Practice Area
Criminal Defense
Updated July 17, 2026
Criminal defense intake is built around one fact that matters more than any other at the moment someone reaches out: how much time is actually left before something happens.
Key takeaways
- •The intake is organized around custody and case status, arrested and released, in custody, under investigation, rather than a list of charge categories.
- •Court-date urgency is asked directly and is the single fact most likely to determine whether a matter needs a callback today or can wait.
- •This structure fits general criminal defense practices, DUIs, state charges, probation matters, rather than assuming a specialized white-collar or federal practice.
- •Everything submitted is treated as confidential from the first screen, stated explicitly rather than implied.
Why custody status comes before charge type
Someone currently in custody and someone under investigation but not yet charged need very different responses from a firm, regardless of what the underlying charge is. Leading with custody and court-date status, rather than a list of charge categories, gets to the fact that actually determines how fast a firm needs to act.
What the intake actually asks
Current situation (arrested and released, in custody, under investigation, facing a DUI/DWI, or a probation/parole issue), then whether there's an upcoming court date and how soon it is. Two questions, then contact information, kept short given how time-sensitive these matters usually are.
Built for the firms that actually need this
Most criminal defense intake tools and content on the market assume a large, specialized federal or white-collar practice. This intake is built for the more common case: a solo or small firm handling DUIs, state charges, and probation matters, where speed and confidentiality matter more than case-category granularity.
Frequently asked questions
What does the criminal defense intake ask?
First, the person's current situation, arrested and released, currently in custody, under investigation but not charged, facing a DUI or DWI, or a probation or parole issue. Second, whether there's an upcoming court date and how soon. Structured this way because those two facts determine urgency more than the specific charge does.
Is this built for a specific type of criminal defense practice?
It's built for general criminal defense, DUIs, state charges, probation issues, the kind of matters most solo and small firms actually handle day to day, rather than assuming a specialized federal or white-collar practice.
Is the intake confidential?
Yes. The intake states plainly that everything shared is confidential, since confidentiality concerns are one of the biggest reasons someone in this situation hesitates to reach out at all.
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