Best 6 client portal software for law firms and lawyers
Rochester Oliveira • Update on July 11, 2023 • 12 min read
In the fast-paced world of legal practice, efficiency and security are paramount. Client portals have become indispensable tools, streamlining communication, document sharing, and collaboration between attorneys and their clients. We've curated a list of client portal software options, tailored to meet the diverse needs of law firms -- from solo practitioners to large corporate legal departments.
Whether you're seeking user-friendly interfaces, robust security features, or seamless integration with existing legal software, we've got you covered. Our selection process considers factors like ease of use, data encryption standards, customization options, and client accessibility. With the right client portal software, legal professionals can enhance client satisfaction, improve internal workflows, and uphold the highest standards of confidentiality.
We analyzed 38 client portal software options for law firms and shortlisted the best ones based on a few factors:
- Content management: Check how well the software allows you to make content private, including different levels.
- Document management: If there are sections for document uploads by admins and clients, and if clients can sign documents online.
- Calendar integration: If the client portal integrates with a calendar, showcasing important dates, court schedules and meetings.
- Additional features: Any other features relevant for law firm software
- Pricing: How much it costs and what is the billing system.
Table of Contents
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| Name | Best use case | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Softr | Flexible portals, with custom pages and additional features | Free, $49/month, $139/month or $269/month |
| Clio | Building a simple client portal with client messages | $39/user/month to $129/user/month |
| Smokeball | Easy to use client portal | $29/user/month to $149/user/month |
| Casepeer | Personal Injury firms | $89/user/month |
| Caret | Robust document automation for your client portal | $79/user/month to $139/user/month |
| Lawmatics | Startups | $199/month to $249/month up to 3 users. Additional users are $49/month or $59/month |
1. Softr
Softr is a no-code platform that allows you to build client portals and internal tools. You can use it to build a law firm client portal with a few clicks. In addition to a client portal, you can use it to build other useful apps, such as invoicing systems, CRMs, and project management tools.
Content management
You can control exactly what each user can see with user groups.
Thus, you don’t need to create multiple client portals, you can create a single portal and select which clients will see which pages.
You can allow customer interactions, using forms blocks or action buttons for comments and reviews.
Document management
You can upload documents and allow users to upload documents, using form blocks.
You can collect e-signatures with external services such as DocuSign through integrations or webhooks. In this case, you can send users to DocuSign, and then bring them back to your portal when they are ready.
Calendar integration
Softr includes the calendar block. You can use it to display your events and important dates. With the action buttons, you can add records from the calendar to your Airtable database and keep your events in sync.
You can use Zapier or Integromat to automate notifications and warnings as well. You can use them to check from time to time if there is an event coming soon, and send a warning to your team when that’s the case.
Additional features
Softr allows you to build pretty much anything you want. Thus, you aren’t limited to just a client portal, so you can implement as many features as you want in your app.
Pricing
Softr is free for up to 5 internal users or 100 external users.
You can upgrade to the Basic plan for $49/mo. It allows 10 internal users and 1,000 external users.
If you need the calendar block, you’ll need to use the Professional plan for $139/mo. In addition to the calendar block, you get other exclusive blocks, 50 internal app users, and 5,000 external users.
The Business plan is $269/mo, and it allows you to use your apps with 100 internal users as well as 10,000 external users.
The Verdict
Pros:
- Get started in a few clicks
- Build client portals with granular user access control
- Add any content you want to pages, not just messages and downloads
- You can use the free plan to build client portals
- The pricing tiers aren’t as tied to the number of users as other options
Cons:
- It might require a bit more work to understand how it works and how to build pages with it.
- You might need to use external tools to manage e-signatures
Softr is a great option if you want to build a client portal with custom pages and granular user access control. Softr’s pricing isn’t directly related to the number of users, thus you can scale up easily, and it won’t cost as much. For example, with Softr, you’d pay $49/mo to get 10 internal users, while the other options can cost $600/mo or more. And if you need 100 users, you’d pay $269/mo with Softr, while other options can cost $6,000/mo or more
Clio
Clio is a legal practice management software, which includes not just client portals, but tools to manage your entire law firm. With more than 150,000 users, it’s one of the leading platforms for legal professionals.
Content management
You can create client portals under Communications > Client Portals.
Therefore, you can create client portals for each of your clients. Also, you can invite multiple users to a client portal, so you can create a general portal for all clients and then individual portals for private communication with each client.
Clients will get an email about the client portal when you invite them, and from there they can see messages and documents using the Clio for Clients app or checking the online portal:
Document management
You can securely upload and share documents with clients on their client portals. Clients can scan and upload their own documents as well.
You can request e-signatures using Clio or other services, such as DocuSign, via integrations.
Calendar integration
You can use calendars and connect with services, such as Google Calendar. You can set up notifications for meetings, court dates, and other important dates to make sure you don’t miss any deadlines.
Additional features
Since Clio is a legal practice management software, it includes many other features, such as payment collection, CRM, task management, time tracking, financial reports, and more.
Pricing
Clio offers four plans. The EasyStart plan is $39/user/month, but it doesn’t include client portal features.
The Essential plan includes the client portal builder, and it costs $69/user/month. This plan also includes 15 e-signatures per user per month, court calendars, and custom fields in your CRM module.
The Advanced plan is $99/user/month. It includes unlimited e-signatures, advanced tasks and full-text search.
The Complete plan is $129/user/month and it includes all Clio Grow add-ons. These are form builders, automated workflows, website builders, and online appointment booking.
The Verdict
Pros:
- Clio includes many features beyond client portals
- Custom client portals for each clients
- Encrypted communication and document sharing
- E-signatures using Clio’s service as well as external services
Cons:
- The client portal itself isn’t flexible. You are limited to messages and documents
- You need to use Clio’s branding, which can be confusing. There is no white labeling option.
- For big firms it can be quite expensive when compared to other alternatives
Clio is a great option if you just want to get started fast. But if you want a custom-made client portal, or even custom branding, it isn’t the best option for you.
Smokeball
Smokeball is a feature-packed legal practice management software. It allows you to create client portals, manage tasks, collect leads, generate invoices, and automate documents.
Content management
All client communication features are available on the Communicate app. It works as a message hub, allowing you to see all conversations and shared documents.
You can create channels and add users to them. These users will be able to see messages and documents. You can add content to a client portal automatically. Thus, whenever you upload documents relevant to a specific case, they can be added to a client portal and clients will get a notification.
Document management
You can upload documents and collect e-signatures. Smokeball can generate documents automatically or fill in client details automatically for some documents. This can be a time saving tool, and it can avoid issues with data inconsistencies in forms.
Calendar integration
Smokeball integrates with Microsoft Outlook, and you can add tasks, court dates, meetings and other calendar events to specific dates. You can generate automated digests for each day, making it easy to understand what is coming up.
Additional features
In addition to client portals, Smokeball can be used to manage all tasks in your legal firm. You can bill clients, manage contacts, collect leads, search documents using OCR, and more.
Pricing
Smokeball costs $29/mo, on the starter plan. But this plan doesn’t include the client portal feature. To get it, you need the Grow plan, for $99/mo. In addition to client portals, the Grow plan includes document automation, e-signatures, and tasks management.
Smokeball offers the Prosper plan as well, for $149/mo. With it, you can manage leads, manage video conferences, and get OCR text search features.
The Verdict
Pros:
- Lots of additional features as a legal practice management software
- Extremely safe and fully encrypted
- Easy to get started
Cons:
- The app only works in Google Chrome
- The client portal is limited to messages, documents, and shortcuts (pinned conversations)
Smokeball is a great option for a simple client portal for law firms. It includes other features that make your life much easier when running your business. But the lack of support to other browsers is a huge bummer. In addition, the client portal itself is quite simple, and you can’t add custom pages to it—only messages and documents.
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Casepeer
Casepeer is a completely legal practice management software focused on personal injury law firms. It allows you to manage all aspects of your business, including client communication, using client portals.
Content management
You can create client portals for each of your clients. This allows them to interact with messages and documents about their cases.
Once you create a client portal for your client, they can log in and see their projects. You can use emails or SMS to get in touch with your clients.
Document management
You can upload documents, users can upload documents, and you can collect e-signatures online.
Calendar integration
You can track deadlines using the calendar integration.
These calendars can be used to check pending tasks, document uploads, document submission deadlines, and others.
Additional features
Since Casepeer is a legal practice management software, it includes features for case management and CRM. You can collect customer payments and integrate it with accounting software.
Pricing
Casepeer provides a simple pricing structure. It’s $89/user/month. Therefore, all their features are included in this plan.
The Verdict
Pros:
- Simple pricing
- SMS communication
- CRM integrated with the client portal
Cons:
- No customization on the client portal
Casepeer comes with a simple pricing structure that includes a lot of features in a single plan. It is designed for personal injury firms, but it can work fine for other firms as well.
Caret Legal
Caret Legal is a legal practice management software that allows you to manage everything about your legal practice. In addition, Caret includes a CRM, task management, time tracking and document management.
Content management
You can use Caret Legal client portal to allow customers to see their invoices, and send/receive documents.
There are two types of client portals in Caret Legal’s software. You can use the standard or the signature version.
The standard version comes with no customization, but the usual document-sharing feature, invoicing, payment collection, and encryption.
The signature version includes a custom login page, branded email notifications, and a mobile app with biometric sensors login, such as TouchID.
Document management
Your clients can upload and download documents regarding their cases.
Calendar integration
You can create time entries automatically, track online your billable hours, set private and public events. You can invite other people to events and create recurring events.
In general, you can create and manage calendars automatically and allow your team to do the same.
Additional features
Caret Legal includes additional features such as document automation, OCR, accounting tools, and a CRM.
Pricing
There are three pricing options for Caret Legal. You can use the Enterprise plan for $79/user/mo. This plan includes the client portal tool already.
Then there’s the Enterprise plus for $89/user/mo. This plan adds document management tools, department-based accounting and custom user permissions.
The Enterprise Advance plan costs $139/user/month, and it includes advanced document automations (by HotDocs) and 24/7 support.
The Verdict
Pros:
- Easy to use, even for non-tech-savvy people.
- The document automation tool is great and allows you to process documents with less human errors.
Cons:
- The client portal is limited to invoicing and documents.
- The OCR feature is a hit or miss sometimes.
Caret Legal is a good option for simple client portals for legal firms. If you just want a place to share documents and collect payments quickly, this is probably the way to go. But if you want any sort of customization, there are better options on this list.
Lawmatics
Lawmatics is a completely legal practice management software, with features to build client portals, manage tasks, organize documents, build forms, and collect payments.
Content management
Lawmatics features a modern client portal template, integrated with its CRM.
Clients can check the calendar, documents, pending signatures, and downloads and manage different cases at once.
Document management
You can upload documents, organize them and collect e-signatures:
Clients can upload files as well, making it easy to share relevant documents.
Calendar integration
Allow clients to book meetings online with the calendar tool:
There are no integrations with external calendars, though. So you might need to move your entire calendar into the Lawmatics platform to make full use of it.
Additional features
Lawmatics allows you to build custom forms, which can be used to collect feedback or general questionnaires about cases.
It includes email automations and campaigns as well. In general, Lawmatics is a well-rounded marketing tool, as much as it is a management tool, with options for SMS messages, custom fields, and pipeline management.
Pricing
Lawmatics is available in three different plans.
The Lite plan is $199/mo, including 3 users. Each additional user is $49/user/mo. This plan doesn’t include client portals, though.
If you need client portals you need at least the Pro plan. It costs $249/mo and it includes 3 users. Each additional user is $59.
This plan features the client portal feature, as well as marketing campaigns, and reporting tools.
There is an Enterprise plan, with no public prices but with the same features as the Pro plan.
The Verdict
Pros:
- Modern design
- SMS and two-way SMS features, which can be useful for client communication
Cons:
- Not very customizable, so the client portal is provided as it is.
Lawmatics is a modern-looking software, aimed towards startups. It includes many useful features even on the lite plan. It isn’t the best option if you need to customize the client portal pages.
Conclusion
Today we looked at six options for client portal software for law firms. We hope you’ve enjoyed it, and see you again next time!
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Frequently asked questions about Client portals for law firms
Due to how sensitive information is on these portals, the more security features it provides, the better. A bare minimum is encryption and 2-factor authentication logins. But biometric authentication and secure digital vaults (with yet another level of encryption and different passwords) could be a good security feature.
CRMs are a great tool for law firms. Since they collect all your customer data, they allow you to generate client portals for each of your clients, and keep track of your communication, invoices, proposals, documents, and tasks.
