---
{"title": "How to record client intake notes for paralegals in 2026", "description": "A plain guide for paralegals to capture client intake notes, with steps, the tools to try and the mistakes to avoid.", "url": "https://xpdaily.com/how-to-record-client-intake-notes-for-paralegals/", "date": "2026-10-20"}
---
A plain guide for paralegals to capture client intake notes, with steps, the tools to try and the mistakes to avoid.

Write or type the client's words as they say them, note the date and the key facts, save the intake where your firm keeps client records, and read it back before the client leaves.

| Option | How it records intake notes |
|---|---|
| Paper and pen | You write the client's words down as they speak |
| Phone voice memo | Captures the conversation as audio on a phone |
| Word processor | You type the notes into a document |
| QuickDictate | Types what you say into whichever window is in use; free for personal and other noncommercial use [^1] |

## What you need before you start

Recording client intake notes takes a few ready things.

- **A quiet place to take the intake.** The client's words have to be heard once, so background noise and interruptions cost you details.
- **A way to capture what is said.** Pen and paper, a word processor on a PC, or a dictation tool all work. Pick the one that lets you keep up.
- **The intake facts you must note.** Name, date, the reason the client came in, phone and email, and a short version of what happened all belong in the record.
- **Your firm's intake template, if there is one.** Many firms keep a fixed form for client matters. Fill it in so the record lands where it should.
- **A place to save the record.** Client notes are part of the matter file, so the finished note goes where that file lives.
- **A note of the time.** The intake block has a start and an end for the matter's time record.

Keep your capture tool open and close to hand before the client speaks. Finding a pen or opening an app while the client talks makes you miss words.

## Step by step

These steps work with any capture method, including a pen and a sheet of paper.

1. **Note the date and the time the intake starts.**
2. **Capture the client's name and how to reach them.** Record phone and email as the client gives them.
3. **Write down the reason the client is here in the client's own words.** The client's version matters more than a tidy summary.
4. **Ask for the key facts.** What happened, when and where, and who else was involved all need to be in the note.
5. **Write or type what the client says as they say it.** A record you build at the moment keeps the detail.
6. **Note anything the client says about documents, other people or deadlines.** Those points often drive the next steps.
7. **Read the important points back to the client to confirm them.** A quick read-back catches a wrong number or name.
8. **Add firm details.** Enter the matter number, the assigned lawyer and the agreed next steps.
9. **Save the note where the firm keeps client records before the client leaves.** A note that is not saved does not help the matter.
10. **Read the finished note once from top to bottom for errors.**
11. **Mark any details that still need answers** so they are followed up later.
12. **Record the end time of the intake** for the matter's time record.

## Tools that can do it

You can record intake notes with things you already have. Here are options to consider.

**Paper and pen.** You write the client's words as they speak. Nothing is published here about cost or limits because it depends on what you already own.

**A word processor.** An open document on a PC or laptop lets you type the note. Check how saving and storage behave if the note must be kept, since details about specific apps are not published here.

**A phone voice memo.** A phone's built-in recorder captures the conversation as audio. Check the phone's storage limits and how to move the audio into the matter file, since details are not published here.

**QuickDictate.** QuickDictate is made by the team that publishes this site. It is one option. QuickDictate is a Windows program that types what you say into whichever window you are using. [^1] You hold a key while you talk, or press it once to start and once to stop, and you can change both keys. [^1] What you say is typed into whichever window has focus, such as an editor, chat box or web form. [^1]

Saying "scratch that" discards the text you just dictated instead of inserting it. [^1] You can list words and phrases that are sent to the provider to help it recognise them, and a replacement table fixes spellings such as "Chat GPT" to "ChatGPT". [^1]

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account, and cloud providers bill you separately for their service. [^1] For client work in a firm, which is commercial use, it needs a separate licence from v0.9.0 on. [^1] It runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. [^1] You can use ElevenLabs, Deepgram, OpenAI, AssemblyAI, DashScope or Google, and that provider bills you directly. [^1] With five of the cloud providers, words appear while you are still talking. [^1] For client matters where the words should stay on the firm's own machine, a local speech model can be installed so dictation needs no internet connection or API key. [^1]

## Common mistakes to avoid

**Saving the note late.** If the intake is not saved where the firm keeps client records before the client leaves, it may never be filed.

**Paraphrasing while the client speaks.** A record in the client's own words keeps the detail that a tidy summary drops.

**Typing while the client talks without checking.** Misspelled names and wrong numbers slip in, so read the key points back before the client leaves.

**Leaving out the date and time.** A record without a start and end time is hard to place in the matter file and the time record.

**Forgetting open questions.** Points that still need answers are easy to lose. Mark them so they get followed up.

**Skipping the final read.** Read the finished note once from top to bottom. A quick check catches a wrong number or a missing fact.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can QuickDictate be used to record client intake notes?

Yes. QuickDictate is a Windows program that types what you say into whichever window you are using, such as an intake form or a case notes document. [^1] You hold a key while you talk, or press it once to start and once to stop, and you can change both keys. [^1] Saying "scratch that" discards the text you just dictated instead of inserting it. [^1]

### Does QuickDictate work on a Mac?

No. QuickDictate runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 and 11. [^1]

### Is QuickDictate free for a law office?

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account, and cloud providers bill the firm separately for their service. [^1] Because client intake in a firm is commercial use, that use needs a separate licence from v0.9.0 on. [^1] A release up to v0.8.0 was under a more permissive licence. [^1]

### Does QuickDictate need the internet for dictation?

It depends on the setting. With five of the cloud providers, words appear while you are still talking, and that provider bills you directly. [^1] [^1] For client matters where the words should stay on the firm's own machine, a local speech model can be installed so dictation needs no internet connection or API key. [^1]

### Where should recorded client intake notes be saved?

The finished note goes where your firm keeps client records, usually inside the matter file for that client. Save it before the client leaves and read the note once from top to bottom for a wrong number or a missing fact. Check your firm's rules for how long client intakes must be kept and who can open the file.

QuickDictate is free for personal and other noncommercial use, with no subscription or account. Cloud providers bill you separately for their service. [^1] - [Visit QuickDictate](/go/start)

## Sources

[^1]: QuickDictate's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)