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
Create an Appointment Confirmation
Appointment confirmations are built-in and automatically sent after an appointment is booked.
Step 1: Go to the Automations > Reminders page and click the Reminders tab.
Step 2: Click Appt. Confirmations in the left-hand menu (or click here).
Step 3: Click the "Add Appt. Confirmation" button in the top right corner.
Step 4: Build your email and/or text confirmation. Use merge fields for appointment date, time, and location.
Step 5: Choose the appointment type(s) this confirmation should apply to.
Step 6: Click Save.
📌 You can create one general confirmation for all types or tailor specific ones per appointment type.
Create an Appointment Reminder
Reminders are optional, but highly recommended to reduce no-shows.
Step 1: Go to the Automations > Reminders page and click the Reminders tab.
Step 2: Click Appointments in the left-hand menu (or click here).
Step 3: Click the "Add Appt. Reminder" button in the top right corner.
Step 4: Customize the timing (e.g., 1 day before), message content, and select appointment types.
Step 5: Add as many reminders as you'd like per appointment type.
Step 6: Click Save.
Create Appointment Cancellation/No Show Messages
Use this to automatically send emails when an appointment is canceled or marked as a no-show.
Step 1: Go to the Automations > Reminders page and click the Reminders tab.
Step 2: Click Appt. Cancelations/No Shows in the left-hand menu (or click here).
Step 3: Click "Add Appt. Cancelation/No Show Message" in the top right corner.
Step 4: Build the message you’d like to send for canceled or missed appointments.
Step 5: Choose which appointment types this applies to.
Step 6: Click Save.
Email & SMS Options
For all of the options above—confirmations, reminders, and cancellations/no-shows—you can choose to send an email, a text message (SMS), or both. Simply select your preferred delivery method when creating or editing the message. This ensures clients are notified through the channels that work best for them.
You can set up different messages based on:
Appointment Type
Practice Area
Location
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.
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.
Learn more about appointment automations here.
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.