FAQs about LawTap
for Law Firms

1. How can my firm book and schedule appointments with LawTap?

Research shows that it takes an average of 8 back-and-forth emails to book an appointment. LawTap lets law firms deliver a high quality, consistent booking/scheduling experience with automated email and SMS/text reminders for all client appointments, whether booked by your firm using the Firm Dashboard or booked by a new or existing client with included convenient 24x7 self-service appointment booking options.

Booking Option	Most Popular Use Case
Firm Dashboard	Enables your law firm's secretaries and support staff, as Firm Manager Users and at no additional cost to your LawTap subscription, to book/schedule and manage all client appointments. Quickly book and reschedule appointments for clients who call, walk-in, or otherwise contact you directly. Spend less time scheduling - No more front desk paper diaries or juggling multiple electronic calendars! Editor's Note: This option was previously known as the 'Book Clients' screen.
Booking Widget	Enables client self-service appointment booking on your law firm's website. Customizable to suit your law firm's website color scheme and more!
Booking Button	Enables client self-service appointment booking on your email signature. Multiple Booking Button color and call-to-action (e.g., Book Now, Call Now) options available.
Professional Profile	Enables client self-service appointment booking from an easily shareable text link for a legal professional.
Law Firm Profile	Enables client self-service appointment booking from an easily shareable text link for all legal professionals in your law firm. Great for appointment booking from your law firm's Facebook Page and Google My Business Profile.
Lawyer Directory	Enables new clients to discover your legal services and book an appointment with you via LawTap.com.

2. Can I customize my appointment types with LawTap?

Yes. LawTap gives law firms the control to customize each appointment type. Popular customizations include:

1. offering appointments at multiple office locations;
2. offering appointments at the client's location;
3. using LawTap to book/schedule court appointments;
4. offering remote appointments by phone, Microsoft Teams, Skype, WhatsApp and Zoom Video;
5. offering multiple appointments with different durations - e.g., 15, 30 and 45-minute phone appointments;
6. assigning some, but not all, legal professionals in a law firm to an appointment type;
7. limiting the availability of a legal professional assigned to an appointment type to specific days and times only (e.g., Mondays and Wednesdays between 1pm and 3pm only - assuming their calendar system is otherwise free/available);
8. limiting appointments to existing clients only;
9. limiting appointments to request only/pending conflict check;
10. offering 'free first consultation' appointments;
11. requiring new client contact information verification using one-time SMS/text message code;
12. requiring a fee to be paid for an appointment (and optionally, setting different fees for each legal professional assigned to the appointment type);
13. requiring additional information to be supplied by the client with an appointment/intake form (up to 50 information fields per form); and
14. requiring gaps/buffers between each appointment for preparation or travel time.

3. Which calendar systems does LawTap integrate with?

LawTap securely integrates (two-way) with existing calendar systems used by legal professionals, including Apple iCloud, Google Calendar/G Suite, Microsoft Exchange/Outlook, Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), and Time Matters.

LawTap does not access or store a legal professional's non-LawTap calendar appointment information, only the blocks of time that the lawyer is free/available or busy/unavailable to speak with or meet clients. This is so that the legal professional doesn't get double booked and can speak with or see clients when available. Please see our Trust and Safety page for further information.

While not recommended, LawTap can also work without calendar system integration. This setup relies on the available days/times set by the legal professional for their assigned appointment types only.

4. Can LawTap help me to verify and screen new clients?

Yes. LawTap gives law firm comprehensive controls to verify and screen new clients with:

1. new client contact information verification using one-time SMS/text message code;
2. control to limit which appointment types are publicly offered to new clients;
3. control over the information which must be supplied by new clients using customizable appointment/intake forms; and
4. control to set appointment booking requests as conditional on the law firm's conflict check process.

While we support law firms with multiple new client verification features, like the famous New Yorker cartoon, we can't guarantee it's not a dog impersonating a human!

5. Can LawTap offer appointment requests conditional on my law firm performing a conflict check?

Yes. LawTap gives law firms the control to offer appointment requests, which are conditional on the law firm performing a conflict check.

When an 'appointment request' is received, the legal professional will receive the prospective client's full name, phone number, email address, and any other information requested by the law firm by the appointment type's selected appointment/intake form. This information enables the legal professional to quickly review and confirm the appointment or cancel/decline the appointment request as part of their usual conflict check process.

6. Can LawTap limit appointments to existing clients only?

Yes. Law firms can limit appointment types to existing clients of the legal professional or law firm only.

7. Can I book and schedule appointments for my clients only?

Yes. Law firms can limit appointment types so that they can only be booked/scheduled by the law firm, either a legal professional or Firm Manager User, using the Firm Dashboard (and not publicly bookable by clients as a 'non-public appointment type').

8. Can I control cancellations and rescheduled appointments?

Yes. If you're no longer available at a particular time, you can quickly cancel or reschedule using the Firm Dashboard, email, or SMS/text. You also have the client's information so you can contact them directly.

To ensure that your calendar stays accurate and your time is optimized, if a client cancels or reschedules too many times or is a repeat 'no-show', their LawTap account may be temporarily restricted. You can also disable a client's ability to reschedule by appointment type.

Did you know? Peer-reviewed research shows that appointment booking and scheduling systems with automated reminders like LawTap reduce cancellations and 'no-shows' compared to traditional methods in other professional services industries.

9. Can LawTap help me to accept payments for appointments?

Yes. Only LawTap provides trust accounting compliant Secure Appointment Payments using our Stripe or LawPay integrations. LawTap also enables law firms to set different fees for each appointment type and legal professional.

"Most prospective clients avoid using a lawyer because they are worried about overall cost, value and price transparency" - the 2018 Clio Legal Trends Report (1,300 consumers surveyed).

10. My law firm already has a contact form on its website. Why is LawTap better?

Almost all contact forms on law firm websites have a (very!) low conversion rate because, unlike our Booking Button or Booking Widget, they don't generate the 24x7 self-service instant gratification that clients expect when looking to book the right lawyer, at the right time, online.

"Responsiveness is the most important factor for potential clients when deciding to hire a lawyer" - the 2017 Clio Legal Trends Report (2,000 consumers surveyed).

Today's client is unwilling to wait until the next business day for a reply to a website contact form or play phone tag during business hours. Your law firm can now deliver the instant response and gratification that clients now expect 24/7 with LawTap.

11. My law firm prides itself on its personal touch. How does LawTap help?

LawTap enhances the personal touch that your law firm delivers to its clients with:

1. a high quality, consistent booking/scheduling experience with automated reminders for all client appointments, whether booked by your firm using the Firm Dashboard or booked by a new or existing client with LawTap's included self-service appointment booking options;
2. a convenient 24x7 self-service option for clients to book/schedule appointments with your law firm via LawTap.com, your law firm's website, Facebook Page or email signature;
3. included appointment notes and appointment/intake forms to reduce briefing and wait at appointment time; and
4. included trust accounting compliant appointment payments to reduce payment friction at appointment time.

Today's clients have more knowledge than at any time in the past because of the Internet. They also have less loyalty and expect the same convenience when booking/scheduling an appointment with a legal professional as they have with other highly educated and highly esteemed professionals like doctors.

LawTap helps law firms give their personal touch to more clients, in less time, while providing an efficient and convenient experience that today's clients expect.

12. Many of my clients are elderly. Do they book online?

Yes. The oldest known LawTap user is 91 years old (and we'd never ask a woman's age, but she volunteered when sending an unsolicited email about how easy LawTap was to book an appointment with her local wills and estates law firm!). That said, a common misconception is that older people aren't online. Recent research dispels this misconception.

Country	Research
Australia	51% of people aged 65 years and over are active internet users - Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Canada	81% of people aged 65-69 are active internet users - Statistics Canada.
UK	83% of people aged 65-74 in the UK are active Internet users - UK Office for National Statistics.
USA	73% of older Americans are at least daily Internet users - Pew Research Center.

LawTap also benefits clients with hearing disabilities or for whom English is a second language. LawTap provides an easier way to make appointments than over the phone.

13. How does LawTap benefit my secretary and support staff?

1. LawTap enables your law firm's secretaries and support staff, as Firm Manager Users and at no additional cost to your LawTap subscription, to book/schedule and manage all client appointments from your Firm Dashboard.
2. LawTap automates client appointment reminders by email and SMS (text messaging). Automation of this time-intensive task makes support staff available to assist your law firm with more valuable tasks.

14. Can LawTap help me with interstate and international clients?

Yes. LawTap enables clients who are interstate or international in a different time zone to easily book appointments that match your availability in your time zone.

15. Can I customize the Booking Widget on my law firm's website?

Yes. The included Booking Widget enables you to accept client appointment bookings directly from your law firm’s website. The display of the Booking Widget is easily customizable as follows:

1. colour scheme (primary and secondary colors can be set with all hex triplet colors and HTML color names supported);
2. ordering of each appointment type; and
3. ordering of each legal professional (e.g., by availability, first name, last name, or seniority).

LawTap Support can also assist your law firm to install the Booking Widget on your website too!

16. How are LawTap.com search results calculated?

LawTap Lawyer Directory search results are generated in real-time to display the most relevant legal professionals to prospective new clients based on the following trust signals and ranking factors.

Factor	How?
Reviews	Legal professionals with LawTap verified client reviews rank higher than a lawyer with no or less LawTap verified client reviews. Have you also read our article? Online Reviews: Your Law Firm's Most Important Trust Signal.
Filters	The area of law (and the percentage that each legal professional focuses on an area of law), appointment type (e.g., Phone Call, Meeting at Lawyer's Office, etc.) and other search filters selected by the client (e.g., language spoken, hourly rate, etc.).
Distance	The distance between the client's location and the legal professional's nearest office location.
Availability	The next available appointment time for each lawyer (e.g. all other things being equal, a lawyer with an available appointment time on Wednesday at 5pm will display higher than a lawyer with a next appointment time on Friday at 10am).

LawTap search results are continually reviewed and optimized for relevance. Legal professionals can also opt-out from being displayed in LawTap search results.

17. Do I need to publish my areas of law or indicative fees on my LawTap Professional Profile?

Publishing information about your professional experience, legal services offered, area/s of law and indicative fees (hourly rate or fee range) on your Professional Profile is optional. That said, this information assists potential new clients to:

1. better qualify (or as appropriate, disqualify) themselves for your legal services; and
2. set predictable, upfront expectations as to likely costs involved, even if you or your law firm offer a free first consultation.

Former Chairman, Paul Smith, of Eversheds Sutherland, one of the top 50 largest law firms in the world, was recently quoted "clients will increasingly become customers and will buy their services in a way that they buy other services in their lives."

Think about how you purchase services today. If you have a choice from two (2) comparable service providers with relevant expertise and reviews/recommendations in your local area and only one publishes pricing information – you will most likely book an appointment with the professional who has greater pricing transparency. The same decision making applies to clients purchasing legal services and presents a 'latent legal market' opportunity for most law firms to profitably grow.

Have you also read our article? Online Reviews: Your Law Firm's Most Important Trust Signal.

The trend towards pricing transparency is building momentum worldwide. From December 2018, the UK Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requires regulated legal professionals to publish their price and service information for popular consumer and small business legal services.

18. Is it easy to manage our law firm's LawTap subscription?

Yes. Law firms can easily manage their LawTap subscription at any time.

Change Request	Instructions
Add Users	New legal professional users can be added to your law firm in LawTap at any time using the 'Invite Members' function from the 'Account' screen.
Remove/Replace Users	Legal professional users can be removed and/or replaced in your law firm. Contact LawTap Support by email or live chat.
Manage Law Firm Manager Users	LawTap offers unlimited 'Law Firm Manager users' for all law firms at no additional cost so that secretaries and support staff can easily book/schedule and manage all client appointments from your Firm Dashboard. Contact LawTap Support by email or live chat.
Change Subscription	It may be possible to change your law firm's LawTap subscription from Pay Monthly to Pay Yearly to take advantage of pricing discounts. Contact LawTap Support by email or live chat.
Cancel Subscription	You can easily cancel your LawTap subscription by email in accordance with our Terms.

19. Our law firm wants to use LawTap right away. How long does it take to get started?

LawTap enables law firms to start booking client appointments in less than 10 minutes per lawyer.
LawTap also supports your law firm's decision to rapidly deliver a better client experience with:

User Manual	All law firms have access to the LawTap Help Portal.
Support	All law firms have access to timely, expert support by email and live chat. Outbound phone support is also available as appropriate.
Personal Onboarding	All law firms have access to a 30-minute personal onboarding remote screenshare session on joining LawTap to: resolve any setup or customization questions; discuss best practice for law firm appointment booking/scheduling; and provide technical support to add the Booking Button and/or Booking Widget to your law firm's website.
5+ Lawyer Law Firms	For law firms looking to use LawTap with 5+ lawyers, LawTap can prepare a Project Plan (Pilot Group + Remainder Group/s) and Quick Start Guide for express onboarding.

20. What is appointment booking and scheduling software?

I understand that LawTap is the best appointment booking and scheduling software for law firms - but what is appointment booking and scheduling software? Appointment booking and scheduling software, also commonly referred to as 'booking engines' or 'booking management systems', help businesses to book/schedule their appointments and for consumers to research and book online.

Have you also read our article? 3 Reasons Your Law Firm Needs Legal Appointment Booking and Scheduling Software.

21. How does LawTap make money?

LawTap's transparent pricing demonstrates compelling value for law firms:

1. A fixed-rate monthly or discounted yearly subscription fee for unlimited appointment bookings based on the number of legal professionals subscribed to LawTap in the law firm; and
2. Payment processing fees also apply where the law firm uses LawTap for their appointment payments.