Law Firm SOP Templates: Client Intake, Case Management, and Billing

Law firms that standardize their administrative processes spend more time practicing law and less time on operational chaos. These SOPs cover the non-legal workflows that keep a firm running.

Client Intake SOP

1. Receive inquiry (phone, email, web form, referral)
2. Log in intake tracking system within 1 hour
3. Perform conflicts check against all parties
4. If conflict exists: decline representation, document reason
5. If no conflict: schedule consultation (within 48 hours for urgent matters)
6. Send intake questionnaire to potential client
7. Prepare case summary for reviewing attorney
8. Conduct consultation
9. If accepting: prepare engagement letter with fee agreement
10. Obtain signed engagement letter before beginning work
11. Open matter in case management system
12. Set up billing codes and rate structure
13. Send welcome packet with firm policies and contact information

Case Management SOP

Opening a New Matter

1. Assign matter number per firm numbering convention
2. Create physical and digital file
3. Enter all parties, dates, and deadlines in case management system
4. Set up calendar alerts for statute of limitations and filing deadlines
5. Assign responsible attorney and support staff
6. Send initial correspondence to opposing counsel

Document Management

1. Save all documents in matter folder using naming convention: [Date]-[DocType]-[Description]
2. All incoming correspondence scanned and filed same day
3. Draft documents saved with version numbers
4. Final versions clearly marked
5. Privileged documents flagged appropriately
6. Client documents returned or destroyed per retention policy

Deadline Tracking

1. All court deadlines entered in centralized calendar within 24 hours
2. Set reminder alerts: 30 days, 14 days, 7 days, 3 days, 1 day before deadline
3. Assign responsibility for each deadline
4. Verify completion of deadline tasks
5. Document compliance in case file

Billing SOP

Time Entry

1. Enter time daily (never wait until end of week)
2. Use descriptive narratives: not "research" but "Research case law regarding contract formation under UCC Article 2"
3. Minimum billing increment: 0.1 hours (6 minutes)
4. Review and edit time entries before submitting

Invoice Generation

1. Run pre-bill report by 5th of each month
2. Attorney reviews and edits pre-bills within 5 business days
3. Apply any write-offs or adjustments
4. Generate final invoices
5. Send invoices by 15th of month
6. Track outstanding receivables weekly
7. Follow up on invoices over 30 days: reminder email
8. Follow up on invoices over 60 days: phone call
9. Over 90 days: escalate to managing partner

Trust Account Management

1. Deposit retainers into IOLTA trust account
2. Never commingle trust funds with operating funds
3. Transfer earned fees from trust to operating monthly
4. Provide trust account statement to client with each invoice
5. Reconcile trust account monthly
6. Maintain detailed ledger for each client matter

Documenting Law Firm SOPs

For software-based processes like case management, billing, document management, and e-filing, record your screen while performing the task. ProcessReel generates SOPs with screenshots from your specific software.

This is critical for firms using specialized legal software like Clio, MyCase, or PracticePanther. New staff can follow step-by-step guides instead of relying on tribal knowledge.

FAQ

Are SOPs required for law firm compliance?

Many bar associations require documented procedures for trust accounting and conflicts checking. SOPs satisfy this requirement.

How do I handle SOPs for different practice areas?

Create a core set of administrative SOPs plus practice-area-specific SOPs. Family law intake differs from corporate transactional intake.

Should paralegals have different SOPs than attorneys?

Yes. Create role-specific SOPs. Paralegals handle different tasks and need different instructions.

Document your law firm processes. Try ProcessReel free