--- title: "What is a conflict check?" description: "A conflict check searches every party name against open, closed and declined matters before a firm accepts work. See what to document and who decides." url: https://assistbpo.com/glossary/conflict-check/ updated: 2026-09-20 publisher: AssistBPO (SS Support Network LLC) language: en-US --- # What is a conflict check? Glossary What is a conflict check? A conflict check is the search a law firm runs before accepting a matter to confirm it holds no conflicting duty to a current or former client, an opposing party or a related person. Every party name is searched against firm records, and the result is documented before an engagement letter is sent. Updated September 2026 · Reviewed by [Nimra Khalid](https://assistbpo.com/team/nimra-khalid/) ## How does a conflict check work? 1. Collect the full name list first: client, adverse parties, spouses, related companies, insurers and witnesses. 2. Search each name against open matters, closed matters, declined matters and the prospect list, including spelling variants. 3. Record what was searched, when, and by whom, so the check itself is evidence if it is ever questioned. 4. Any hit goes to the responsible attorney, who decides on the conflict; support staff never make that call. 5. Run the check again when new parties join a matter, because the party list rarely stays as it started. ## A worked example A five-attorney firm in Maine took a construction dispute at a networking event and started work the same week. Three weeks in, someone noticed the defendant's parent company was a former client on a closed file. The matter had to be declined and the fees returned. The firm now logs every prospect name into its system at first contact, searches variants and former entity names, and attaches the search result to the file before any engagement letter is signed. ## Where does a conflict check show up in your tools? Conflict searches run inside Clio, MyCase, Lawmatics or a dedicated conflicts database, searching matters, contacts and declined prospects together. Saving the search result as a document on the matter is what turns a check into a record. ## Common mistakes - Searching only the client's name and missing the adverse party, which is where most conflicts actually sit. - Skipping closed and declined matters, so a former client or a prior consultation never surfaces. - Running the check and keeping no record, which leaves nothing to show a regulator or an insurer. ## Why does a conflict check matter? A missed conflict can cost a firm the matter, the fees and its professional standing, and it is far cheaper to catch at first contact than three weeks in. A documented check also protects the firm when a party later claims a prior relationship. The discipline is in the party list, not the software. This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice. ## How does AssistBPO handle a conflict check? Our legal intake assistants capture the full party list during the first call, run the search in your own system against the spelling variants and former names you specify, and attach the result to the prospect record. Any hit goes straight to the responsible attorney with the matching records named. Assistants document and escalate; they never make the conflict decision or give legal advice. [Consults booked, intake captured, conflicts flagged](https://assistbpo.com/services/law-firm-reception/)[Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) ## Related terms - [Intake form](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/intake-form/) - [Non-disclosure agreement](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/non-disclosure-agreement/) - [Standard operating procedure](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/standard-operating-procedure/) ## Where it is used - [Consults booked, intake captured, conflicts flagged](https://assistbpo.com/services/law-firm-reception/) ## Next in the A to Z - [Content brief](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/content-brief/) - [Contractor](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/contractor/) - [Conversion rate](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/conversion-rate/) - [CRM](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/crm/) [All 148 terms, A to Z](https://assistbpo.com/glossary/) Next step ## Your desk, staffed. Wherever you are. Tell us what is overloaded. A named person replies within 1 business day with a staffing plan, and we propose your assistant within 72 hours. [Get a staffing plan](https://assistbpo.com/get-a-staffing-plan/) [Book a 20-minute call](https://assistbpo.com/book-a-call/) Or call [+1-657-777-0006](tel:+16577770006) during US, UK or Australian business hours, or [hear our demo receptionist](https://assistbpo.com/demo-line/). - A named assistant proposed within 72 hours - Employed, screened and managed staff, never freelancers - Your hours, your tools, your data --- Source: https://assistbpo.com/glossary/conflict-check/ · Contact: https://assistbpo.com/contact/ · Full site map for agents: https://assistbpo.com/llms.txt