What should trust administration intake software capture on the first message?
Trust administration intake is not the same as estate planning intake. The first message has to identify who is calling (often a successor trustee, not the settlor), what kind of trust it is, whether it is revocable or irrevocable, whether the settlor is living or deceased, and the rough scope of trust assets — because those four facts decide whether the matter is a fit and which attorney takes it. A generic chatbot asks for a name and a budget and books a call the firm then has to cancel.
What the first message must establish
- Who is contacting the firm and their role: successor trustee, beneficiary, or a co-trustee in a dispute.
- Whether the settlor is living or deceased — it changes whether this is trust administration or estate planning.
- The trust type: revocable living trust, irrevocable, special needs, or charitable.
- The rough scope of trust assets, against the firm's matter minimum.
The signals that route the message to a lawyer, not a booking
- A beneficiary alleging the trustee is self-dealing or withholding distributions — a dispute, not an administration.
- A request to interpret the trust's distribution standard — legal advice, not intake.
- A co-trustee asking how to remove the other trustee — litigation risk.
- A caregiver directing trust changes for an incapacitated settlor — capacity and undue influence.
Why a generic chatbot gets this wrong
- It asks about budget, which is not the qualification gate for trust administration; asset scope and trust type are.
- It books every enquiry, including the disputes the firm will have to decline, costing a consult slot and a conflict check.
- It cannot distinguish an administration from a trust-contest litigation matter, so the wrong attorney gets the file.
The Estate Intake Standard v1.0 · Clio and Lawmatics integration