10 Must-Have Features for Modern Legal Intake Tools

If Your Intake Process Is a Black Hole, It’s Time for an Upgrade

Legal intake is the front door to your department—but if that door leads to a maze of emails, spreadsheets, and follow-ups, it’s not doing you any favors.

Missed requests, slow turnaround times, and zero visibility into legal workloads? That’s a problem. A modern legal intake tool should do more than just capture requests—it should work for you, moving work forward, reducing bottlenecks, and proving legal’s value to the business.

Here’s what your intake tool actually needs to do.

1. Structured intake that eliminates guesswork

A legal intake tool should do more than collect requests—it should capture the right information up front so legal teams don’t waste time chasing details or deciphering vague submissions.

Checkbox in Action: Checkbox’s smart intake forms guide business users through the request process, ensuring legal gets complete, structured information from the start—no back-and-forth required.

2. Self-service workflows that stop legal from becoming a bottleneck  

Let’s be real—legal teams shouldn’t spend their time answering the same questions over and over. A good intake tool empowers business users to self-serve, handling NDAs, approvals, and policy queries without legal intervention.

Checkbox in Action: With Checkbox, legal can build self-service workflows that handle routine work autonomously. Less back-and-forth, more time for high-impact legal work.

3. Works where you work—no extra clicks required

If your intake tool forces people to leave the platforms they already use, they won’t use it. Seamless integration with Slack, Teams, email, and enterprise systems is a must.

Checkbox in Action: Checkbox works inside the tools your business already runs on—so no more jumping between platforms to manage legal requests.

4. One dashboard to rule them all

Scattered requests = lost work, frustrated business users, and legal teams constantly playing catch-up. A modern intake tool gives you a single source of truth for all requests, their statuses, and what needs attention.

Checkbox in Action: Checkbox’s dashboard provides real-time visibility into legal requests—what’s pending, what’s stuck, and what’s done. No more ‘Hey, just checking in…’ emails.

5. Automated workflows that keep things moving

Manual processes slow legal down. If your intake tool isn’t moving work forward automatically, it’s just another inbox. Look for automation that routes requests, triggers approvals, and escalates issues without manual intervention.

Checkbox in Action: Checkbox automates the entire intake-to-resolution process, ensuring the right work gets to the right people—without legal having to chase it.

6. Smart, dynamic forms that adapt on the fly

Static forms waste time. If your intake tool isn’t smart enough to adjust based on the user’s input, you’ll end up with incomplete information, more emails, and more delays.

Checkbox in Action: Our no-code forms adapt in real time, so legal captures the right info from the start—no follow-ups required.

7. Data that proves legal’s value (not just its workload)

Legal isn’t just here to process requests—it’s a strategic function. Your intake tool should provide reporting that tracks legal’s impact, not just its to-do list.

Checkbox in Action: Checkbox gives legal teams data on request volume, turnaround times, and workload trends—so you can show leadership why legal is essential, not just busy.

8. Bank-grade security and compliance

Handling sensitive legal matters means security isn’t optional. SOC 2 compliance, access controls, and data encryption aren’t just nice to have—they’re non-negotiable.

Checkbox in Action: Checkbox delivers enterprise-grade security, ensuring your data stays locked down while your workflows stay frictionless.

9. Built to scale (because legal’s workload never shrinks)

If your intake solution can’t keep up as legal’s workload grows, it’s not a solution—it’s a liability. The right tool scales effortlessly as request volumes increase and operations evolve.

Checkbox in Action: Checkbox scales with your business, handling everything from simple self-service requests to high-stakes legal workflows—without adding complexity.

10. No-code customization so legal stays in control

Legal shouldn’t have to wait on IT to update an intake workflow. No-code tools empower teams to tweak forms, automate steps, and adjust workflows on the fly—without technical bottlenecks.

Checkbox in Action: With Checkbox’s no-code builder, legal teams can launch and update workflows instantly—so you’re never stuck waiting for IT support.

It’s Time to Rethink Legal Intake

Your intake tool should be an accelerator, not an obstacle. If requests are slipping through the cracks, if legal is buried in manual work, or if your team doesn’t have the data to prove its value—it’s time for something better.

With Checkbox, legal teams can move faster, work smarter, and finally take control of their intake process.

Is your intake process working for you—or against you?

See Checkbox in action.