Two steps. The story comes second.

Before you sign

The intake assistant asks for your name, email, phone, the kind of matter, the city or county, whether you already know of a date you cannot miss, and the names of the people and companies on the other side. That is a conflict screen and a way to route the conversation. Do not add the story. Those answers are not sent as a confidential consultation.

The signature and the receipt

You then read the limited consultation and confidentiality agreement. You sign it on the screen, with your legal name, after you have scrolled through it. When the firm’s system records that signature and shows a receipt, a limited consultation starts. The later facts are communications you are making so the firm can give legal advice, and they are intended to stay confidential under Texas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct 1.05, to the extent that rule applies.

The time on the receipt is the firm’s time. Your own clock is stored too, but the receipt controls.

What that is, and what it is not

The consultation is limited to reviewing what you submit, checking conflicts, and deciding whether the firm can represent you. It is not a retainer for the case. A later engagement letter, with a fee, is what covers a lawsuit, a demand, a negotiation, or a document prepared for use. The firm can decline after it has heard the story.

You can lose confidentiality by forwarding the transcript, posting it, or telling the same secrets to people who are not part of the consultation. The intake assistant is software. Andrew M. Crawford reads the signed intake. If there is no receipt, do not assume the firm has the story.

Voice uses the speech tools in your browser. The firm does not keep a separate audio file. The text can be wrong. You can type instead.