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Appointment Types Overview - Including Automated Confirmation & Reminders

Updated over 2 weeks ago



Appointment types allow you to differentiate between various types of appointments, such as initial consultations, follow-up meetings, or signing meetings. This distinction is important for automation purposes—allowing specific workflows to be triggered based on the type of appointment that is booked.

When booking a new appointment for a matter or contact, you must select an appointment type. Even if you don’t use automation for every type, selecting one remains an essential step.

📌 Appointments are different from Events. Learn more about Events here.


Creating Appointment Types

1. Navigate to Appointment Settings

  • Click the Settings icon (gear in the side navigation).

  • Select Appointments/Events from the left-hand panel.

2. Default Appointment Type

You will see a preloaded Initial Consultation appointment type.

  • Click the edit pencil icon to adjust the default duration.

3. Add New Appointment Types

To create custom appointment types:

  • Click Add New Appointment Type at the top-right.

  • Fill in:

    • Name – Give your appointment type a clear name.

    • Default Duration – Determines the time slot length when scheduling or using booking links.

⏱ If you plan to use booking links, setting a default duration is essential to define how long each time slot will be.

❗ Do Not Create Appointment Types for Locations

Avoid creating separate types for “Phone Consultation” vs “In-Person Consultation.”
Use the Location field during appointment setup instead.

To add selectable Locations:

  • Go to Settings > Firm Settings

  • Add each address, then create a Location linked to that address.

Using Appointment Types: Automated Confirmation & Reminders

Appointment Confirmations

Appointment confirmations are built-in and do not require automations or templates.

To configure:

  1. Go to Settings > Appointments/Events.

  2. Click Add Confirmation.

  3. Build your email and/or text message confirmation.

    • Use merge fields to include details like appointment date, time, and location.

  4. Choose the appointment types this confirmation applies to.

📌 You can use a general confirmation for all types or tailor specific messages per type.

Appointment Reminders

Reminders are also built-in and optional—but highly recommended.

  • Create as many reminders as needed.

  • Apply them to any or all appointment types.

  • Customize each reminder email or text message.

Appointment Cancellations & No Shows

Lawmatics provides built-in functionality for handling cancellations and no shows.

To configure:

  • Scroll to the Cancellations/No Shows section in the Appointments/Events settings.

  • Add your custom emails.

You can set up different messages based on:

  • Appointment Type

  • Practice Area

  • Location

Automations

Appointment Triggers

Appointment types appear as triggers in automations. You can trigger workflows based on:

  • Appointment creation

  • Cancellations

  • No shows

⚠️ Avoid duplicating reminders/confirmations in automations if already configured in settings.

Instead, use automations for:

  • Assigning tasks

  • Updating pipeline stages

  • Sending follow-ups

Time-Based Automations

You can also trigger actions before or after an appointment.
Examples:

  • Send a follow-up email 1 day after an appointment.

  • Send a text reminder 1 hour before the appointment.


Merge Fields for Appointment Types

Each appointment type automatically generates merge fields that you can use in emails and documents. These include:

  • Appointment date and time (written format)

  • Appointment date and time (numeric format)

  • Day of the week

  • Date only

  • Time only

  • Location

These fields appear in the appointment fields dropdown when editing email content.

✅ If using appointment type merge fields in automation emails, make sure they match the appointment type used as the trigger condition.

Calendar Filters

When viewing your calendar in Lawmatics, you can filter by:

  • Appointment Type

  • Firm User

This helps you quickly view all appointments of a certain type for any team member.


FAQs

❓ Can I delete the Initial Consultation appointment type?

No. This type is built-in and cannot be deleted.
If you don’t use it, simply avoid selecting it when booking.


❓ Should I create different appointment types for phone, Zoom, and in-person meetings?

No. Use the Location field during appointment setup instead of creating separate types for each format.

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