Building Beautiful Guided Interviews

Guided user interviews are software tools that enable clients to independently complete and generate even complex automated legal documents—for both transactional and litigation matters. These interviews can also serve as the foundation for expert systems, delivering tailored legal information based on each client’s unique circumstances.

Clients value the efficiency and clarity that guided legal interviews provide, while lawyers benefit from the ability to scale their services, create new revenue streams through productization, and generate qualified business leads.

So what should you consider before getting started? At Gavel, guided interviews are our specialty. Here are the five most important factors to keep in mind when building effective, client-facing interviews.

1. Tools - use the right guided interview app

While guided legal interviews may appear simple on the user-facing side, they are built on complex decision trees behind the scenes. Because you’ll be spending significant time building and refining them, choosing the right tool is essential.

When evaluating automation platforms, consider usability: Is it clear what to do when you log into the builder? Just as important is the tool’s capacity for deep logic mapping, the ability to add complex nested conditions, and support for advanced calculations.

The platform should make it easy to test workflows, iterate quickly, and implement client feedback. If you have many forms to automate, find out whether the vendor offers expert support or consultants to help streamline the process.

2. Scope - what’s the big picture of the interview?

Each guided legal interview should start with clear goals. Ask yourself: What is the purpose of the end product generated by this interview?

From the client’s perspective, the process should be manageable and clearly help solve a problem or complete a task. From your perspective as the lawyer, you’ll want to ensure the interview collects all the necessary information to generate a complete and accurate legal document.

You should also ensure that what you’re automating is rules-based and used frequently. Starting with a high-volume, repeatable process will yield greater value and efficiency. Keeping the big picture in mind helps ensure the final product is effective for both you and your clients.

3. Research - decide what the interview will (and won’t) do

Build each guided interview with a specific user and purpose in mind. These tools are most effective when designed to generate a specific legal document or deliver tailored legal information.

This is where user personas are particularly helpful. A guided interview can’t do everything for everyone, so decide early on what it will and will not include. Begin with a narrow scope, then expand based on user feedback and demand.

While guided interview systems can handle a wide range of complex legal issues, not every subject is a good fit. For example, highly nuanced areas like complex criminal defense may not lend themselves to full automation.

4. Develop - map out the individual interview steps

As mentioned earlier, guided legal interviews are built on decision trees. Start by mapping out the logic structure: Identify each question you’ll need to ask in order to gather the facts that determine legal outcomes and populate the resulting document.

What outcomes depend on which facts? Break down the legal analysis into discrete, actionable questions. This structure will form the back-end decision logic that drives the user through an intuitive front-end interface.

5. Purpose - what is the goal of each question?

In guided legal interviews, every question should serve a clear purpose. Well-written questions improve usability and ensure your clients move through the interview smoothly.

Begin with “gateway” questions to screen out users who are ineligible for the legal solution you’re offering. To ensure accessibility, aim for a 6th-grade reading level where appropriate—though this may vary depending on your user base.

Each question should also support legal accuracy and document completeness. This matters for two reasons: (1) the final document is only as accurate as the information the client provides, and (2) your questions must reflect up-to-date legal standards and changes in the law.

Examples of what client-facing guided interviews can do

It helps to see how small firms and solos use guided user interviews to create end products like “expert systems” and automated legal documents.  You can see some great case studies here.

For example, LCN Legal, a boutique firm with international reach, uses guided interviews and document automation to help clients navigate the complexities of transactional transfer pricing. Hello Divorce, a legal platform, streamlines DIY divorces through guided user interviews. FreshLease enables clients to generate their own leases using similar tools. Other innovators, like Lawvex and HelpSelf Legal, apply guided interviews and automation in both DIY and access-to-justice contexts.  

These solutions were built using Gavel, a no-code platform that empowers legal professionals to create complex workflows, including client-facing guided interviews and automated documents.

At their core, guided legal interviews are simply the structured versions of the questions lawyers ask clients every day. By turning those questions into scalable, tech-enabled workflows, attorneys can deliver efficient, client-friendly solutions—while also expanding their reach and growing their practices.