How To Develop A On-Demand Lawyer Appointment & Consultation App?

Last Updated on February 24, 2022

If you are in the legal industry, it’s time you leverage technology and build a dedicated lawyer app to offer enhanced ease to the users. Gone are the days when people had to browse through directories to get in touch with professional legal associates. Today, in this highly efficient and technologically-driven world, everything is available at the tap of a button. And when technology is advancing so fast, why should legal services be left behind?

Lawyer on-demand mobile apps offer the best approach to finding and engaging reliable and knowledgeable lawyers with just a single tap on your smartphone. These apps allow the users to book a professional attorney and discuss all their legal requirements without wasting any time. And this is why several businesses in the legal industry are readily investing in this niche to earn additional revenues as well as spare the people from traveling long routes in the hunt for the best lawyer.

If you are a part of the legal sector and wish to revolutionize your business model through a competent lawyer on-demand app, this post is for you. Here, we will talk about how lawyers can develop their own appointment app, where the customers can schedule their appointments and check availability. Similarly, this post will also help entrepreneurs who are looking to develop a robust on-demand lawyer app to connect the lawyers to the customers.

What Is A Lawyer Booking App & How It Works?

A lawyer booking app enables users to effortlessly find a good lawyer who matches their requisites. With these apps, the users can browse for professionals based on different parameters like budget, time, type of legal proceeding, etc. They can select any specific lawyer and even schedule an appointment with them in advance. Based on the lawyer’s availability, the users can choose a date and time.

The working of these apps is pretty straightforward.

• The users can sign up for the app either by entering their details or through any of their existing social media accounts.
• After signing in, the users can explore the app services and search for lawyers using advanced parameters like location, specialty, fees, etc.
• The users can choose from a hand-picked network and book an appointment with their chosen lawyer. If they are looking for a future booking, they even have the option to choose a later date.
• After a consultation with the lawyer, the users can also use the integrated payment gateways and make quick payments from within the app itself.

Benefits Of Using A Lawyer Booking Mobile App

For Customers

• On-demand lawyer booking apps enable the users to easily find a good lawyer in their area and address all the legal needs of their family or business.
• These apps make it affordable to consult with a lawyer. Without any hefty retainers, the customers can seek the help of a local attorney at a low price.
• Many attorneys on these apps offer great discounts with pre-negotiated rates. This enables the customers to save huge sums of money when they require legal representation for complex matters.
• These apps offer a fast and easy way to resolve all your legal matters.

For Lawyers

• On-demand lawyer booking apps enable lawyers to offer superior customer services and build better relationships with their clients.
• With these apps, the lawyers can offer remote assistance to the customers that fit their busy schedules.
• Lawyers can expand their outreach and reach new geographical boundaries by offering online consultations to customers.
• These apps enable the lawyers to organize and store all the client data and information in one place and enhance productivity.

Why Invest In A Lawyer Appointment App Industry Stats & Market Size

The legal services industry is huge. Globally, this industry was valued at 849 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 and is anticipated to become a trillion-dollar industry by the end of 2021. In this, the U.S. alone accounts for almost half of the global legal services market. It is further projected that the revenue of legal services in the U.S. will amount to approximately 348 billion dollars by 2024.

• Furthermore, the total number of lawyers in the U.S. has seen a steady increase over the years. Last year, there were 1.33 million lawyers in the U.S. legal sector.
• The projected number of US employment in legal occupations is 1.15mn
• The current number of US paralegals and legal assistants is around 332,720
• The annual salary of US lawyers is 148,910 USD
• Spending on outside legal counsel is one of the largest segments of U.S. legal services costing 66 billion USD in 2019. These figures are consistently growing since 2015 and are expected to reach 68 billion USD in 2020.
• The market size of US corporate legal departments is 160bn USD
• In 2021, the global legal services market is projected to reach 767.1 bn USD after the COVID-19 outbreak

These statistics highlight the importance of having advanced technological solutions in the legal industry. With lawyer on-demand apps, individual lawyers, as well as reputed law firms, can enhance their presence as well as make it easy for the users to seek speedy legal advice.

Monetization Opportunities For Lawyer On-Demand Apps

Sponsored Listings

This is a popular monetization technique in which certain independent lawyers or law firms can opt for sponsored listing. They can pay a specific amount of money to get highlighted on the app or appear at the top of search results for a specific time. This is a great way to boost visibility and thus, most lawyers are willing to pay for a sponsored listing.

Membership (From Lawyers & Users)

The app admin can charge a certain amount of membership fees from both lawyers and users. This fee can be charged monthly, six-monthly, or annually, depending on the app.

Advertisement Selling

This is a great monetization strategy in which the app owners can earn money by displaying commercials of related products and services on their app. In return for displaying these ads and commercials, the owner can charge a specific amount of money from the advertising businesses.

Ecommerce Integration

Using this strategy, the app owner can integrate an eCommerce platform into the app from where the users can purchase related products or services. It is a popular money-making technique wherein one can sponsor products of a brand that provides something pertaining to a similar industry.

Leading Lawyer On-Demand Mobile Apps & Software

1. Rocket Lawyer

One of the leading legal services apps, Rocket Lawyer offers online services to help individuals and business owners generate legal documents and seek legal advice quickly. The app connects the users to countless attorneys that specialize in criminal law, family law, personal injury, business contracts, and more. The users can access attorneys and seek their advice through phone, messages, or email and get a response on all their legal queries within a day.

2. LegalMatch

LegalMatch is an app designed to connect users to lawyers in their area. The app follows a quick, simple, and straightforward procedure where the users only need to provide their location and choose the type of attorney. The app will quickly furnish a list of top-rated and licensed lawyers in the given location. The app offers different categories, including family, business, real estate, immigration, criminal defense, and employment.

3. UpCounsel

UpCounsel is another popular legal services app that enables users to schedule personal consultations with expert lawyers. The app offers a wide range of legal services under categories like patents, business formation, agreements, employment, trademarks, finance, and general counsel. The users can post about their requirements on the app and get matched to qualified attorneys within minutes. The users can also schedule a free consultation with lawyers without any obligation.

4. LegalZoom

LegalZoom is a highly diverse legal services platform that can easily address one’s personal, professional, and business needs. The app’s legal services can be categorized into four distinctive segments: Business, Intellectual Property, Family Law, and Attorney Advice.

General Features Of A On-Demand Lawyer Services Mobile App

Admin Panel

Lawyer Panel

User Panel

Lawyer Appointment Booking App Key Features

Social Login/Signup

This is an essential feature that allows the users to quickly sign up for the app using an existing social media account or email account credentials. It improves the user experience and declines the bounce rate.

Push Notification

Push notifications are a great way to keep the users and the lawyers attuned to the app. The app can send them notifications about any appointments, cancellations, news updates, etc. Besides, the app admin can also send push notifications regarding any promotional offers to the users.

User Authentication

Upon registration, the app requires thorough verification from the users to maintain the app quality. It is a good idea to integrate the OTP verification feature for better security.

Appointment Booking

With this feature, the users can book an appointment with their chosen attorney at their preferred date and time. They can even schedule future appointments, depending on their need.

In-App Video Calling

The lawyers and the customers can even communicate via a live video call and discuss all the important legal aspects.

In-App Chat & Calling

The in-built chatting and calling system enables a seamless conversation between the customers and the lawyers.

Doc management & Scanner

A document scanner enables the users to easily scan and upload all their legal documents so that they can be shared with the lawyer. A document management system, on the other hand, ensures all the documents are properly stored and protected from data theft.

In-App Navigation

The lawyer booking app should come with built-in access to Google Maps. This makes it easy for the lawyers and customers to locate each other in real-time.

Analytics & Reports

This feature enables the app owner to track key metrics in real-time. For instance, he can check the number of active users, the reviews of each lawyer, the lawyer with the highest ratings, etc., and take measures to improve app utility.

CRM integration

Customer Relationship Management software stores all the customer data. This helps the admin to use this data to make better decisions and ensure an excellent user experience.

CMS Integration

A well-appointed Content Management System enables the admin to easily manage the content offered on the lawyer booking app and modify it as and when needed.

Multiple Payment Gateways

This is one of the most sought-after features that allow the users to make quick payments from within the app. It is best to integrate multiple payment options such as debit/credit cards, e-wallets, net banking, etc. to offer augmented ease to the users.

Feedback & Ratings

This feature enables the users to rate and review the lawyers on the app. It is a great way to instill trust in new users and encourage them to book an attorney through the app.

User-Friendly UX/UI Design Is Important

There are a plethora of on-demand apps on the market. However, the winning apps are only those that provide complete ease of use.

A simple and interactive UI/UX design is what distinguishes a brilliant app from an average one. According to a survey, 76% of the consumers say that the most important aspect of an app or website is its design. It is important to develop an on-demand lawyer booking app that is quick to navigate and features a user-friendly design. This not only boosts the engagement rate but also enhances the app’s functionality and creates fewer problems for the users.

Tech Stack To Develop An On-Demand Lawyer Appointment App

Also Read: How To Choose A Tech Stack For Developing An App

How Much Does It Cost To Develop A Lawyer Booking App?

The app development companies determine the exact cost of app development after considering several factors. Some of the noteworthy ones that immensely affect the overall cost include:

App Building Platform

When you plan to develop a lawyer booking mobile app, you must have some platform in mind. The two most widely used platforms, iOS, and Android have their own development complexities. Thus, the two require different amounts and types of work to build resourceful apps.

Features and Functionalities

The features and functionalities you decide to integrate into your lawyer on-demand app ultimately determine its cost structure. The number of features and functionalities you integrate, the higher will be the cost. Thus, it is advisable to distinguish between the primary and secondary functions of your app.

UI/UX

The UI is the face of the app and the UX is how users engage with the app. No matter how flawless the app’s backend is if the user interface and the user experience are not up to the mark, the app will simply fail to succeed. So, make sure to have a good and impressive design, even if it costs a little more.

App Security

Lawyer booking apps thrive on the guarantee of confidentiality of data. These apps deal with sensitive user information that must be fully protected. So, it is important to integrate robust data security measures that make the application immune to cyber threats.

Location Of The App Development Company

This is another significant factor that affects the app development cost. Almost all app development companies charge their customers on an hourly basis. In developed countries like the UK and the USA, the companies charge around $150 to $250 per hour. However, in less developed Asian countries, particularly India, the companies guarantee superior app development services at much lower hourly charges, i.e. $50 to $90 per hour.

How Can We Help You Develop A Lawyer Appointment App?

At Emizentech we have a lot of experience in building exceptional mobile apps for various niches. We have been working in the app development industry for many years and have a great team of app developers. So, if you have an idea to develop a mobile app then please let us know.