- Originally Published on March 14, 2023
What Our Intake Specialists Do & How They Can Help You
Are you the target of internet defamation, online harassment, or another internet-privacy-related attack, and exploring legal representation to help resolve your internet issue? Our team at Minc Law receives daily inquiries from potential clients looking for help with internet defamation, content removal, and online harassment matters.
At Minc Law, we prioritize transparency and trust. We want you to understand what it is like to work with our firm at each step along the journey. If you reach out to Minc Law for help with your internet-related issue, your first point of contact will be one of our intake specialists. Our intake process is a crucial step that ensures our team is the right fit for you and provides us with sufficient information to maximize your consult time spent with an attorney.
In this article, we explore the role of intake specialists at our firm and how they help qualify clients, provide guidance on a client’s next steps, and prepare them to speak to one of our experienced attorneys.
Our Intake Specialists Are Your First Point of Contact With Minc Law
No matter if you reach out to us via a Chat representative, phone call, or our contact form, the first person that you will speak to is a dedicated member of our intake team. After reaching out and providing initial information about your internet-related issue, you can expect a member of the intake team to follow up with you by email or phone call within 24–48 hours.
The quickest way to reach a member of our intake team is by calling us at (216) 373-7706 during our office hours (Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM ET). If an intake member does not answer, our answering service will gather your information and forward it to our team. Our intake team will always strive to call you back within the same day.
After your initial contact, our intake specialists will then initiate and coordinate the entire process of setting up an appointment to speak with an attorney to retain our firm’s services.
Our Intake Specialists Field Your Initial Questions
Whether it is your first time calling a law firm or facing an internet defamation issue, you likely have many questions. Our intake team is here to help!
As the first stop for all new inquirers, our intake specialists have extensive training to answer many general, frequently-asked questions that potential new clients may have about the legal process and retaining an attorney.
While our intake specialists cannot provide actual legal advice, they can answer many questions about topics like:
- Services our firm offers,
- Whether or not our firm is the right fit to assist you,
- Costs and retainer fees at Minc Law, and
- Options and next steps available to you.
Our intake specialists are also knowledgeable resources to provide helpful tips for victims of sextortion and internet blackmail. Some sextortion victims who inquire at our firm cannot afford attorney assistance. In this case, a member of our intake team can direct you to free resources and information in our Legal Resource Center and on other organizations’ websites.
Our Intake Specialists Qualify You to Speak to an Attorney
Our intake specialists assist you from the moment you inquire at our firm until you attend your first consult. For this reason, they are the primary actors in qualifying you to speak with an attorney. When speaking with an intake specialist over email, phone call, or Zoom, they will aim to gather as much information about your matter as possible by asking questions such as:
- Did this incident occur on the internet?
- Where on the internet did this occur (such as on a social media platform, discussion board, review site, or news publication)?
- How long has this issue been going on?
- Do you know the perpetrator’s identity, or are they anonymous?
- What are your goals in obtaining an attorney?
- Do you have a specific budget in mind?
Our intake specialists ask these types of questions to determine if we are the right fit for your matter or if we need to refer you to another attorney or law firm. After listening to and assessing your situation and goals, an intake specialist will determine the next best steps for you, such as which type of consult is best suited for your needs—this may be a paid hourly consult or a free 30-minute consult.
If you are a victim of sextortion or online extortion, our intake specialists will explain the next steps in consulting with an attorney. This process typically involves processing your emergency consultation fee and scheduling you to speak with an attorney that day.
Is It Safe to Disclose Potentially Sensitive Information With an Intake Specialist?
Most potential clients who contact our firm require help with highly sensitive issues. Our intake specialists, and every team member at our firm, uphold client confidentiality and privacy obligations as paramount. It is required both ethically and legally by our profession.
All information shared with an intake specialist is subject to attorney-client privilege and is confidential. Intake specialists may only share a potential new client’s information with the attorney or attorneys that will consult on their matter.
Our Intake Specialists Schedule Consults & Facilitate Communication With the Attorneys
Once an intake specialist determines which consult best suits your needs, they will schedule your meeting with an attorney. If your case involves litigation, the intake specialist may schedule you to speak with two attorneys so that your case is handled efficiently.
If you are pre-qualified for a free consultation, your intake specialist will coordinate a 30-minute meeting, typically over Zoom. On the other hand, if you are best suited for a paid consultation, they will send you a link to pay the consultation fee before confirming your appointment time.
We prefer to schedule initial consultations over Zoom because it allows you to meet face-to-face with the attorney without needing to travel to our office. This option is particularly beneficial for our out-of-state clients, who may never be able to visit us in person.
Our intake specialists equip you and the attorney to tackle your matter effectively during the consult. They relay relevant information to the attorneys—which means that open communication is key.
The more transparent you are when providing information to your intake specialist, the better they can assist you. The more they understand your matter, the more likely they are to choose the right attorney for your matter. Also, your transparency during the intake process ensures that the attorney has a good understanding of your matter and goals before your consult.
Our Intake Specialists Set Up Matters & Ensure the Attorney Has the Necessary Information to Help You
After your free or paid consult, if you determine that you would like to proceed with our firm, you will be provided an engagement agreement and link for retainer payment. After you sign your engagement and the retainer payment is processed, a member of our intake and admin team will set up your matter for attorney work.
An intake specialist or paralegal begins this process by setting up your file and running a conflict check within our firm. Then, we preserve all the important documents and information you gave us so the attorneys can access all relevant information about your matter.
This process should be hands-off for you—unless your attorney asks you to provide additional information about your situation.
Once they finish setting up your matter, the intake specialist lets the attorney know so they can begin working on your case. One of our dedicated intake specialists or paralegals may also contact you on the attorney’s behalf to schedule a follow-up meeting.
Our Intake Specialists Send Engagement Agreements & Process Payments
If you choose to retain our firm after consulting with an attorney, an intake specialist will send you an engagement agreement for your signature. Signing the engagement agreement represents your legal agreement with our firm. You will also be asked to fill out a credit card form that lets us process your retainer payment.
An intake specialist will draft an engagement agreement tailored to you and your matter and send it through email for your signature via Adobe Sign. If you have any concerns regarding your agreement, an intake specialist can address and answer your questions.
When you sign your engagement, the intake specialist will process your retainer payment and notify you once it is complete.
Reach Out to Get Started With Your Internet Defamation or Online Harassment Matter Today
At Minc Law, we know that it can be stressful to find the appropriate law firm or attorney to resolve your legal issue. We pride ourselves on transparency and trust and strive to make this process as painless as possible for you. This means explaining what working with Minc Law looks like from your initial contact to the completion of your matter.
★★★★★
“Trust me, you don’t want to get into these messes, but I feel a lot more at ease having spoken with the kind folks here at Minc Law. It really won’t hurt to call and assess your options.”
JMS
Jan 26, 2022
If you would like to explore your options to tackle internet defamation or online harassment head-on, we can help. Reach out to schedule your initial, confidential no-obligation consultation with an intake specialist by calling us at (216) 373-7706, speaking with a Chat representative, or filling out our online contact form.
This page has been peer-reviewed, fact-checked, and edited by qualified attorneys to ensure substantive accuracy and coverage.