1. Start with the geography your firm actually serves
Maplewood is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota. The 2020–2024 ACS five-year population estimate for Maplewood city is 40,695, with a margin of error of 64. That is a description of the municipality, not proof of legal demand, search activity, competition, lead volume or revenue. It should therefore inform the scope of the conversation rather than dictate an intake design. Ask whether your firm accepts matters from Maplewood, the rest of Ramsey County, or a broader service area, and whether location changes eligibility for any practice area.
Recommended approach
Use the consultation to define the geographic questions a visitor should answer without treating geography as a qualification substitute. Decide whether the intake should ask where the matter occurred, where the visitor lives, or whether the firm can serve the matter under its own rules. Keep those questions distinct. A visitor’s city, county and legal fit are not interchangeable.
