Make Money Mondays: Back to the Future With Housecalls

As the saying goes, everything old is new again.  Look around: Vintage clothing is nearly always in fashion.  Community supported agriculture and buying produce local and direct from farms as folks did back in the day is on the rise.  And now it seems,house-calls for doctors are making a comeback, enabled by the same technology that powers 21st century, gig-economy sides like Uber. 

As the New York Times reports, today’s startups are focusing on tapping the on-demand trend to bring healthcare to your doorstep. The article covers several services that will send a doctor or nurse practitioner to a patient’s home or workplace to treat nonemergency medical problems, or even jet lag, hangovers and food poisoning.  Moreover, there are other benefits to home health services on demand besides convenience: doctors can often diagnose the source of problems with a home visit (for example, mold or a pet may be a trigger for allergies or other ailments) plus early detection is always cheaper than an emergency room visit. Plus, there’s huge investor interest in this space, despite challenges like difficulty in procuring insurance coverage.  

Housecalls are nothing new for lawyers either. Over the years, I’ve met a handful of attorneys who focused on visiting clients in their homes to finalize estate planning documents or interview for personal injury. Many lawyers work with clients by phone or online, but house calls can benefits those clients who are still uncomfortable working with a lawyer when they can’t meet face to face.  And of course, in rural areas where people live far apart, legal house calls can be expensive because of all the time spent on the road.  That said, house calls give lawyers an easy way to stand out and clients may appreciate the convenience.  

Have you considered making legal house calls as a way to expand your business – or avoid the expense of an office? Share your experience below.

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