Should your firm accept walk-in clients?

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Madison attorney Steven M. Cohen figured out that the walk-in prospective client wasn’t going to become a client when he explained the nature of his legal problem: The government was implanting thoughts in his head.

Cohen, of Cohen Law Office, kindly explained that he doesn’t do that kind of law. He sent the man, whom he suspected suffers from schizophrenia, on his way but made sure he felt listened to and that his dignity was intact.

Walk-in clients are by far the minority of Cohen’s clients, he said – most find him via advertising. Still, he has had a few walk-ins turn into decent, paying clients – and said he’d never rule out a prospect solely because he or she was a walk-in.

Cohen, a sole practitioner, believes his office location near the Dane County Courthouse may have something to do with the infrequent walk-ins. Then again, he used to have an office near a residential neighborhood, and a few of the neighbors walked in just to check him out.

“I’ll chat with them for a few minutes. I think it’s good public relations and they may remember you later – I get a lot of referrals,” he said.

Beside, it’s not all that different from fielding a call from a prospect, Cohen noted.

“I think it’s the interesting part of the job: meeting different people and helping them if you can. But maybe I’m not typical.”

Stephen P. Johnson, a Sturgeon Bay sole practitioner with Steve Johnson Law Office, said he’s taken on “lots” of walk-ins over the years. He explained that, as a rural lawyer who’s been practicing in the area for 38 years, he’s fairly familiar with the other locals, and knows who would and would not make a good client.

Procedures to Consider

If you do decide to take walk-ins, set up a screening process, such as having an office manager or trained receptionist speak to the person before he or she can see you, said Chicago marketing consultant Larry Bodine.

That screening should include a 3-4 page form (similar to one you would fill out in a doctor’s office) describing the client and his or her case.

It might also be prudent to inquire how the potential client would be able to pay the legal bills, said Bodine.

“The advantage of having an intake form like this,” he said, “is the client can be told up front if the case is out of your wheelhouse.”

If that happens, you can refer the client to a more appropriate attorney, said Bodine, which will hopefully incline that attorney to refer clients to you in the future.

Even with a good intake procedure in place, Bodine generally isn’t a fan of walk-in clients.

The risk, he said, is you’ll “have a totally unfocused practice doing things you are not good at and don’t like to do.”

“Walk-in clients are shoppers,” he continued. “They are most likely go-ing to come in, waste 45 minutes to an hour of your time and move on.”

But when the walk-ins do pan out, Johnson emphasized that before they walk out, get a retainer.