ChatGPT Prompts for Law Firm Intake: 15 Prompts That Stay Rule 1.6 Safe

Every intake coordinator and solo attorney knows the grind: the same 40 messages, rewritten from scratch, every single week. Consultation follow-ups. The retainer explainer that has to land just right so a new client actually signs. Case-status updates for the file that hasn't moved this week but still needs a human touch. The document chase that never ends. It's exactly the kind of repetitive writing ChatGPT is good at absorbing — and exactly the kind of writing where one careless paste can turn into a confidentiality problem.

Knowing what to prompt isn't enough — you need to know what never goes into the prompt at all. This article gives you both: the confidentiality baseline under Model Rule 1.6 and ABA Formal Opinion 512, and 15 ready-to-adapt prompts covering intake, onboarding, case status, and retention — built so client and matter details never touch the AI tool.

TL;DR

ChatGPT can draft consultation follow-ups, retainer and fee explainers, case-status updates, and document chases in seconds — but only if client- and matter-identifying information never enters the prompt. Draft with placeholders like [Client], [Matter], and [Date], generate the generic version, then personalize inside your secure practice management system — never inside the AI chat window. Model Rule 1.6 (confidentiality) applies to what you type into a chatbot exactly as it applies to what you say out loud, and ABA Formal Opinion 512 (2024) addresses generative AI use by lawyers directly, including the supervision duty under Model Rule 5.3. Below: 15 prompts organized by where intake loses the most time, plus the one-line rule your whole team can memorize: if it only makes sense with a real client's name in it, it doesn't belong in the AI tool.

The confidentiality baseline, before a single prompt

This is the whole system in one habit: draft generic, personalize inside your practice management system.

Never paste client- or matter-identifying information into a public AI tool. No names, case numbers, opposing party names, financial or medical details, or dates that could identify a specific person's matter. Use [Client] and [Matter] placeholders, draft generic, personalize afterward inside your secure system.
The supervising attorney reviews everything before it ships. Model Rule 5.3 makes attorneys responsible for the work product of nonlawyer assistants, and ABA Formal Opinion 512 extends that logic to AI-assisted drafting. Nothing leaves the firm without an attorney's eyes on it.
Never promise an outcome. Every state's advertising and solicitation rules restrict result guarantees and "we'll win" language — keep every draft in the realm of process and information, not prediction.

Fifteen prompts follow, covering the three places intake teams actually lose their week.

Initial consultation & lead follow-up (5 prompts)

The first 48 hours decide whether a lead becomes a client. These templates make sure nobody falls through the cracks.

1. The post-inquiry first response

Write a warm, professional first-response email to [Lead], who submitted a general inquiry about [Practice Area] through our website. Do not give any legal advice or evaluate the matter. Invite them to schedule a consultation, note our typical response time, and thank them for reaching out. Under 100 words, welcoming, zero legalese.

2. The case-declined soft redirect

Write a respectful follow-up email to [Lead] after a consultation where we determined this isn't a matter our firm can take on, for [General Reason]. Do not state or imply the merits of their case. Suggest they consult another attorney promptly, and note any time-sensitivity in general terms only if the attorney has confirmed it applies. Under 120 words, warm and professional.

3. The retainer agreement explainer cover email

Write a plain-language cover email to [Client] sending the retainer agreement for [Matter Type]. Summarize in 3-4 sentences what the agreement covers — scope of representation, fee structure, how billing works — and note that the full legal terms are in the attached document, which they should read carefully and ask questions about before signing. Under 150 words.

4. The contingency fee explanation

Write a plain-English explanation of our contingency fee arrangement for [Client] on [Matter Type]: the percentage, what expenses are handled separately from the fee and how those are paid, and that there's no attorney fee if there's no recovery, stating the exact firm policy. No outcome or recovery amount is promised. Under 180 words.

5. The document checklist request for a new client

Write a document request email to [Client] for a new [Matter Type] matter, listing exactly what's needed to get started. Note the secure upload method (portal, not email attachment, for sensitive documents) and a target date to have everything in. Under 130 words.

Case-status communication (5 prompts)

The single biggest source of client anxiety — and bar complaints — is silence. These keep clients informed even when nothing new has happened, without ever putting matter details in the prompt itself.

6. The generic status update

Write a status update email to [Client] on their [Matter Type] matter. What's happened since the last update: [Summary]. What's next: [Next Step]. Expected timing: [Timeframe], stated as an estimate, not a promise. Tone: clear, plain-English, no case outcome predictions. Under 150 words.

7. The delay/expectation-setting message

Write an email to [Client] explaining that their matter is taking longer than originally discussed, due to [General Reason — e.g., court scheduling, opposing counsel's requested extension, a backlog]. State the revised realistic timeframe, what if anything is being done to move it forward, and reassure them delays like this are common and not a sign of a problem. Under 140 words.

8. The settlement offer explainer

Write a plain-English email to [Client] explaining a settlement offer has been received: [General Terms, no specific dollar figure unless the attorney supplies it]. Explain what it means procedurally and that the decision to accept or reject is entirely theirs, to be discussed on a call with the attorney. Do not recommend accepting or rejecting. Under 150 words.

9. The proactive "nothing new to report" check-in

Write a brief, proactive check-in email to [Client] whose matter hasn't had a substantive development since our last update on [Date]. Reassure them their file hasn't been forgotten, note we're currently waiting on [What We're Waiting On], and give a rough sense of when to expect the next real update. Under 100 words.

10. The missing document reminder, first touch

Write a friendly reminder email to [Client] requesting these outstanding documents for their [Matter Type] matter: [Document List]. Include a one-line note on why each is needed. Deadline to stay on track: [Date]. Under 100 words, warm, zero guilt-tripping.

Retention, difficult conversations & AI-use safeguards (5 prompts)

Every closed matter is a relationship the firm already earned — and the internal habits that keep AI-assisted drafting defensible if a bar complaint or a malpractice question ever comes up.

11. The bar-compliant review request

Write a review request email to [Client] after a concluded matter. Reference one specific positive detail from their experience, include a one-click review link placeholder, offer a graceful out ("no pressure either way"), and avoid any language that could be read as soliciting a review in exchange for a benefit or that references case outcome/results in violation of advertising rules. Under 100 words.

12. The bar-compliant referral request

Write a referral request to [Client] shortly after a smooth matter conclusion. One specific line about the experience, the type of person we're a good fit for, and one easy way to introduce us. No compensation or fee-for-referral language of any kind. Under 100 words, confident not desperate.

13. The declination letter for a statute-of-limitations concern

Write a declination letter to [Lead], whose matter our firm cannot take on, that clearly and unambiguously states we are not representing them, urges them to consult another attorney immediately given that legal claims are subject to time limits, and does not offer any opinion on whether a specific deadline applies to their situation. Under 150 words.

14. The confidentiality checklist for intake and legal staff

Create a one-page checklist for intake and legal staff titled "What Never Goes Into a Public AI Tool," covering client names, matter numbers, opposing party names, specific dollar figures tied to a real matter, medical or financial details, dates that could identify a specific person's case, and any document containing privileged content. Format as a scannable checklist under 200 words, referencing Model Rule 1.6.

15. The ABA Formal Opinion 512 quick-reference summary

Create a plain-English quick-reference summary of ABA Formal Opinion 512 (2024) on generative AI use by lawyers, covering its core themes: competence in understanding the tool, confidentiality of client information, informing clients about AI use where appropriate, supervision of AI-assisted work, and reasonable fee/billing practices around AI-assisted efficiency. Under 250 words, for internal staff training use, not a substitute for reading the opinion itself.

Why this matters more than it looks like it does

Model Rule 1.6 doesn't care that the tool is "just drafting." A prompt that includes a client's name, a case number, an opposing party's name, or a dollar figure tied to a real matter is confidential client information the moment it leaves your practice management system, regardless of what generates the reply. ABA Formal Opinion 512 makes this explicit for generative AI, paired with a supervision duty under Model Rule 5.3 — the attorney is responsible for AI-assisted output the same way they're responsible for a paralegal's draft. The fix costs nothing: draft with [Client] and [Matter], generate the message, then add the real details in the last step, inside the system you already trust.

Save yourself the setup

The 15 prompts above cover the highest-frequency writing in a law firm's intake pipeline — a fraction of a full week's workload. If you'd rather skip straight to a tested, copy-paste library, that's what the 100 AI Prompts for Law Firm Client Intake & Communication pack is built for: 100 prompts across consultation follow-up, onboarding and retainer, case-status communication, document chases, retention, difficult conversations, practice operations, and a dedicated bar-compliant AI-use toolkit, all placeholder-first. Get it at thedailystackstudio.gumroad.com/l/uhrafi.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it a Rule 1.6 violation to use ChatGPT for client communication? Only if confidential information enters the tool. Rule 1.6 governs the information, not the drafting method — a ChatGPT-drafted email built entirely from placeholders and generic facts doesn't implicate the rule; typing a real client's name, case number, or matter details into a public AI tool does.

2. What counts as confidential information I shouldn't paste into an AI tool? Client names, matter or case numbers, opposing party names, specific dollar figures tied to a real matter, medical or financial details, and dates that could identify a specific person's case. If a message only makes sense with one of those included, keep the draft generic and add the detail by hand afterward.

3. Does ABA Formal Opinion 512 say lawyers can't use generative AI? No — it addresses how to use it responsibly: competence in understanding the tool, protecting client confidentiality, informing clients about AI use where appropriate, supervising AI-assisted work under Model Rule 5.3, and billing AI-assisted time reasonably. It's a framework for use, not a prohibition.

4. Can intake staff send AI-drafted messages without attorney review? Routine scheduling and logistics messages are typically fine once the team has a reviewed template. Anything touching case status, a settlement offer, a declination, or a fee explanation should go through the supervising attorney's review first, consistent with Model Rule 5.3.

Conclusion

None of this replaces your legal judgment, your supervising attorney's review, or your bar's rules — it replaces the blank cursor your intake team stares at every time a lead or a case-status update needs a response. Draft with placeholders, keep confidential details inside your practice management system, and route everything through attorney review before it reaches a client. Start with the five consultation-follow-up prompts above this week; if they earn a place in your workflow, the full 100 AI Prompts for Law Firm Client Intake & Communication pack (thedailystackstudio.gumroad.com/l/uhrafi) turns it into a system for the whole intake pipeline.

About the Author

Yeheli is the founder of TheDailyStackStudio, where she builds ChatGPT prompt packs for busy, high-trust professionals — attorneys, financial advisors, loan officers, dentists, and solopreneurs — written so the output is usable on the first try, with the compliance guardrails for each profession built into the prompt structure itself.

This article is for informational purposes and is not legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship between TheDailyStackStudio and any reader or their clients. No output guarantees a case outcome or result. Law firm communication is subject to Model Rule 1.6 confidentiality, ABA Formal Opinion 512, Model Rule 5.3 supervision, and your jurisdiction's advertising and solicitation rules, which vary by state. You and your firm's supervising attorney are responsible for reviewing anything before it reaches a client.