The portal is a safer way to move documents than email. Files stay behind a login rather than sitting in an inbox, and both sides can see exactly what was shared and when.
Sharing a file with a client
Files live on the client record and on individual matters or projects. When you add a file, you choose whether the client can see it. Uploading a document does not automatically expose it, so you can keep working drafts private and share only the final version.
- Open the client, matter or project. Go to its Files area.
- Upload the document. Drag it in or browse for it from your computer.
- Mark it visible to the client. Only files you mark as visible appear in the client's portal.
Once shared, the file shows up under Files in the client's portal, where they can open or download it. Because it sits behind their login, there's no public link floating around that could be forwarded to the wrong person.
Name files clearly before you share them. A client reading "Retainer agreement signed.pdf" understands it at a glance, where "scan_0042.pdf" invites a confused email back to you.
Asking the client to send you documents
Collecting documents is just as important as sending them. Where you've allowed uploads, the client can add files from their side, straight into the matter or project. This keeps identification, statements and evidence in the right place from the start, instead of arriving as email attachments you then have to file by hand.
- Tell the client plainly what you need and, if it matters, the format, for example a clear photo or a PDF.
- Point them to the Files area in their portal, or to the specific matter if that's where you want the document.
- When they upload, it lands on the record and you can see who added it and when.
The same file type and size limits that apply to your own uploads apply to the client's. If an upload is refused, the client sees a message telling them why, so they can try a smaller or supported file.
Keeping it organized
A little structure saves a lot of searching later. Decide up front whether a document belongs on the client record or on a particular matter, and share it there. Files attached to a matter travel with that matter, which is exactly what you want when a client has more than one file open with your firm.
When not to use the portal
The portal is well suited to the documents in a normal file: agreements, statements, correspondence and evidence. For anything unusually sensitive, follow your firm's own handling rules as you would with any storage. The portal keeps files behind a login, but your professional judgment about what to collect and retain still applies.
Requesting a document in the portal creates a natural record that you asked and the client delivered. If a client later says they sent something, the upload history settles it quickly.