An inquiry is not an accepted legal matter
Report consultation interest separately from accepted matters and other verified legal-business outcomes. A consultation form alone cannot establish client acceptance, matter value or case results.
Law-firm marketing reports should distinguish inquiries, consultations, accepted matters and later commercial outcomes. Each stage depends on its own criteria. A broad lead count can conceal suitability and handling issues.
A worked example
A hypothetical campaign generates 30 inquiries, ten consultations and three accepted matters. Calling all 30 new cases would misstate the result. The firm also needs an approved process for information received before engagement.
How to apply it
- Agree stage definitions with the firm and preserve intake boundaries.
- Use attorney review for legal statements and advertising claims.
- Test the inquiry route without putting confidential facts into analytics events.
What the result can establish
Keep marketing-source evidence separate from case outcomes. Applicable professional and privacy requirements require qualified review; this reporting method does not determine compliance. Do not promise case results or invent client testimonials.
Reference: W3C WAI: validating forms.
Supporting documentation
W3C WAI: validating formsFTC: advertising guidance for small businessGoogle Analytics: recommended eventsGoogle: helpful, reliable content