Client portal · 3 guides
Messages with clients
Exchange secure messages and files with clients through the portal. Each conversation is kept on the matter, and clients are emailed when you write.
Before you start
- The client must have access to the portal. See invite a client to the portal.
- Messages must be switched on for the matter, under What … can see on the matter's Client portal tab. If it is off, you can't start a conversation and the client can't see one.
Every conversation belongs to one matter.
Read messages from clients
Open Client messages from the menu. It lists messages from clients across the matters you can see.
- Use Unread to see only conversations with something new.
- Search by client, matter or subject.
- Click a conversation to open it on the matter's Client portal tab.
When a client writes, the matter's responsible lawyers and anyone in the team who has written in that conversation get a notification. The matter's Client portal tab also shows how many new messages are waiting.
Write to a client
- Open the matter and click the Client portal tab.
- Under Messages, click New message.
- Add a Subject if you like. Without one, the matter title is used.
- Write your message. To add files, click Attach file.
- Click Send.
To reply in an existing conversation, open it, write in the box at the bottom and click Send. You can also press Ctrl+Enter (Cmd+Enter on a Mac).
The client is emailed that a message is waiting in the portal. Under each of your messages, Chronica shows whether the email went: for example Emailed to client, Client has no email or Client turned emails off.
Files in messages
- You can attach up to 10 files to a message, each up to 25 MB.
- Files you attach are saved on the matter's documents and shared with the client when you send.
- Files the client sends are saved on the matter too.
A message can be up to 4,000 characters long.
Close a conversation
When a question is dealt with, open the conversation and click Close conversation.
- The client can't write in a closed conversation. They can start a new one.
- If you write in it again, it reopens. You can also click Reopen.
The portal reminds clients that messages are kept on their matter record, and that for urgent court matters they should call their lawyer.
What the client sees
In the portal, the client opens Messages to see one thread per matter. They can reply, attach files and start a new message to the legal team, choosing the matter it is about. If messages are off for a matter, the portal tells them to call or email their lawyer instead.
Questions
Who sees a conversation in our firm?
Anyone who can see the matter can open its conversations on the Client portal tab and in Client messages.
Can the client message us about a matter that isn't shared?
No. Clients can only write about matters they can see in the portal with messages switched on.