Blawby

How I Simplified Consultation Payments for My Law Practice

If your intake process includes consultation scheduling, the most common failure point is payment collection. Clients book time, but payment happens later (or not at all), and staff spend hours on reminders and calendar cleanup.

This guide shows one reliable workflow using Blawby + Calendly + Google Sheets so your team can track bookings and payment status in one place. For more on intake automation, see AI-Powered Legal Intake Chatbot.

Why This Workflow Works

This setup helps your firm:

  • Reduce no-shows by making payment expectations clear
  • Cut manual follow-up on unpaid consultations
  • Keep one shared view of booking and payment status
  • Give attorneys cleaner, paid-ready calendars

What You Need

  • A Blawby payment link for consultation fees
  • A Calendly booking page
  • A Google Sheet your team can access
  • One team owner (usually office manager or paralegal)

In Blawby:

  1. Go to Settings and open your payment link section.
  2. Create a link for consultations (example: consultation).
  3. Set your standard consultation amount.
  4. Save and copy the payment URL.

If you need different consultation fees, use the amount parameter in the URL:

https://blawby.com/myfirm-payments?amount=7500 for $75.00

Why this matters: one clear payment link removes confusion and gives your team a repeatable intake process.

Step 2: Set Up a Simple Tracking Sheet

Create a Google Sheet with these columns:

  • Client name
  • Email
  • Phone
  • Calendly event date/time
  • Payment status (Pending, Paid, Cancelled)
  • Payment date
  • Notes

Why this matters: this gives attorneys and staff one shared operational view without searching across inboxes.

Step 3: Add Payment Instructions to Calendly Confirmation

In your Calendly confirmation message and reminder emails:

  1. State clearly that payment is required to confirm the consultation.
  2. Include your Blawby payment link.
  3. Add a short deadline (for example: "Please complete payment within 24 hours").
  4. Explain what happens if payment is not completed by the deadline.

Suggested copy:

“To confirm your consultation, please complete payment here: [Payment Link]. If payment is not received within 24 hours, we may release your time slot.”

Why this matters: clear expectations reduce back-and-forth and prevent surprises.

Step 4: Define Your Team Follow-Up Rule

Use one simple internal rule:

  • Pending after booking
  • Paid once payment is confirmed
  • Cancelled if payment deadline passes

Recommended process:

  1. New booking is added to Google Sheets as Pending.
  2. Team checks payment notifications from Blawby.
  3. Matching sheet row is updated to Paid with payment date.
  4. If no payment by deadline, team sends one reminder, then marks Cancelled and releases the slot.

Why this matters: consistent rules reduce subjective decisions and keep scheduling fair.

Step 5: Run a Weekly Intake Review

Once per week, review:

  • Number of consultation bookings
  • Number paid within deadline
  • Number cancelled for non-payment
  • Common client questions about payment

Adjust your confirmation language if clients repeatedly ask the same payment questions.

Why this matters: small copy and process changes can improve conversion without adding tools.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Hiding payment requirements in long confirmation text
  • Using multiple payment links without naming conventions
  • Tracking payment status only in email and not in a shared sheet
  • Letting each team member use a different follow-up rule

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use different consultation fees?

Yes. You can keep one base payment link and adjust the amount parameter for different consultation types.

What if a client books but says they already paid?

Check your Blawby payment records first, then update the matching row in your sheet. Keep one source of truth for status.

What if we want stricter no-show protection?

Use a shorter payment deadline and make your cancellation terms explicit in Calendly confirmation and reminders.

Next Step

Once this workflow is running, document your trust-handling process so your team knows exactly how to move earned funds correctly.

Read the Trust-to-Operating Transfer Workflow

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