Characteristics of a Telephone Intake, Advice and Referral System

Legal Services Corporation - 020005

Abstract Number: 020005

April 2002

Legal Services Corporation (LSC) issued Program Letter 02-4 in April 2002. LSC believes the following Characteristics exemplify attributes of a superb telephone intake advice and referral system. LSC will use these Characteristics when conducting its on site visits evaluating applications.

LSC believes that a fully integrated and efficient telephone intake, advice and referral system will improve client access and create more time for advocates to do extended services by removing the repetitive intake function from some of the advocates and placing it with a cadre of experts who are facile at determining the appropriate course for an applicant to pursue to obtain help with a problem.

The Characteristics apply to telephone advice and referral intake systems. The Legal Services Corporation understands there are numerous effective and efficient ways to conduct a telephone intake, advice and referral system. However, as development of these systems continues, the experts who are engaged daily in providing services are recognizing some common "best practices." The Characteristics recognize those practices. LSC understands that not all of the Characteristics will apply to all legal services programs and that with experience programs will devise better ways of conducting a telephone intake, advice and referral system.

LSC recognizes that telephone advice and referral intake systems are not the only way that clients access services. Indeed, a telephone advice and referral intake system may not be the best way for certain segments of the client population to access services. However, LSC contends that a telephone advice and intake system is the most effective and efficient method of providing services to the large majority of legal services programs' clients.*

The Characteristics do not address ethical issues that are intertwined into all aspects of legal practice including intake systems. Programs will have to address issues such as determining when the attorney-client relationship is established, conflicts, and quality of service as part of the telephone intake, advice and referral system. Many of these issues will be dictated by the state rules on ethics.

*Approximately 80% of all applicants for service to LSC recipients receive advice, brief service or referral. Many of these persons must travel significant distances or spend significant time to reach a legal service office to obtain that service. Most of the applicants could receive that help over the telephone. Those applicants needing more service will have an in-person interview when needed.

Additional Information:

• Intake Characteristics Program Letter (220kb, PDF)

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