Step-by-step instructions
Navigate to Agenda module
Click "New Group Poll" or "Group Availability" button
Add participants:
Enter email addresses: client1@email.com, client2@email.com, colleague@office.be
Can add 3-20 participants (recommended maximum 10 for practical coordination)
Include yourself as participant if needed
Propose date/time options:
Click "Add Option" for each proposed slot
Option 1: November 15, 2024 at 14:00 (2:00 PM)
Option 2: November 16, 2024 at 10:00 (10:00 AM)
Option 3: November 17, 2024 at 15:00 (3:00 PM)
Recommend 3-5 options for best results
Add event details:
Title: "Estate Settlement Meeting - Dumont Family"
Duration: 90 minutes
Location: "Office" or "Online" or address
Meeting link: Zoom/Teams URL (optional)
Description: Agenda, preparation instructions
Click "Copy Shareable Link" button
You can send an email to all participants with unique response link
Participants receive email: "You're invited to vote on meeting time for [Event Title]"
Each participant clicks link, sees proposed options, marks availability
Live results dashboard updates in real-time for poll creator
Dashboard shows availability count per option (e.g., "5 out of 6 participants available")
When consensus found (all or most available for one slot), creator selects winning option
Click "Close Poll" button and send confirmation email to participants
(Soon): Event automatically created in participants' calendars and confirmation email sent out as well.
Practical example
Notary Philippe Laurent needs to schedule an estate settlement meeting involving 5 parties: 3 heirs, 1 executor, and himself. He creates a group poll with all 5 email addresses, proposes 3 options (Nov 15 at 14:00, Nov 16 at 10:00, Nov 17 at 15:00), adds title "Dumont Estate Settlement - Final Division", duration 120 minutes, location "Office - Conference Room". He sends the poll. Over 48 hours, participants mark availability. The live dashboard shows: Option 1 (3/5 available - executor unavailable), Option 2 (5/5 available - perfect!), Option 3 (4/5 available). He selects Option 2 (Nov 16 at 10:00), clicks "Schedule Meeting", and the event is created in all 5 calendars automatically. What would have taken 20+ emails and 3 days of coordination was resolved with one poll in 48 hours.
Notes and limitations
No authentication required: Participants don't need Nora.Legal accounts - vote via email link
Vote visibility: Participants cannot see others' responses in most implementations (organizer sees all)
No weighted voting: All participants' votes are equal
No maybe option: Binary available/not available (no "maybe" or "prefer not")
Manual selection: Poll doesn't auto-schedule - organizer must manually select winning option
No calendar integration for voters: Participants manually check their calendars - system doesn't check their availability automatically
Poll expiration: Polls may have expiration date (configurable, typically 7 days)
Cannot add options after sending: Cannot modify proposed times after poll sent (must create new poll)
No recurring polls: Each poll is for single meeting instance
Email dependency: Relies on participants checking email and clicking link
FAQ
Q: Can participants see others' responses or is it anonymous?
A: In most implementations, voting is private - participants cannot see other participants' responses. Only the poll creator (organizer) sees the live results dashboard with all votes. This prevents bias where people adjust votes based on others' availability. If you need public visibility, check your specific Nora.Legal configuration.
Q: What if no time works for everyone - what do I do?
A: If no option has 100% availability, select the option with highest attendance (e.g., 4 out of 5 available). Then manually contact the unavailable participant(s) to negotiate: (1) can they adjust their schedule to attend, or (2) is their attendance optional, or (3) should you propose new options via a second poll? The system shows availability counts to help you make this decision.
Q: Can I add more time slot options after sending the poll?
A: No, once the poll is sent, proposed options are locked. You cannot add, remove, or modify time slots after participants have started voting. If you need different options, you must create a new poll and notify participants. Best practice: carefully consider all reasonable options before sending, and propose 4-5 options to maximize chance of finding consensus.