A law firm’s forms collect privileged client information, sign engagement letters and take retainers — so the criterion that decides it is security and compliance plus conditional intake logic, not how the form looks. Jotform wins because it pairs encryption, e-signature and HIPAA-grade handling with deep logic. Typeform is the overrated pretty pick. Google Forms is the trap that quietly turns client PII into a malpractice exposure.
Legal intake is confidential and conditional — a personal-injury matter asks nothing a real-estate closing does, and every field may be discoverable. So we weighted security and compliance and conditional-logic intake above aesthetics, with e-signature and payments close behind. A beautiful form that cannot encrypt at rest or sign a retainer is the wrong tool, however well it converts. See the full rubric →
Security & compliance30%
Conditional logic & intake25%
E-signature & payments20%
Ease of use15%
Value for money10%
01
RANK
★ Editor’s Choice
Jotform
Editor’s pick
The only tool here that does the whole legal intake job: encrypted forms, conditional logic for branching matter types, native e-signature for engagement letters and Stripe retainers with no platform surcharge. HIPAA compliance is available — important for firms touching medical records in injury or estate work — though it sits on the Gold plan, so price that in if you need it.
Encryption, a HIPAA option and genuinely powerful calculations — fee estimates, damages, retainer math — at a fraction of the field. The Team plan adds Stripe and card-on-file with no markup. The interface is plainer than Jotform’s, but for a firm that wants secure, computed intake on a budget, it is the sharper value.
Document-like forms that read as professionally as a letter, with native payments across every tier for retainers and consults. Strong for client-facing intake where presentation matters. Compliance posture is lighter than Jotform or Cognito — no HIPAA — so keep it to non-sensitive matters.
Unlimited forms, conditional logic, e-signature fields and Stripe payments — free. For a solo or small firm doing straightforward intake, Tally does an genuinely surprising amount at no cost. It lacks formal compliance certifications, so use it for general inquiry forms, not privileged medical or financial detail.
Beautiful, and the wrong default for a law firm. The one-question-at-a-time flow that lifts marketing conversions is a slog across a forty-field intake, the compliance story is thin, and the response caps bite. Typeform is a conversion tool dressed up as an intake tool — pick it for a lead magnet, not a client file.
Free and familiar, and a genuine liability for legal intake. No native e-signature, no real data-governance controls, no encryption you administer, no compliant payment path. Collecting client PII or matter detail here is a risk a firm should not take to save a few dollars. Convenience is not a defensible standard of care.
Pricing verified as of June 2026. Vendors change plans often · check the vendor for current pricing.
At a glance
✓ full · ∼ partial · — none
CapabilityJotformCognito FormsPaperformTallyTypeformGoogle Forms
HIPAA option✓✓————
Native e-signature✓∼∼✓——
Conditional logic✓✓✓✓✓∼
Native payments / retainers✓✓✓✓✓—
Encryption controls✓✓∼∼∼—
Common questions
Is Google Forms safe for client intake?
No — not for privileged or sensitive information. It has no native e-signature, no administrable encryption, no HIPAA path and no compliant payment handling. For a general "contact us" form it is fine; for matter detail, medical records or financials it is an avoidable exposure. Use Jotform or Cognito Forms instead.
Which form builder is HIPAA compliant for law firms?
Jotform (on the Gold plan) and Cognito Forms (on paid tiers) both offer HIPAA compliance with a signed BAA. That matters for personal-injury, estate or any practice handling protected health information. Most other builders, including Typeform and Google Forms, do not offer a BAA at all.
Why is Typeform ranked below cheaper tools here?
Because legal intake is not a marketing funnel. Typeform’s strengths — one-question-at-a-time flow, design polish — actively hurt a long, branching intake, and its compliance and logic depth trail Jotform and Cognito. It is overrated for this job specifically, not bad software in general.
Can these forms collect retainers and consult fees?
Yes. Jotform, Cognito Forms (Team plan), Paperform and Tally all support native Stripe payments with no platform surcharge beyond Stripe’s own fees, so you can take retainers or consult fees inside the intake form. Google Forms cannot take payment natively.