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:
Go to Settings > Appointments/Events.
Click Add Confirmation.
Build your email and/or text message confirmation.
Use merge fields to include details like appointment date, time, and location.
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.
Learn more about appointment automations here.
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.