What to ask clients when they book online (and what not)
Lawyers, accountants and advisers: which details to request in the booking note, which to keep for a secure channel, and what the description should say.
6 min read
Ask for just enough to prepare the meeting and route it to the right service: the subject in a few words, any deadline, and for lawyers the names of the other parties so you can check for conflicts. Keep everything sensitive out of the booking: account numbers, tax identifiers, health details, the full story of a dispute. Use the service description to say what the client should bring or send later, and through which channel.
Why the booking note should stay short
A booking note is practical information, not a case file. It appears in the new-booking email you receive, in the calendar file attached to the client's confirmation email, and in your bookings list. That's convenient for logistics, and exactly why it shouldn't hold confidential material. Clients don't always know this, so the service description is where you tell them what to write, and what not to.
A short note also works better in practice: a client who writes three lines books in a minute, while one asked for a full summary may give up before booking.
What to ask
| Question | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject in a few words | Choose the right service and prepare | "Dismissal", "Buying a flat", "First tax return as self-employed" |
| Deadline | Spot urgency | "Hearing on 12 November", "Filing due end of month" |
| Other parties' names (lawyers, mediators) | Check for conflicts before the meeting | "Employer: company name" |
| Company name (business clients) | Know who you meet | "Small bakery, 3 employees" |
| Format preference | Office or video | "Video, I live abroad" |
The booking form already asks for first name, last name, email and phone, plus an optional note. That's enough to identify the client and call them back if the note shows the meeting needs a different format or a different person. If a note is empty or unclear, a short call before the meeting clears it up.
What to keep out of the booking
- bank account or card numbers, tax and social security identifiers;
- health information, even when it matters to the case;
- the detailed facts of a dispute, a separation or a debt;
- copies of documents, contracts or statements.
Write it plainly in the description: "In the note, just tell us the subject and any deadline. Please don't include personal numbers or documents: we'll tell you how to send them securely after booking."
Separate services, separate instructions
On Book, each type of meeting is a service with its own description and an optional price. That lets you give precise instructions per meeting: a first consultation, a document review, a tax return appointment, a signing, a mediation session. Each description can say how long the meeting lasts, what to bring and what happens next.
For firms with several advisers, Book gives one booking page per business, not a calendar per person. A simple workaround is one service per adviser, with their name in the service title.
Examples by profession
- Lawyer: area of law, other parties' names for the conflict check, next court or procedural date.
- Accountant or tax adviser: type of business or household, the year concerned, the filing deadline.
- Notary: type of deed (sale, gift, marriage contract), the address of the property if any, the planned signing period.
- Mediator: the type of disagreement and whether the other party has agreed to mediation. For a joint session, open a slot with two places so each party books their own place.
- Financial planner or broker: the goal in a few words (retirement, a loan, insurance), and whether the client already has an adviser.
Whatever your profession, keep the same rule: the note tells you what the meeting is about, and the details come later through the right channel.
After the booking
You receive an email for each new booking, with the note. Use it to run your conflict check, prepare a short list of documents, and send them through your usual secure channel. If the meeting has to move, reschedule it from your bookings list and tell the client yourself, since Book doesn't email them when a booking changes. For video meetings, send the link yourself; Book doesn't create one. Your page shows times in your business's time zone, with its name displayed, which helps clients abroad.
Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited bookings and services, no commission and no contract. It doesn't take payments or store documents; it handles appointments.