For a law firm, the first contact with a possible client is both a commercial moment and a professional one. The enquiry has to be captured quickly, the right fee earner has to see it, and the firm has to be careful about what information it collects before it has decided whether to act. A CRM for law firms UK practices use needs to support that first stage without treating every enquiry as a file that has already been opened.
Many firms start with a shared inbox, a phone log and a practice system that is only used once a matter is opened. Those gaps mean prospective clients can be lost between the first call and the first meeting, and that referrals from accountants, surveyors or former clients are not recorded in a way anyone can report on later.
This article looks at enquiry intake, how to record conflict checks at a general level, how to track referrals, how matter types shape the record, how client care steps can be tracked, and how confidentiality and access control should work. The regulatory points relate mainly to solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Firms in other parts of the UK, or in other regulated professions, should check their own rules. Treat everything here as general guidance.
Why law firms in the UK need structured enquiry intake
The first contact should gather enough information to route the enquiry correctly, and no more. Asking for detailed personal information before the firm knows whether it can act is unnecessary, and it can create risks of its own. A good intake process records the essentials and leaves the detail for a conversation with the right person.
Some enquiries touch on health, family circumstances or other sensitive areas. Collect that kind of information only where the firm needs it at that stage, and record it with care, because the UK GDPR gives certain categories of personal data extra protection.
What to capture at first contact
A sensible intake record usually holds:
- The practice area the enquiry relates to
- The name and preferred contact method of the person enquiring
- A short summary of the issue, written in the enquirer's own terms
- The date and channel, such as phone, web form or referral
- Any deadline the enquirer has mentioned, such as a hearing or completion date
Keep the summary short. A few sentences is enough to route the enquiry, and the fuller detail can be recorded once the firm has agreed to act or to hold a consultation.
Web forms, phone calls and out-of-hours messages
Enquiries arrive by many routes. Whichever route is used, the CRM should create the same kind of record, with the same fields and an owner assigned at once. Out-of-hours messages need a clear automatic acknowledgement and a named person who reviews them on the next working day, so nothing sits unseen over a weekend.
Conflict checks in a CRM for law firms
Before a firm acts for a new client, it must consider whether there is a conflict of interest. The SRA Code of Conduct sets out the duties, and the detailed decisions belong to the fee earner and the firm's compliance process. A CRM can support that process by holding the data needed for a search and recording the outcome, but it does not make the decision.
Recording that a check was made
The record should show the names searched, the date, who ran the check and the outcome. Where a possible conflict is found, the note should say what was decided and by whom, rather than leaving that judgement only in an email thread. This creates a clear trail if the decision is questioned later.
Who decides what
The CRM should make it clear who has authority to clear a check and who must be consulted first. Those rules should match the firm's own compliance arrangements. If a situation is unclear, take advice from your regulator or a compliance adviser before the firm acts.
Referrals and introducers
Referrals are a common source of work for many firms, and they are also where careful record-keeping matters most. The CRM should show where work comes from, who introduced it and how each introducer relationship is managed. It should not be used to record arrangements the firm has not checked against the rules.
Tracking where work comes from
Each enquiry should carry a source, whether that is a client, an accountant, a website, a directory or a former client returning. Reports on source help partners decide where to spend their time, and they show introducers whose relationships need attention. Keep introducer records separate from client records, so a referrer is not confused with the person the firm acts for.
Referral arrangements need advice
Some arrangements involving payment or another benefit for a referral raise regulatory questions, and the rules depend on the type of work and how the arrangement is structured. Before anything linked to a referral is recorded or paid, check the position with your regulator's guidance or an adviser. The CRM can then hold a note of what was agreed, without becoming the place where the arrangement is decided.
Matter types that match the real work
Once an enquiry becomes a matter, the record needs to reflect the type of work, because each practice area has its own steps, documents and deadlines. A conveyancing matter, a family matter and an employment matter will not share the same milestones. Setting up matter types properly saves time later and makes reporting far more useful.
One contact, several matters
A single client may have several matters over the years, and a family may have connected matters involving different people. The CRM should link each matter to the right client and to any related parties, so a fee earner can see the wider picture without opening every file.
Setting up matter types
Create one matter type for each practice area, with its own list of steps, documents and deadlines. Keep the list short enough to be used every day, and review it when a practice area changes its process. Reporting then works across matters of the same type, which makes it easier to see where the firm's time goes.
Reporting by matter type
Once matter types are consistent, managers can see how many matters are open in each area, how long each stage takes and where work is waiting on the client rather than on the firm. Those are practical questions, and they are much easier to answer when the same steps are recorded the same way every time.
Client care from first meeting to engagement
Client care is where the firm turns an enquiry into a properly managed relationship. The steps should be visible to everyone who works on the matter, so that no one assumes a task has been done when it has not.
Client care steps that are easy to see
Many firms send a client care letter at the start of a matter and track progress through a short list of onboarding steps. The record should show when each step was completed, who completed it and what is still outstanding. Where the firm uses a checklist for each practice area, the CRM can hold that checklist against the matter so no step is skipped.
Keeping the client informed
A simple habit is to record each update sent to the client, with the date and the person responsible. That history answers questions about what was said and when, and it helps the team pick up a matter cleanly if someone is away. It also keeps promises about response times visible, which is good for the client and for the firm.
Marketing to clients without mixing it with casework
Marketing to clients and former clients is a different activity from case work, and it has its own rules on consent and on what can be said. Keep marketing lists separate from matter records, check the position before sending anything, and make it easy for people to opt out of messages they do not want.
Agreeing the engagement terms
Once the client has decided to instruct the firm, the record should show when the engagement terms were agreed, what fee basis applies and who signed them. A clear date and a signed copy against the matter make later questions about scope and responsibility much easier to answer.
Confidentiality and access control
Client confidentiality is a core professional duty, and the CRM is one of the places where it is tested every day. Not everyone in the firm needs to see every enquiry or matter, so a sensible design limits access to what each person needs for their work. The practical question is not only whether the system is secure, but whether its set-up matches the way the firm really works.
Restricting access by team and matter
Access should follow the firm's structure. A conveyancing team should not see employment files by default, and sensitive matters may need a smaller list of users still. Review access lists when people join, move teams or leave, and remove access promptly.
Training matters as much as settings. Everyone who uses the CRM should know what they may share, with whom, and what to do if they see a record they should not. A short induction and a written rule help, and the rules should be checked whenever the system changes.
Keeping a record of changes
Where the CRM supports an audit trail, switch it on and check that it records who viewed or changed sensitive records. Keep notes factual and professional, because they may be seen by clients, regulators or a court in some circumstances. Take advice on how long records must be kept and when they should be deleted.
FAQ
Can a CRM store conflict check results for a law firm?
A CRM can hold the names searched, the date, the person who ran the check and the outcome, which creates a clear record. It should not replace the judgement of the fee earner or the firm's compliance process. Speak to your regulator's guidance or a compliance adviser about how conflicts should be handled in your practice.
What should a law firm CRM capture at first enquiry?
Capture the practice area, the enquirer's contact details, a short summary of the issue, the channel and any deadline they have mentioned. Save the fuller detail for later conversations, after the firm has decided whether it can act. The aim is to route the enquiry quickly and correctly, without collecting more personal information than is needed.
Is a CRM secure enough for confidential client information?
Security depends on how the system is hosted, how access is set up, how backups are handled and how staff are trained, so it is not a single product feature. Limit access by team and matter, keep audit records where the system allows, and review permissions when people change roles. Take advice from your IT provider and compliance adviser before deciding what information to hold.
Can we track referrals in a CRM without breaking the rules?
You can record where work came from and keep introducer relationships separate from client records. Any arrangement that gives or receives value for a referral should be checked against the rules before it is recorded or used. Your regulator's guidance or an adviser can confirm what applies to your practice.
How should matter types be set up in a CRM?
Give each practice area its own matter type, with the steps, documents and deadlines that belong to that work. Link each matter to the client and to any related parties, so the full picture is visible. Review the matter types regularly, because practice areas and processes change.
Does a CRM replace a case management system for a law firm?
It depends on the firm. Some firms use a CRM for enquiries, referrals and relationships, and a separate case or matter management system for the detailed work on each file. Others want one system to cover both, which is why the boundary between them should be decided before any software is chosen.
Final thought
A CRM for law firms UK teams can rely on supports the first contact without collecting more than the firm needs. Conflict checks should be recorded clearly, referrals should be visible without being confused with clients, and matter types should reflect the real work. Client care steps and access controls protect both the firm and its clients, so they should be designed carefully from the start.
The right design depends on the type of practice and the way it is run. Your regulator's rules, your insurer's requirements and your own compliance adviser should shape the final decisions, and that advice matters more than any generic template.
Mirex Agency is a senior-led digital agency in London, and it builds CRM solutions for UK small and mid-sized businesses. If your firm wants its intake, referral and matter records to hang together, a sensible first step is the CRM solutions page at mirexagency.com/services/crm-solutions. You can also write to hello@mirexagency.com with a few lines about how your practice works now.
