A potential new client calls in. The call is logged in the CRM, an email report goes to the team, and the system asks one question: did they opt in to SMS during the call?

If yes — an email-to-SMS bridge fires and we capture their name and email by text reply. If no — they route straight into the cold lead sequence. Either way, a phone sheet is created and the Cold Lead tag is applied.

Some people skip the phone entirely. They find the evaluation form and complete it directly.

This path skips lead capture entirely and drops straight into the evaluation stage. The system recognizes the form completion as intent and moves faster — because the person already told us what we need to know.

A potential client fills out the contact form on the website. The submission is logged immediately.

Then, at the right time — during business hours, not at 2 AM — an AI voice call fires automatically. It calls the contact, gathers intake and evaluation information, and feeds that directly into the system. No staff required for the first conversation.

• Contact logged in the CRM automatically
• Email report sent to the team
• Cold lead phone sheet created for follow-up
• Intake sequence begins

The moment a new contact enters the system through a phone call, a cold lead phone sheet is generated. Name, number, source, time of call — organized for follow-up. It exists so that if the automated sequence doesn't fully connect, a team member has everything they need to pick up the phone.

Automation runs first. The phone sheet is the safety net.

A tag called Cold Lead is applied to the contact record in the CRM. This is not just a label — it's a trigger. The moment that tag lands on a contact, the welcome and intake sequence fires automatically. No one has to remember to send anything. No one has to manually enroll the lead in a follow-up flow.

The tag does the work.

If the lead opted in to SMS during the call, a separate branch opens. An email-to-SMS bridge fires immediately — a message goes out asking for a reply with their name and email address. When they reply, that information is captured and added to the contact record automatically.

If they didn't opt in, the system skips the SMS branch entirely and routes the contact straight into the welcome sequence through email. Either path leads to the same place.

The welcome and intake sequence is the first real communication the system has with a potential new client. It introduces the firm, sets expectations, and delivers the evaluation form.

• Welcome email sent immediately on tag trigger
• Firm introduction and process overview delivered
• Evaluation form included in the sequence
• Completion of the form moves the contact to Stage 4

When the evaluation form is submitted, the system applies the Evaluated tag to the contact record. That single action closes Stage 2 and opens Stage 4 — the AI-powered case evaluation.

The Cold Lead tag is the trigger. The moment it's applied to a contact record, the welcome and intake sequence begins. There's no delay, no queue, no person hitting send.

A cold lead who just called is warm for minutes, not days. The system moves accordingly.

The welcome email is not a generic autoresponder. It introduces Virtualaw specifically — who we are, what we do, and what the process looks like from here. It tells the potential client what to expect, how long things take, and what they'll need to provide.

The lead hears from us before they've had time to move on.

The evaluation form is the heart of Stage 3. It's not a generic contact form — it's a focused set of questions built to give attorneys everything they need before a single billable minute is spent.

• Nature and type of legal matter
• Parties involved and their roles
• Key dates, prior actions, and current status
• Existing documentation and evidence on hand

The system doesn't chase. The sequence delivers the form and waits. When the lead is ready — whether that's an hour after the call or two days later — they complete and submit on their own terms.

That submission is the signal. The system recognizes the completion and moves immediately.

Form submission triggers the Evaluated tag. That tag closes Stage 3 entirely and hands the contact off to Stage 4 — the AI-powered case evaluation engine.

Every document submitted is read, extracted, and indexed. The system identifies key dates, parties, legal instruments, and factual claims. It flags anything missing and notes it for attorney review.

• PDFs, contracts, and case files extracted and indexed
• Key facts, dates, and parties identified
• Missing or incomplete materials flagged
• Cross-referenced against case type requirements

The evaluation engine applies firm-specific criteria to the matter. It assesses legal merit, identifies applicable statutes and precedents, classifies the complexity of the case, and surfaces any conflicts of interest or jurisdictional issues that need attorney attention.

• Legal merit and viability assessed
• Applicable statutes and precedents identified
• Matter type and complexity classified
• Risks, conflicts, and jurisdictional issues flagged

Based on the complexity classification and scope of work identified, the system generates a fee estimate for reference. It accounts for the attorney level required, estimated hours, and whether a flat fee or hourly structure is more appropriate for the matter.

• Hourly rate range estimated by complexity
• Flat fee option calculated where applicable
• Scope, timeline, and attorney level factored in
• Fee range passed to proposal for attorney review

Everything the system has gathered is compiled into a single PNC Report. This goes directly to the reviewing attorney — giving them everything they need to understand the situation before writing a word of the proposal.

• Intake and eval responses summarized
• Document review findings attached
• Fee estimate and scope summary included
• Open questions flagged for attorney attention

Using the PNC Report as its source, the system drafts a service proposal. The draft goes to the attorney for review — not to the client. The attorney reads the PNC Report alongside the draft, adjusts, approves, and signs off. Only then does the proposal leave the firm.

The proposal draft doesn't fire until both tracks are complete. Evaluation form responses need to be in. Documents need to be in. The system waits at the merge point until both are confirmed, then moves.

This is what makes the proposal specific — not a template filled with guesses, but a draft built from actual information.

The AI pulls from three sources simultaneously to build the proposal draft: evaluation responses, any meeting notes on file, and the documents submitted. It synthesizes them into a structured service proposal that reflects the actual scope of the matter.

• Evaluation responses used to define scope
• Meeting notes incorporated where available
• Submitted documents referenced throughout
• Fee estimate from Stage 4 anchors the pricing

Optional step. Before the proposal goes to attorney review, a booking link can be sent for a pre-proposal consultation. If not needed, this step is skipped entirely and the draft moves straight to attorney review.

The drafted proposal goes to the reviewing attorney. Not to the client — to the attorney. They read the PNC Report alongside the draft, verify the scope, check the fee structure, and confirm the legal framing is accurate for this specific matter.

Once the attorney approves, the proposal is sent. The Proposal tag is applied to the contact record, triggering the proposal follow-up sequence — Sequence 2.

The proposal arrives as a structured document reflecting the full scope of the matter — services, timeline, and fee structure. Everything in it came from the client's own responses and documents.

The Proposal tag is applied to the record the moment it's sent. Sequence 2 is already running in the background.

Sequence 2 is a focused follow-up series designed to answer questions, reinforce the engagement, and give the client everything needed to make a confident decision.

• Proposal overview and what it covers
• Answers to common pre-engagement questions
• Next steps and what engagement looks like
• Direct line to the team for any questions

When the client accepts the proposal, an onboarding form is sent automatically. It collects billing details, communication preferences, and confirmation of engagement terms. The Engagement tag fires when the form is completed and payment is collected.

Payment is collected based on the fee structure in the proposal. The engagement letter and fee agreement are generated automatically from the proposal data and sent for e-signature. No staff member has to draft, format, or send them manually.

• Payment collected per proposal fee structure
• Engagement letter auto-generated from proposal data
• Fee agreement generated and sent for e-signature
• Both documents signed and delivered automatically

The Engagement tag fires three outputs at once. All three run in parallel — no sequential waiting, no manual coordination.

• Output 1 — Invoice Sent: Generated and delivered to the client automatically
• Output 2 — Signed Docs Sent: Engagement letter and fee agreement delivered to both parties
• Output 3 — Booking Sequence: Onboarding booking sequence fires to schedule the first meeting

The Engagement tag is applied the moment the onboarding form is completed and payment is confirmed. It's the final tag in the pipeline — the signal that this contact has transitioned from prospect to client.

Everything in Stage 7 flows from this single tag.

Sequence 3 is the engagement sequence — the third and final automated series in the pipeline. It fires immediately on the Engagement tag and runs through the onboarding phase.

• Welcome to Virtualaw confirmation delivered
• Matter overview and next steps sent
• Primary attorney introduction included
• Communication and file access instructions provided

The invoice goes out automatically — formatted, addressed, and sent without any manual action from the team. Simultaneously, the fully executed engagement letter and fee agreement are delivered to the client and the client record.

Both outputs run the moment the Engagement tag fires. By the time anyone on the team opens their inbox, the client already has their paperwork.

A scheduling link is sent to the client to book their first matter meeting with the assigned attorney. No back-and-forth. No coordination required from staff.

The first meeting is booked. The matter is active. The relationship has officially started.

The matter is now open in the system. The client contact record is fully tagged, sequenced, and flagged as active. The pipeline that started with a single phone call, form submission, or contact has reached its endpoint.