Are Client Portals Important for Lawyers and Clients?

Do you want to know how to communicate with clients effectively? Have you ever had a chance to use a secure client portal for lawyers? If not, now may be a good time to see what these offer. 

With more attorneys working remotely than ever before and clients wanting the convenience of ongoing communication without having to go to the attorney’s office, utilizing one of the top client portals for lawyers is highly recommended. 

You may wonder, though, what is a client portal? Put simply, a client portal is software that lets you (the attorney) interact and work with your clients in a secure and easy to use online setting. If your clients have internet access, they can log into the firm’s portal and review or share documents, send messages, and do many other tasks. Attorneys can do the same. 

For many law firms, client portals are considered the go-to solution for communicating with and working with clients. It helps everyone review things on their own time, from any location. While the benefits of using client portals are almost endless, there are some that are more important than others. 

Simplify Attorney-Client Communication

Are you searching for a way to simplify communications with clients? If so, a client portal is a great option. 

Before, your client would have to email or call your office to leave a message. They may even be able to call the direct line to the attorney. However, this is inconvenient for the attorney and client, and usually wastes a lot of time. 

With law firm client portal software, these issues can be fixed. That’s because you can create a single, private location for clients and attorneys to communicate. There are more than a few benefits offered by this, which include:

• It’s more secure than email. Quality client portals offer superior security for attorney-client communications and sharing documents. Sometimes, emails can get hacked and even if you take steps to protect the email accounts your firm has, there’s no guarantee that clients are doing the same thing. When you use a secure client portal, the communication is encrypted, and protected – on both ends. 
• Easier and faster communication. When everything is handled in a centralized location, you can simplify the entire process of communicating with clients and implement client communications best practices that may not have been possible before. Also, when everything is in one spot, it helps to improve overall responsiveness. 
• Improved client experience. Clients aren’t having to guess the best way to contact their attorney when they use the provided client portal. They can send their message and the attorney will respond in the same place. There’s no need to play phone tag or attempt to get in touch with one another unsuccessfully. 

Put simply, the use of client portals offers a win-win option for attorneys and clients. Clients remain informed and attorneys have peace of mind that their communications are safe and secure. 

However, if you are concerned about the technical expertise that is needed to create and use a client portal, you shouldn’t be. You can find enterprise-level solutions that offer easy-to-use client portals. These are ready to be used out of the box which means you don’t have to have an engineering degree or a background in coding to ensure that your clients get the high level of communication they need, deserve, and expect. 

Your Secure Client Portal Serves as Your New “Lobby” for Your Law Firm

Since COVID-19, things have changed significantly. While many people are opting for in-person meetings again today, there are others who want to avoid this. Also, having to come into a lawyer’s office regularly can be impossible for some clients. With client portals, it eliminates this on some level. 

Clients want simplicity and client portals provide this solution. If clients view your firm as being behind the times or if it seems to be lagging on the technology front, they may consider doing business with someone else, rather than you. 

As your attorney-client relationship is set to move online, you must ensure that you have a client portal that looks professional. This is going to help you foster trust in your firm. Remember, your client portal may be the main location where your clients are interacting with you and with your firm. This makes it your new office “lobby.” If this is your lobby, you want to make sure it looks good and provides the professional appearance you want and need. 

Simplify Attorney-Client Collaboration

When you opt for client portals, it’s possible to easily share files and documents with your clients and them with you. You can also discuss the documents right away and share your concerns or thoughts through the portal communication. There are some client portals that let you edit existing documents and even create new versions of them. Also, you can make the new documents immediately available for your clients to view. 

You don’t have to worry about scheduling client appointments or phone calls to discuss all the different details of your case. Instead, you can keep most of the communication to the client portal you are using. It will simplify and streamline the collaboration process – it really is that simple. 

24-Hour a Day Access 

When it comes to collaboration, your clients can handle what needs to be done on their end of their schedule, any time – day or night. This makes communication and getting things done easier and more convenient for everyone. 

Now Is the Time to Implement a Client Portal for Your Law Office 

Are you ready to see if a client portal is right for you and your clients? If so, we are currently offering a free 30-day trial for new users. Additionally, we offer complimentary 1:1 demos with our team of product experts.