A Booking and Intake Website Built for Family Law Firms

A first release should do three things well. It should show the consultation types the firm offers, let a visitor pick an open time or send a request, and collect a short intake form. Keep the first screen light and move detailed questions to a follow-up step once the consultation is confirmed.

Several features can sit in a second phase: a client portal, online retainer payments and automated court date reminders. Each one depends on your practice software and on decisions the partners still need to make, so holding them back keeps the first launch easy to test.

• Consultation types with plain descriptions, such as initial consult, mediation inquiry and existing client question
• A calendar that shows real attorney availability, plus a request option for dates that are full
• An intake form limited to conflict-check fields and a preferred contact method
• A confirmation that shows the firm name and meeting time, but no details about the matter

The first mistake is treating the intake form like a sales form. A family law client who sees thirty questions on a public page often leaves, and the answers you do get tend to be rough. Ask for the minimum, then let a staff member follow up by phone.

The second is sending too much in the confirmation. A message that names the matter or the other spouse can be read by anyone with access to that inbox. We would keep it neutral and move details to a secure channel if the firm has one.

The third is a calendar nobody maintains. If the slots do not match what the attorneys actually take, staff end up double-booking and the site looks broken within a month.

• Asking for a Social Security number, full financial statements or school records on the first form
• Confirmations that name the matter, the other party or the children
• Calendar slots that ignore mediation days, court days or attorney travel
• A form that goes to a shared inbox with no one assigned to answer it

Staff need the booking calendar to fit into a normal day, not sit beside it as an extra login. We would route each new request to the inbox or case system the front desk already checks, and agree in writing who responds and how quickly.

Clients need a short path to a booking. The button belongs in the header and at the foot of each practice page, and the phone number should dial in one tap on a mobile device. A plain sentence should say that submitting the form does not create an attorney-client relationship.

After launch, we would review the first month of requests, see where people drop out of the form and tune the wording. Post-launch support covers those changes, so the site keeps pace as the practice grows.