Start with the geography your firm actually serves
The U.S. Census Bureau records DeKalb as a municipality in DeKalb County, Illinois, with a 2020–2024 ACS five-year population estimate of 40,443 and a margin of error of 215. That is context about the city, not evidence of legal demand, case volume, competition, or revenue. Your service area may be the city, the county, Illinois, or another defined territory. Video Intake should reflect that boundary rather than treating every website visitor as an appropriate inquiry. During review, identify which locations matter for each practice area and whether location should affect qualification, ownership, or escalation.
Recommended approach
Bring a written service-area definition to the consultation. Decide whether the intake should ask where the visitor’s matter occurred, where the visitor lives, or both. Do not use the DeKalb population figure to set a conversion target or staffing assumption.
