The Probative Standard · v1.0 · §Definitions
Qualified lead and consult set
Definition
A qualified lead is a lead that intake screened against the firm's written case criteria and accepted as a potential case. Stage 1 of the Standard.
A qualified lead is a lead that intake has screened against the firm’s written case criteria and accepted as a potential case: the firm will offer a consultation or a signing. It is Stage 1, timestamped when intake records the decision, and its source of truth is the firm’s own case-management system.
The stages around it
| Stage | Name sent to platforms | Definition | Timestamp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | Stage 0 | A contact that passes the qualified-inquiry standard | First qualifying contact |
| Qualified lead | Stage 1 | Screened against the written case criteria and accepted as a potential case | When intake records the decision |
| Consult set | Stage 2 | A consultation or signing appointment booked for a date, or an engagement agreement sent | Booking or send time |
| Signed case | Stage 3 | An engagement agreement executed and recorded | Signed date |
| Declined | Not sent | Closed without a signed agreement, with a reason code | Close date |
Platforms only ever see the neutral stage names, never what the stage means for a person’s case.
Written case criteria
The firm’s criteria are recorded at kickoff: for an injury firm, typically liability, injury and treatment, insurance coverage, the limitation period and conflicts. Changing them changes Stage 1 counts, so every change is dated in the change log.
Cost per qualified lead
Cost per qualified lead is media divided by qualified leads. It is the first cost we manage to, and its baseline is set by day 30, because it arrives weeks before signed cases do.
Stage rates
Stage rates are read within the same lead cohort: qualified divided by leads, consult set divided by qualified, signed divided by consult set. A drop at one step points to where the problem is: lead quality, intake follow-up or the consultation itself.
Cite as: The Probative Standard v1.0, Qualified lead. Last reviewed October 24, 2026, by the Probative editorial team.
Questions firms ask
- Who decides whether a lead is qualified?
- The firm’s intake, against the firm’s own written case criteria, recorded in its case-management system. The agency doesn’t decide.
- What is a consult set?
- Stage 2: a qualified lead with a consultation or signing appointment booked for a date, or an engagement agreement sent for signature.
Sources
- The Probative Standard v1.0 (this site) · Accessed October 24, 2026
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