CLIENT INTERVIEWING SKELETON
INTRODUCTION: GREETING, SIGNPOSTING STURCTURE AND OBTAINING DETAILS
Timing: 5 mins
Greet the client and make any appropriate small talk (“Hello Mr/Mrs [xx], how are you today?”);
Make any initial acknowledgements/show empathy as appropriate (e.g. re grief – condolences,
or it must be really stressful…, or show a genuine interest in their occupation etc)
Briefly introduce yourself and state your role (e.g., “My name is Shania, and I am the associate in
the [xx] team and will be assisting you today”). Then clearly state your understanding of the
purpose of the client’s visit (e.g., “I understand that you are here today to discuss [specific
issue]”)
Check if the client has any vulnerability needs.
Ask the client: “could you in your own words tell me why you here today?”. Then ask: “is there
anything you want to focus on particularly? What are your key concerns?” NOTE THIS
ACCURATELY FOR ATTENDANCE NOTE.
Give a general overview of the structure of the interview (e.g., "Before we start, I need to
confirm some f your details. I’ll then start by asking you some questions to get a better
understanding of your situation. After that, I’ll provide you with some initial advice and outline
the next steps. Do you have any questions before we start?”)
Obtain client details (“Can you please confirm your name, address, telephone number, etc”).
Ensure these are correct by repeating back to the client and ask how they would prefer us to
contact them.
OBTAIN INFORMATION AND PROVIDE ADVICE (WHERE APPLICABLE) [REPEAT FOR EACH ISSUE]
Timing: 5 mins PER ISSUE, 15 mins total
COLLECT INFORMATION. Get an understanding of the fact and go through each issue and ask all
information that you need in order to provide advice (e.g., “Before being able to advise on
inheritance tax, can you please give me an overview of what the deceased owned?” Be very
specific as to what information you need e.g., do not assume that if you ask “did the deceased
have any debts” that the client will automatically think of mortgages - ask for everything you
need to know in an explicit manner.
SUMMARISE. As you collect information, regularly summarise your understanding to ensure that
you captured the client’s instructions correctly.
Take the opportunity to ask more focused questions or allow the client to correct anything from
your summary
EXPLAIN AND ADVISE. Provide explanations and answers to the client’s questions where
appropriate. Note that the interview does not mark you on legal knowledge, therefore, do not
concern yourself too much with the details and feel free to state that you will provide a
conclusive answer in a follow-up letter (e.g., “We will provide you an estimate of inheritance tax
within our advice letter to you”).
CHECK IN. Before moving on to the next topic, ask the client if they have any further questions or
comments on the previous point. (e.g., “Before moving on to the next issue, did you have any
further questions on [specific issue]”?
CONCLUSION
SUMMARISE. Summarise all key issues that the client is seeking advice for.
NEXT STEPS. Explain to the client what next steps are and what will happen next IE sending a
letter of advice by the end of the week, confirm any next steps you need from them such as if
there are any docs) AND don’t forget TIME FRAMES for what YOU are doing and CLIENT is doing
Give the best information possible relating to the costs of the matter
CHECK FOR QUESTIONS. Ask the client if they have any further questions.
GRACIOUS ENDING: thank them for coming in.
, CLIENT INTERVIEWING ‘SCRIPT’
INTRODUCTIONS
GREETING: Good morning Mr/Miss... My name is Shania and I am a solicitor in the firm's
property/probate department. How was your journey into the office today, did you manage to find it ok?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
WAE: I know the circumstances of you coming into the office today aren't ideal /I am very sorry
to hear about your recent loss / I understand that seeking legal advice can be daunting, but
please know that I'm here to help you / Please take your time, and we'll proceed at a pace that is
comfortable for you.
PLP: How exciting that you are buying a house! Congratulations / I want to express my
appreciation for taking the time to meet with me today. I understand you have a busy schedule /
My team and I are dedicated to assisting you in any way we can. Your company's success is our
priority.
CHECK FOR VULNERABILITY/DISABILITY NEEDS: Please let me know if you have any accessibility needs,
preferences or concerns about today's interview and how I can support you going forward.
PURPOSE AND OUTLINE:
I understand that you are here today to discuss [specific issue]. Could you in your own words tell me why
you here today? Is there anything you want to focus on particularly? What are your key concerns? NOTE
ACCURATELY FOR ATTENDANCE NOTE Then confirm: So to make sure I understand correctly, you want to
know....
So, we will take each of your concerns in turn – for each, I will ask you some further questions before
giving some preliminary advice in today’s meeting, which I will provide in more detail in a letter of advice
afterwards. Then to finish, we can discuss next steps and how you would like to proceed. How does that
sound?
Please don’t hesitate to mention anything you think may be helpful or ask questions at any point! And
just to let you know, I will be taking notes as we go. This will help me to prepare the formal letter of
advice I will be sending post-interview. Please don't let this put you off.
CLIENT DETAILS:
Before I start asking you about X, I would like to get/confirm some details from you, if that is okay?
WAE PLP
Name: Company's full name?
Phone Number: Registered company number?
Email: Registered company office?
Address: Who can we contact?
o Phone Number:
o Email:
How many directors are there?
Nature of the company
o What is the main business of the company eg
property development or is this a new investment
proposal/first investment property?
o Are there any ongoing or upcoming property
acquisitions or disposals that I should be aware of?
o Are there any pending property-related legal issues
or disputes that you're aware of?
Details/Address of freehold/leasehold.
, What is the expected timeline? / What is your desired
timeline?
Is there anything you personally or the directors are
concerned about in this transaction?
New clients: Check whether they've completed the necessary money laundering checks and they have a
copy of the firm's costs and complaints procedure.
OBTAIN INFORMATION AND PROVIDE ADVICE
So starting with [issue], could you tell me more about X? [start by asking open questions and funneling to
more specifc questioning as appropriate]. CONFIRM FACTS: So just to confirm [X happened]. Thank you
for providing me with that information. [Provide advice]
Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about X before we move on?
[Repeat for next issue(s)]
ADVICE AT END OF MEETING
Based on what you've told me, the best course of action is likely X. Do you have any questions about this
approach? / Did you have a different approach in mind?
Take instructions: Given the options we've discussed, how would you like to proceed? NOTE ACCURATELY
FOR ATTENDANCE NOTE
SUMMARISING AND NEXT STEPS
To summarise…
The further actions that you are going to take are: [list]
In the meantime, I am going to write up a formal letter detailing the advice covered today, and I shall
send this to you within the next 2-3 working days etc.
If it is a NEW CLIENT: Explain that you will prepare / send out client care letter and terms and conditions
of your firm following the meeting which will also provide information on costs. We will require two
forms of ID, one giving the client's address (such as a utility bill) and one the client's identity (such as a
passport) before you can legally act on their behalf).
ENDING THE MEETING:
Thank you very much for your time today, X. I hope the meeting was helpful. If you have any questions
before we meet again, please do not hesitate to contact me at the firm. Thank you.
TIPS AND ADVICE:
INTRODUCTION: GREETING, SIGNPOSTING STURCTURE AND OBTAINING DETAILS
Timing: 5 mins
Greet the client and make any appropriate small talk (“Hello Mr/Mrs [xx], how are you today?”);
Make any initial acknowledgements/show empathy as appropriate (e.g. re grief – condolences,
or it must be really stressful…, or show a genuine interest in their occupation etc)
Briefly introduce yourself and state your role (e.g., “My name is Shania, and I am the associate in
the [xx] team and will be assisting you today”). Then clearly state your understanding of the
purpose of the client’s visit (e.g., “I understand that you are here today to discuss [specific
issue]”)
Check if the client has any vulnerability needs.
Ask the client: “could you in your own words tell me why you here today?”. Then ask: “is there
anything you want to focus on particularly? What are your key concerns?” NOTE THIS
ACCURATELY FOR ATTENDANCE NOTE.
Give a general overview of the structure of the interview (e.g., "Before we start, I need to
confirm some f your details. I’ll then start by asking you some questions to get a better
understanding of your situation. After that, I’ll provide you with some initial advice and outline
the next steps. Do you have any questions before we start?”)
Obtain client details (“Can you please confirm your name, address, telephone number, etc”).
Ensure these are correct by repeating back to the client and ask how they would prefer us to
contact them.
OBTAIN INFORMATION AND PROVIDE ADVICE (WHERE APPLICABLE) [REPEAT FOR EACH ISSUE]
Timing: 5 mins PER ISSUE, 15 mins total
COLLECT INFORMATION. Get an understanding of the fact and go through each issue and ask all
information that you need in order to provide advice (e.g., “Before being able to advise on
inheritance tax, can you please give me an overview of what the deceased owned?” Be very
specific as to what information you need e.g., do not assume that if you ask “did the deceased
have any debts” that the client will automatically think of mortgages - ask for everything you
need to know in an explicit manner.
SUMMARISE. As you collect information, regularly summarise your understanding to ensure that
you captured the client’s instructions correctly.
Take the opportunity to ask more focused questions or allow the client to correct anything from
your summary
EXPLAIN AND ADVISE. Provide explanations and answers to the client’s questions where
appropriate. Note that the interview does not mark you on legal knowledge, therefore, do not
concern yourself too much with the details and feel free to state that you will provide a
conclusive answer in a follow-up letter (e.g., “We will provide you an estimate of inheritance tax
within our advice letter to you”).
CHECK IN. Before moving on to the next topic, ask the client if they have any further questions or
comments on the previous point. (e.g., “Before moving on to the next issue, did you have any
further questions on [specific issue]”?
CONCLUSION
SUMMARISE. Summarise all key issues that the client is seeking advice for.
NEXT STEPS. Explain to the client what next steps are and what will happen next IE sending a
letter of advice by the end of the week, confirm any next steps you need from them such as if
there are any docs) AND don’t forget TIME FRAMES for what YOU are doing and CLIENT is doing
Give the best information possible relating to the costs of the matter
CHECK FOR QUESTIONS. Ask the client if they have any further questions.
GRACIOUS ENDING: thank them for coming in.
, CLIENT INTERVIEWING ‘SCRIPT’
INTRODUCTIONS
GREETING: Good morning Mr/Miss... My name is Shania and I am a solicitor in the firm's
property/probate department. How was your journey into the office today, did you manage to find it ok?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
WAE: I know the circumstances of you coming into the office today aren't ideal /I am very sorry
to hear about your recent loss / I understand that seeking legal advice can be daunting, but
please know that I'm here to help you / Please take your time, and we'll proceed at a pace that is
comfortable for you.
PLP: How exciting that you are buying a house! Congratulations / I want to express my
appreciation for taking the time to meet with me today. I understand you have a busy schedule /
My team and I are dedicated to assisting you in any way we can. Your company's success is our
priority.
CHECK FOR VULNERABILITY/DISABILITY NEEDS: Please let me know if you have any accessibility needs,
preferences or concerns about today's interview and how I can support you going forward.
PURPOSE AND OUTLINE:
I understand that you are here today to discuss [specific issue]. Could you in your own words tell me why
you here today? Is there anything you want to focus on particularly? What are your key concerns? NOTE
ACCURATELY FOR ATTENDANCE NOTE Then confirm: So to make sure I understand correctly, you want to
know....
So, we will take each of your concerns in turn – for each, I will ask you some further questions before
giving some preliminary advice in today’s meeting, which I will provide in more detail in a letter of advice
afterwards. Then to finish, we can discuss next steps and how you would like to proceed. How does that
sound?
Please don’t hesitate to mention anything you think may be helpful or ask questions at any point! And
just to let you know, I will be taking notes as we go. This will help me to prepare the formal letter of
advice I will be sending post-interview. Please don't let this put you off.
CLIENT DETAILS:
Before I start asking you about X, I would like to get/confirm some details from you, if that is okay?
WAE PLP
Name: Company's full name?
Phone Number: Registered company number?
Email: Registered company office?
Address: Who can we contact?
o Phone Number:
o Email:
How many directors are there?
Nature of the company
o What is the main business of the company eg
property development or is this a new investment
proposal/first investment property?
o Are there any ongoing or upcoming property
acquisitions or disposals that I should be aware of?
o Are there any pending property-related legal issues
or disputes that you're aware of?
Details/Address of freehold/leasehold.
, What is the expected timeline? / What is your desired
timeline?
Is there anything you personally or the directors are
concerned about in this transaction?
New clients: Check whether they've completed the necessary money laundering checks and they have a
copy of the firm's costs and complaints procedure.
OBTAIN INFORMATION AND PROVIDE ADVICE
So starting with [issue], could you tell me more about X? [start by asking open questions and funneling to
more specifc questioning as appropriate]. CONFIRM FACTS: So just to confirm [X happened]. Thank you
for providing me with that information. [Provide advice]
Is there anything else you'd like to tell me about X before we move on?
[Repeat for next issue(s)]
ADVICE AT END OF MEETING
Based on what you've told me, the best course of action is likely X. Do you have any questions about this
approach? / Did you have a different approach in mind?
Take instructions: Given the options we've discussed, how would you like to proceed? NOTE ACCURATELY
FOR ATTENDANCE NOTE
SUMMARISING AND NEXT STEPS
To summarise…
The further actions that you are going to take are: [list]
In the meantime, I am going to write up a formal letter detailing the advice covered today, and I shall
send this to you within the next 2-3 working days etc.
If it is a NEW CLIENT: Explain that you will prepare / send out client care letter and terms and conditions
of your firm following the meeting which will also provide information on costs. We will require two
forms of ID, one giving the client's address (such as a utility bill) and one the client's identity (such as a
passport) before you can legally act on their behalf).
ENDING THE MEETING:
Thank you very much for your time today, X. I hope the meeting was helpful. If you have any questions
before we meet again, please do not hesitate to contact me at the firm. Thank you.
TIPS AND ADVICE:
