Criminal appeals intake that captures the filing deadline up front
Prospective clients confirm their conviction or plea, the appeal deadline, and the deciding court, then upload judgment or sentencing paperwork so you see whether an appeal is still viable before you offer a consultation.
The exact intake your criminal appeals leads complete
This is the real 7-question guided intake for Criminal Appeals — the same flow your customers finish before you ever pick up the phone.
What a qualified criminal appeals lead should tell you
Representation for a client who has already been convicted or pleaded guilty/no contest and wants to challenge the conviction or sentence in a higher court, contingent on still being inside the filing deadline.
- Convicted Crime (Or Did
- Conviction Or Sentence Entered
- Still Within Deadline File
- Know State (Or Federal
- Challenge Conviction Or Sentence
- Have Copy Judgment/Sentencing Paperwork
- Able Hire Lawyer Appeal
The questions your team needs answered
Every criminal appeals intake asks these — and why each one matters.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Were you convicted of a crime (or did you plead guilty or no contest) in a U.S. criminal case? | Without a conviction or guilty/no-contest plea on record, there is no sentence or conviction to appeal, so this answer determines whether the case belongs in this intake at all. |
| Was the conviction or sentence entered within the last 30 days? | A conviction entered in the last 30 days usually means the appeal clock is still running and the matter needs faster attention than an older case. |
| Are you still within the deadline to file an appeal in your case? | If the filing deadline has already passed, an ordinary appeal is generally no longer available and the lead should be scored well below a case still inside the window. |
| Do you know the state (or federal court) where your case was decided? | Knowing whether the case sits in state or federal court changes which appellate rules, deadlines, and courts apply, so it affects how the case gets routed internally. |
| Are you looking to challenge the conviction or the sentence (not just ask for a pardon or expungement)? | This separates people who actually want to challenge a conviction or sentence from those who really want a pardon or expungement, preventing a mismatched consultation. |
| Do you have a copy of the judgment/sentencing paperwork or access to your case number? | Having the judgment paperwork or case number on hand means the case can be pulled and reviewed before the consultation instead of starting from scratch. |
| Are you able to hire a lawyer for an appeal (or are you seeking appointed counsel if you qualify)? | Distinguishing a client who can hire counsel from one seeking appointed counsel affects whether a paid consultation makes sense for this lead. |
How Cliont scores criminal appeals leads
Every answer is weighted automatically — no manual review required.
Value signals
- Convicted Crime (Or Did: yes
- Conviction Or Sentence Entered: yes
- Still Within Deadline File: yes
- Know State (Or Federal: yes
- Challenge Conviction Or Sentence: yes
- Have Copy Judgment/Sentencing Paperwork: yes
See the lead your team receives
Criminal Appeal Lead
From first click to qualified lead
Follow people and businesses seeking counsel through one smooth, guided flow.
They land & meet you
Your video greeting plays instantly — a real face instead of a blank form.
They explain the matter
Smart questions adapt to their matter and capture the full scope.
They share the documents
The facts, dates, and any paperwork come attached, so you can assess the matter before the consultation.
You get a ready lead
Scored and qualified — waiting for you to win it.
Built for criminal appeals workflows
| Cliont capability | Criminal Appeals application |
|---|---|
| Weighted scoring | Conviction status, deadline timing, and whether the client is challenging the conviction or sentence (versus seeking a pardon) drive the score, so misdirected pardon or expungement requests don't rank as high-priority appeals. |
| Document capture | Collects judgment or sentencing paperwork and case number references during intake so your team has case-file basics before the first call instead of chasing them down after. |
| CRM routing | Sends the court identification (state or federal) and deadline status straight into the CRM record so the right attorney or appellate team can be assigned without re-asking those questions. |
| Lead filtering | Flags callers who indicate they cannot hire counsel and are seeking appointed counsel, letting you separate those from paying prospective clients before booking consultation time. |
Common criminal appeals lead scenarios
Deadline closing fast
The conviction or sentence was entered within the last 30 days and the caller confirms they're still inside the filing window, which the intake flags as high priority for a fast callback.
Wants a pardon, not an appeal
The caller is actually looking for a pardon or expungement rather than challenging the conviction itself, which the intake catches so you can redirect them instead of booking a mismatched consultation.
Missing the case file
The prospective client has no copy of the judgment paperwork and doesn't know their case number, so the intake still moves them forward but flags the gap for your team to chase down before the call.
Unsure which court decided
The caller can't say whether the case was decided in state or federal court, a detail the intake surfaces early since it changes which appellate rules and deadlines apply.
Needs appointed counsel
The lead indicates they can't hire a lawyer and are asking about appointed counsel, which the intake distinguishes from paying clients so you don't spend consultation time on cases outside your fee model.
Connect Cliont to your workflow
Send leads
HubSpot, HighLevel, Salesforce, JobNimbus
Book matters
Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Calendly
Notify your team
Email, SMS, Slack
Automate follow-up
Zapier, Webhooks, API
Simple, transparent pricing
Choose the plan that works for your business.
Professional
Unlimited intake forms and leads for your growing business.
- Unlimited intake forms
- Custom video greetings
- AI-powered voice bot
- English + Spanish support
- Automatic lead scoring
- Digital estimates & e-signatures
- Photo, video & file upload
- Advanced analytics dashboard
Pay Per Lead
Only pay when you receive a qualified lead.
- Unlimited intake forms
- Custom video greetings
- AI-powered voice bot
- English + Spanish support
- Automatic lead scoring
- Digital estimates & e-signatures
- Photo, video & file upload
- Charged only for submitted leads
More criminal defense intake templates
Criminal Appeals lead-intake FAQs
How does the intake screen out people who aren't actually eligible to appeal?
The intake confirms there was a conviction, guilty plea, or no-contest plea and checks whether the caller is still inside the filing deadline before anything else, so cases with no viable path surface immediately.
What if someone fills out the form wanting an expungement instead of an appeal?
One question specifically asks whether the caller is challenging the conviction or sentence rather than seeking a pardon or expungement, so those leads can be pointed to your Expungement and Record Sealing or Drug Conviction Expungement intake instead.
Does the intake capture whether the case was in state or federal court?
Yes, the intake asks whether the caller knows the state or federal court that decided the case, which matters for appellate procedure and helps you route the file correctly before you review it.
What happens when the appeal deadline has already passed?
The intake still records the lead but a 'no' on the deadline question carries a much lower weight than a 'yes,' so those cases show up lower priority rather than as a scheduling-ready appeal.
Can the intake tell the difference between a paying client and someone who needs appointed counsel?
Yes, one question asks directly whether the caller can hire an attorney or is seeking appointed counsel, so you can see that distinction before you decide whether to offer a paid consultation.
What documents does the intake ask clients to have ready?
It asks whether the caller has a copy of the judgment or sentencing paperwork, or at least their case number, so you're not starting the consultation with zero case file information.
Turn criminal appeals visitors into qualified cases
Give every criminal appeals visitor a guided intake instead of a dead contact form — and get a scored, qualified lead before you book a consultation.