1. Start with the firm’s actual service area
Columbia Falls is recorded as a city in Flathead County. That relationship matters when you decide how the intake should describe the people and places your firm serves. A visitor may identify Columbia Falls, another Flathead County community, or a location outside the firm’s scope. The intake should therefore collect the relevant location when it affects fit rather than treating every visitor as interchangeable. Population alone cannot tell you how many people will use the tool or what kinds of legal matters they may submit.
Recommended approach
Define the geographic questions your firm genuinely uses during intake. Decide whether location is an eligibility question, a routing detail, or simply information for the first consultation. Keep Columbia Falls and Flathead County distinct in the wording so the experience does not imply that the city and county are the same geography.
