A law firm sells trust. Every interaction with a client either builds it or spends it, and most firms have no system for building it on purpose between meetings.
JDKatz, P.C., an award-winning firm in Bethesda, Maryland, took that seriously from the start. Its attorneys, CPAs, and support staff advise everyone from C-level executives to retirees on estate planning, real estate, corporate law, tax, and litigation, and founder Jeffrey Katz wanted the firm’s values of trustworthiness, client care, and consistency to come through in every touchpoint.
The first place he applied that was appointment reminders. Since 2011, JDKatz has sent automated appointment reminders and messages through Apptoto, and Jeffrey’s verdict is blunt: “We can’t afford not to have it.”
Results
<15 min
To connect Google Calendar
And send their first reminder
15-20%
Of clients have no email
Reached by text or voice
30 min
Final reminder before the visit
Including parking directions
2011
Customer since
15 years and counting
About JDKatz Attorneys at Law
Award-winning law firm JDKatz, P.C., is based in Bethesda, Maryland, and grosses over $1M a year. The firm has a team of attorneys, CPAs, and JD/LLMs serving clients from corporate executives to retirees. The firm’s stated values are trustworthiness, fidelity, client care, and consistent performance. Many firms say something similar. JDKatz wanted a way to show it, every time, without adding staff.
The challenge: reminder calls clients dodged, or worried they’d be billed for
JDKatz knew from the start that demonstrating trustworthiness in every client interaction was central to their business. While many law firms aim to make clients feel valued, they often lack the infrastructure to consistently convey care and concern.
The first opportunity to build client trust came through appointment reminders. Before Apptoto, reminders were manual phone calls, and they failed in two ways. The first was ordinary: clients missed the calls. The second was specific to law. When a client picked up and heard a staff member on the line, many assumed the clock was running, and they were being billed for the courtesy. They weren’t, but the worry was real, and it turned a helpful call into an awkward one.
Either way, the result was the same: clients arriving late or not at all, and staff spending more time calling back to reschedule and re-explain what to bring. The one thing meant to show care was creating friction instead.
Why Apptoto: Affordable, Calendar-Ready, and Reaches Every Client
Jeffrey’s requirements were practical. He needed reasonably priced software that would automate reminders and work with the tools the firm already ran on: ScheduleOnce, Outlook, and Google Calendar. Apptoto connected to Google Calendar in under 15 minutes, and the firm has used it since 2011.
Voice, text, and email
15 to 20% of JDKatz’s clients are older and don’t use email. Most have a cell phone, and a text or voice reminder reaches them.
Live in under 15 minutes
Google Calendar connected, reminders configured, and the first message sent the same day.
Reminders that carry instructions
The final reminder includes parking directions and a link to the firm’s website.
Multiple calendars, multiple staff
One account schedules reminders across every attorney’s calendar.
“Originally, we didn’t think we could afford a reminder service, but our overall Apptoto experience has shown us that we can’t afford not to have it.”
Jeffrey Katz, Managing Partner at JDKatz, P.C.
The setup: multiple touches ending 30 minutes before
Call, text, or email
Reminders sent based on clients’ preferences
Final text
Reminder, plus parking directions and website link
Client meeting
Clients on time and well prepared
Text has been the channel that most reduced late arrivals and no-shows. The last message does double duty: it’s a reminder, and it’s the practical information a client needs in the moment, so nobody circles the block looking for parking or calls the front desk to ask.
Results
Jeffrey doesn’t reach for a percentage. He reaches for how clients describe the firm now. “The solution hit it out of the park. Our clients perceive our firm as accessible, committed, showing genuine concern for their well-being, and respect for their time.”
What surprised him was the part only an automated reminder could do. “Reminders serve as a concrete way to demonstrate these values. Clients know the staff is concerned about them, but that the automated call or text isn’t being billed to them, so they appreciate it more. We message that we are on top of their file. And it happens every time, so it communicates another JDKatz value: consistency.”
| OUTCOME | DETAIL |
|---|---|
| Fewer late arrivals and no-shows | Text reminders are the most effective channel |
| Every client reached | Including the 15–20% without email |
| Staff time back | No more reschedule and “what do I bring” calls |
| Billing worry gone | Clients know an automated reminder isn’t a billable call |
“It sends the message: We care.”
Jeffrey Katz, Managing Partner at JDKatz, P.C.
Questions law firms ask
Yes, and for law firms this is usually the first thing to set up. Rules decide what triggers a reminder: only events with a keyword you add, only appointments where you’re the organizer, only bookings from your booking page, or any combination. Court placeholders, invites from opposing counsel, and internal blocks never message a client unless you say so.
Yes. A hearing rule can drop the cancel and reschedule options (clients can’t cancel court), include the judge’s name in the message, and swap the confirmation prompt for something more useful, like “Is your ride arranged?” Consultation reminders keep the normal confirm-or-reschedule flow. Each appointment type gets its own message and its own rules.
Yes. Apptoto connects to Clio as well as Google Calendar, Outlook, and Microsoft 365, and sends reminders for the appointments on your Clio calendar. See the integrations page for details.
One Apptoto account covers the firm. The base plan includes three calendars or users, and larger firms move up a plan based on how many additional calendars or users they add. Each attorney’s calendar syncs to the account, an assistant can manage several attorneys’ calendars from one login, and each attorney can have their own booking page if the firm takes online bookings. See pricing for more details or contact our support team to discuss your firm’s unique needs.
