|#|||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#|||#|# .# .#| #| ##|.#..#|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # .#||||||############|######|||||#| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # # |...||#||||||#||||#|#||||||#|||||#||| |.| # #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# #. .. ||||# .|||##|. |#| .|| || .|||#. #| # .# || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || | ...|| ...##| | #| .|. |. ##### .. .| || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || || ||||| || ||||#| . |. |. |#. ||||| |#| || || .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. .# |.....#|....|#.||||.|||##.|#|....||.#||.#. #. #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# #.|||||||#############################| ||| .# || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || || ##||#||#||||||#||#||#||#||##. || # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # # .#|||||||||#||#|||||||||||#| # || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||||||#| || .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. .# |#||||||||||||||||||||#| #. || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || || |#||||||||||||||||||#| || #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# #. .######|#|#########| .# .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. .#. |#####||||#####| .#. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ||########|| #. |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |# ...... #| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#. |#. .#. |#. .#. .#| |#. .#| |#. .#| |#. |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| |#| .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. .|#|. |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| |##||. .||##| .||########||. .||########||. .||########||. 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