Client Portal
The client portal gives your clients secure, self-service access to their matter information. Clients can view shared documents, track milestones, and send messages to your team — without needing a Lawzana Flow account.
How It Works#
- You create a portal link for a matter
- The client receives a magic link via email — no password or account needed
- They click the link to access their portal dashboard
- The portal shows only what you've explicitly shared
Access Levels#
When setting up portal access, choose the appropriate level:
| Level | Can Do |
|---|---|
| View Only | See shared documents and download them |
| View & Upload | Everything in View Only + upload documents and see the timeline |
| Full Access | Everything in View & Upload + messaging, milestones, and AI assistant |
Under Advanced Permissions you can turn each part on or off for a link:
- Show shared documents
- Allow document uploads (works with View & Upload or Full Access)
- Show timeline
- Show milestones
- Allow messaging (works with Full Access)
- Show AI assistant
Setting Up Portal Access#
- Open the matter you want to share
- Click Share with Client in the matter header
- Click Create New Portal Link
- Enter the client's email address and, optionally, their name (the matter's client details are filled in for you)
- Choose an access level, and open Advanced Permissions to adjust individual switches
- Leave Send email invitation to client on, or turn it off and copy the link to send it yourself
- Click Create Link
The client receives an email with a secure magic link. Each link lasts 30 days.
What Clients See#
Documents Tab#
- List of all documents you've shared from the matter
- Download button for each document
- File size and date shared
- Clients cannot see documents you haven't explicitly shared
Timeline Tab#
- Shows when the matter moves from one stage to the next
- Each entry shows the date
Milestones Tab#
- Upcoming deadlines with due dates
- Overdue deadlines highlighted
- Completed deadlines for reference
- Priority badges: Low, Medium, High, Critical
Messages Tab#
- Clients can send messages to your team
- Each message is added to the matter's timeline and sent to the matter's responsible lawyer by email and notification (or as a notification to owners and admins when no one is responsible)
- Read and answer the conversation under Client portal messages: on a matter's Activity tab, or on a lead's Timeline tab. The notice of a new client message opens it directly
- When you reply, each client with a live portal link that allows messages gets an email with a link to read it in their portal. The email doesn't contain your message
- Viewers can read the conversation but can't reply. If no client has a link that allows messages, share the portal first
Assistant Tab#
- AI chat for the client's questions about their matter
- Uses the matter's shared documents, plus its milestones and timeline when those are switched on for the link
- Each question uses 1 AI credit from your firm's pool. If your credits run out, the assistant asks the client to contact you directly.
Sharing Documents#
To share a specific document with a client:
- Open the matter and go to the Documents tab
- Find the document you want to share
- Turn on the switch in the Client Portal column (on a phone, choose Share to Portal in the document's menu)
- The document immediately appears in the client's portal
To stop sharing:
- Turn the switch off (or choose Remove from Portal)
- The document is removed from the client's view
Client Document Uploads#
Clients whose link allows uploads can upload documents:
- Maximum file size: 10 MB per file
- Supported formats: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, images, Excel
- Uploaded documents are added to the matter's documents, but not shared back with the client
- The responsible lawyer (or, if no one is responsible, the firm's owners and admins) gets a notification, and the upload is added to the matter's timeline
- You can then share them back, analyze them with AI, or file them in a folder
Multi-Matter Access#
A client can have portal access to multiple matters at your firm. With active links for several matters, the client can use Switch Matter to move between them.
Managing and Revoking Access#
Click Share with Client on the matter to see its Active Portal Links. For each link you can:
- Copy link or Open portal
- Edit permissions
- Extend access by 30 days
- Revoke access
Each link also shows when it expires and when the client last opened it.
Security#
- Portal access uses token-based authentication — no passwords stored
- Each access link is unique and tied to a specific client and matter
- Access links expire after 30 days unless you extend them
- Client uploads and messages, and your replies, are recorded on the matter's timeline, and you can see when each link was last used
- Documents are served over encrypted connections