Online booking for legal practices
People looking for a lawyer in a second language are usually in trouble and short of time. Whether they can book a consultation without a phone call decides whether they become a client.
One paid 60-minute consultation event type per practice area, forty-eight hours’ notice, a fifteen-minute buffer for the file note, and two or three a day as a cap.
Searching by problem, not by firm#
Nobody searches for "law firm". They search for divorce in Japan, an employment dispute, a landlord who will not return a deposit, a visa refusal, an inheritance. A single "consultation" booking page answers none of those searches.
There is also a sorting problem. Without a fee, initial consultations attract everything, and the diary fills with matters you were never going to take.
The setup to start from#
A paid initial consultation of a fixed length that both qualifies the matter and is itself a product, with clients who are often anxious and want to book without explaining themselves first.
| Duration | 60 minutes |
|---|---|
| Minimum notice | 48 hours |
| Buffer | 15 minutes after, for a file note |
| Max bookings per day | Two or three consultations a day |
| Location | In person or video |
| Payment | Paid online — a fixed consultation fee sets expectations before anyone talks |
| Cancellation policy | Full refund 48 hours before, none inside 24 |
Worth asking on the booking form: Which area of law? · Brief description of the matter · Is there a deadline or court date?
English-speaking legal help in Japan is searched for by practice area, not by firm: divorce, visa, employment, landlord disputes, inheritance. One event type per area, each named plainly, is worth more than a single "consultation".
One event type per practice area#
Family, employment, immigration, property, inheritance, commercial. Each named plainly, each with a description of what the consultation covers. It is better for the client and it is what search actually rewards.
A fixed consultation fee, paid at booking#
It sets expectations before anyone talks, and the appointment is only confirmed once the payment clears. A full refund outside forty-eight hours is fair and applies itself.
Fifteen minutes after, for the file#
A buffer after each consultation, invisible to the client, so the note gets written while the matter is fresh rather than at the end of the day.
Getting started#
- Sign in at app.marubox.jp with Google or Microsoft. There is no card and no trial clock.
- Create an event type with the settings above. Event types explained
- Connect your calendar so your consultation diary never gets double booked. Google · Outlook
- Set your real hours, and close Japanese public holidays in one tick. Availability
- Put the link in your bio, or the widget on your site. Adding it to your website
Common questions
Should I take a fee for an initial legal consultation?
A fixed fee taken at booking sets expectations, filters enquiries and commits the slot. Pair it with a full refund outside 48 hours so nobody feels trapped.
How do clients find the right kind of consultation?
Make each practice area its own event type with a plain name and a short description of what it covers. Clients pick the one that matches their problem, and each has its own link you can use in the right context.
Is what a client writes on the form confidential?
It is visible only in your account, and it is not published anywhere. Keep the form to what you need for triage rather than the detail of the matter.
Set this up in about ten minutes
Business Box is free for as long as you like, with no card required — booking pages, Google and Outlook calendar sync, availability, Japanese public holidays and the website widget. Taking card payment for bookings is ¥1,200 a month, tax included, with no commission on what you sell.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026.