Intake in family law is not a form-filling exercise. It is the first structured opportunity to understand what the case actually is, whether the firm can represent the client, whether the client is safe, and whether there are dynamics that will shape every subsequent decision in the representation.
1. Conflicts check. Names of all adverse parties — the spouse, the opposing party, any other individuals the firm has represented. No substantive work begins until the conflicts check clears.
2. Factual foundation. The timeline of the relationship, the children, the financial picture, the immediate triggering event. Not a deposition — an organized record of what the case is.
3. Safety screening. Domestic violence, threats, protective orders, child safety concerns. Required in every family law intake, regardless of how the matter is framed.
4. Expectation setting. The attorney-paralegal distinction. The timeline. What questions the paralegal can answer and what goes to the attorney. Fee structure and scope.
Domestic violence screening is not optional, not limited to cases that "look like" DV cases, and not something to skip because the client seems composed. It is a routine component of family law intake for a specific reason: clients do not always volunteer DV information, and the firm cannot represent the client safely without knowing.
A simple, non-leading screening question included in every intake: "Is there anything in the relationship or the separation that has made you feel unsafe, or that concerns you about your safety or your children's safety now?" Train yourself to ask it in the same tone you ask about addresses and dates — not as a dramatic question, as a standard one.
If a client discloses domestic violence during intake: acknowledge, gather the essential safety facts (is there an active threat, are the children safe tonight, is there a protective order in place), connect them to appropriate resources (local DV hotline, shelter if needed), and get the information to the attorney the same day. The paralegal's immediate obligation is the client's safety. The attorney determines the legal strategy.
Click through each to mark: helpful / unsafe.