A Guide to Legal Questionnaires [Templates Included]

Bringing in a new client is exciting. But once the intake is out of the way, there’s still a long list of details you need to gather before moving forward. That usually means tracking down information through phone calls, emails, PDFs, or Word documents—then manually typing everything out into forms and case files. It’s a lot of work, and it can take up precious time that’s better spent elsewhere.

Legal questionnaires make this process significantly easier. Instead of chasing answers, you can provide a structured form for clients to complete at their convenience. Whether you’re handling a simple matter or a more complicated case with multiple questionnaires, these forms help you stay organized and on top of everything.

In this guide, we’ll explore what legal questionnaires are, how to create them, and even share an example of a legal questionnaire template you can use in your practice. Plus, we’ll show you a new tool that can make using these questionnaires even easier.

Curious to see how Clio Draft makes legal questionnaires simple? Book a demo today.

How to create effective legal questionnaires

Creating an effective legal questionnaire comes down to finding the right balance. You need enough detail to get started on the case, but not so much that it overwhelms your clients. Below, we’ll go over some tips for creating a questionnaire that works for both you and your clients—and provide an example of a legal questionnaire template.

Key components of a legal questionnaire

The first step in building a legal questionnaire is knowing exactly what to include. A well-structured questionnaire ensures that you gather all the essential details right off the bat. Here are some key pieces of information to capture:

1. Client & case details – Collect personal details like names, contact information, and the type of case they have (e.g., divorce, estate planning, etc.).
2. Jurisdiction & residency – Gather information to determine eligibility for filing in a specific jurisdiction, including whether the client or their spouse has lived in the state or county for the required amount of time.
3. Relevant facts – Include specific case-related details, such as marriage information, and information about children, assets, and debts.
4. Legal concerns – Document any specific legal issues that need attention, like custody arrangements, child support, or property division.
5. Additional information – Capture any extra details that could affect the case, such as prior agreements (e.g., prenuptial or postnuptial), restraining orders, or special circumstances that could influence the outcome of the legal matter.

Legal questionnaire template example

Sometimes, seeing an example in action can make all the difference. For a clearer picture, take a look at this legal questionnaire template that captures the essential details for a California divorce case.

Click on image above to download.

Basic information

• Full legal name, date of birth, and contact information
• Spouse’s full legal name, date of birth, and contact information
• Date and location of marriage
• Date of separation (if applicable)
  

Residency and jurisdiction

• Have you or your spouse lived in California for at least six months?
• Have you or your spouse lived in the county where you are filing for at least three months?
  

Grounds for divorce

• What is the primary reason for seeking a divorce? (e.g., irreconcilable differences)
• Are there any allegations of domestic violence or abuse?
  

Children and custody

• Do you have children under the age of 18 from this marriage?
• What are their names, ages, and current living arrangements?
• What custody arrangement do you prefer? (joint, sole, legal, physical)
• Are there any concerns regarding child support, education, or medical care?
  

Financial information

• What is your current employment status and income?
• What is your spouse’s current employment status and income?
• Do you or your spouse own any real estate? If so, list properties.
• Do you or your spouse have any outstanding debts or liabilities?
  

Spousal support

• Are you seeking spousal support?
• Has there been any prior agreement regarding financial support?
  

Marital property and assets

• Do you and your spouse have a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement?
• What major assets were acquired during the marriage? (e.g., cars, investments, business interests)
• Are there any retirement accounts, pensions, or stocks to be divided?
  

Legal representation & additional considerations

• Have you consulted with an attorney regarding your divorce?
• Do you anticipate the need for mediation or alternative dispute resolution?
• Are there any restraining orders or protective orders in place?

Best practices for drafting questions 

A good legal questionnaire gets you the information you need—without frustrating your clients. Get it right, and you’ll save time, reduce confusion, and help clients give accurate answers the first time. Let’s explore a few best practices to make your questions as effective as possible.

• Keep questions clear and concise. Clients aren’t legal experts, so if they need to look up a term, the question is too complicated. Instead of asking, “List all encumbrances on your property,” try something more straightforward like, “Do you have any mortgages, loans, or other financial claims against your property?”
  
• Follow a logical flow. Jumping between unrelated topics makes the process of filling out a questionnaire confusing. Start with basic personal details, then move naturally into case-specific topics like finances, property, or custody. A well-organized form makes it easier for clients to provide complete and accurate answers without feeling lost or frustrated.
  
• Keep it focused. Extensive, long-paged forms leave clients feeling drained, especially when it comes to sharing sensitive information. That can lead to delays or avoiding the form altogether. Only ask for information that’s necessary at this stage. You can always follow up with them later if you need more details.
  
• Use multiple-choice or dropdown options where possible. Open-ended questions require more effort and leave room for inconsistent answers. By using pre-set options, you can guide clients to provide the right information quickly.
  
• Incorporate conditional logic. Not all clients need to answer every question. Conditional logic ensures that they only see relevant questions based on their prior answers. This keeps the process efficient and minimizes unnecessary complexity.
  
• Allow space for additional details. Some situations don’t fit neatly into checkboxes or predefined categories. Always offer an option for clients to elaborate if needed, whether through an “Other” selection or a final catch-all question like “Is there anything else we should know about your case?”
  
• Ensure confidentiality and security. Clients may be hesitant to share sensitive information, especially online. Make sure they know that their data will be secure and confidential.
  
• Test the questionnaire. Even the most thoughtfully designed questionnaires can have confusing wording or missing questions. It’s a good practice to run it past a few colleagues to catch potential issues before you share it with clients.
  
• Use a digital format. Paper forms are inefficient—they’re harder to store, slower to process, and can lead to errors. A secure online questionnaire speeds up client intake, ensures consistency, and allows clients to complete it from anywhere. The fewer barriers to completion, the smoother the legal process will be.

Benefits of Clio Draft’s legal questionnaires for law firms and clients 

Collecting client information used to mean piles of paperwork, endless emails, and numerous phone calls to piece together case details. Even after all of that, the information still had to be manually entered into the legal practice management system. This tedious process eats up valuable time that could be spent on billable work.

With tools like Clio Draft Questionnaires, the process gets a whole lot easier. This new feature lets you create dynamic questionnaires that automatically fill in legal documents based on your client’s responses.

Here’s a closer look at what sets Clio Draft Questionnaires apart:

• Create dynamic, custom questionnaires. You can build professional, logic-based forms without needing any technical skills. The forms adapt to each client’s answers, so they only see the questions that are relevant to them.
  
• A modern, easy-to-use interface. Send branded, easy-to-use questionnaires that your clients can complete on any device, from anywhere. This helps build trust with your firm.
  
• Generate legal documents in minutes. Client responses automatically populate your document templates, turning hours of manual entry into a matter of clicks. This means more time for higher-value tasks.
  
• Ensure quality and consistency across your team. Using one single tool to collect information makes it easy to generate, edit, and review client responses so you can eliminate errors.
  
• Prevent repeat communications. Quickly see what information has already been collected so you’re not duplicating work—or worse, asking clients for the same details twice.
  

The final word of legal questionnaires

Legal questionnaires are an essential tool for gathering client information—but they’ve traditionally been tedious, prone to errors, and not the best experience for clients to complete. Thankfully, with tools like Clio Draft Questionnaires, you can speed up the process and make everything smoother for both you and your clients. Whether it’s a straightforward case or something more complex, a solid legal questionnaire helps you move cases forward with ease.

Ready to see how Clio Draft makes legal questionnaires easier? Book your demo today.

Discover Clio Draft Questionnaires