The problem
Free consultations fill the calendar with people who don't show up, and booking each one takes calls back and forth. If a firm holds 25 consultations a month, 5 are no-shows costing an hour of attorney time each, and arranging each one takes 15 minutes of staff time, that's 5 wasted attorney hours and more than 6 staff hours a month.
What the AI does
Calendly's Standard plan adds unlimited event types, automations and reminders, and payment at booking through Stripe or PayPal. Once a prospective client has cleared the firm's conflict check, staff send a link to a consultation page that shows only the attorneys' open times and takes the consultation fee when the person books. Reminders go out before the meeting. Paying up front cuts no-shows, and the person arrives having chosen the time. The consultation is where the attorney gives advice; the booking page collects no details of the dispute.
A worked example
An illustrative example built from typical figures, not a named business.
A two-attorney family law firm in Kansas City, Missouri, holds about 25 consultations a month and moves from free to $200£150€179A$289C$283 paid consultations. Each attorney has a Calendly Standard seat with Stripe connected, and staff send the booking link once conflicts are cleared.
Before
5 no-shows a month at 1 attorney hour each, and 15 minutes of staff time to book each consultation
After
About 1 no-show a month, and 3 minutes of staff time to send each link
What it's worth
About $950£714€850A$1,371C$1,343 a month of staff and attorney time, against a $20£15€18A$29C$28 cost. Four fewer no-shows is 4 attorney hours, worth $800£602€716A$1,155C$1,131 if attorney time is worth $200£150€179A$289C$283 an hour, and 12 minutes saved on each of 25 bookings is 5 staff hours, worth $150£113€134A$217C$212 at an assumed $30£23€27A$43C$42 an hour. Standard is $10£8€9A$14C$14 per seat a month billed yearly or $12£9€11A$17C$17 monthly; Stripe or PayPal processing fees are extra. The consultation fees themselves are not counted, since charging them is a pricing decision.
How to set it up
- Decide the fee, the length of a consultation and the refund and rescheduling policy, and put them in writing on the booking page.
- Give each consulting attorney a Standard seat, connect their calendar and connect Stripe or PayPal for payment.
- Send the booking link only after the conflict check has cleared, so no one books, pays and then has to be turned away.
- Set reminders before the meeting, with a phone number to call if the person needs to reschedule.
- Keep the booking form to name, phone and email; the details of the case belong in the consultation.
What goes wrong
- A consultation fee is a legal fee under the state bar's rules. Say clearly what it buys and how refunds work, and check whether your state requires it to go into a particular account.
- Booking forms that ask what the case is about can create duties to a prospective client (ABA Model Rule 1.18) before conflicts are checked. Keep the form minimal.
- The free plan has no reminders and no payments, and it allows one event type. Each attorney with their own calendar needs a paid seat.
- People in a crisis, such as domestic violence, may need an urgent call rather than a booking page. Keep a phone number on the page and make sure staff answer it.