FOR LAW FIRMS
Client portal for law firms
A client portal for a law firm is a secure website where each client logs in to follow their own dossier: status, documents, costs and next steps. Lawyers and staff see what their role allows; clients see only their own file. It replaces email threads and shared folders, in Dutch and French.
Last updated: , by Frederic Wauters
Book a free discovery callWhat a law-firm portal does
Your clients
- Log in and see only their own dossier.
- Follow the status without calling or emailing the office.
- Add documents and costs to their dossier themselves.
- Watch a short how-to video right on the login page.
- Use the portal in Dutch or French.
Your office
- Roles such as admin, lawyer and employee, each with the right access.
- Update a dossier’s status in one click; the client sees it right away.
- One place instead of email, Excel and shared drives.
- Optional AI tools to summarize judgments and prepare pleading outlines.
How it works
- 1
Free 30-minute call
Which dossiers, which documents, and who needs access to what.
- 2
Roles and data
We map your roles (client, lawyer, staff) and what each one may see and do.
- 3
Build
Most portals go live 2 to 4 weeks after kick-off. Larger projects go live in phases.
- 4
Access test
Before go-live we log in as every role and check that nobody sees a dossier that isn’t theirs.
- 5
Launch
Your team gets a handover, your clients a short video that shows the main task step by step.
Client portal vs email vs shared drive
How a law firm typically shares dossiers with clients, side by side.
| Email and attachments | Shared drive (Dropbox, OneDrive) | Client portal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Client sees only their own dossier | Depends on who is in CC | Only if every folder is shared correctly | Yes, enforced per role |
| Dossier status visible to the client | No, the client has to ask | No | Yes, always up to date |
| Documents linked to the dossier | Spread over inboxes | In folders, without status or context | Yes, per dossier |
| Client adds documents or costs | By email, then filed by hand | Upload, but nobody is notified by default | In the dossier, visible to the team right away |
| Fits how your office works | No | Folder structure only | Built around your dossiers and roles |
| Setup time | None | Hours | 2 to 4 weeks |
What we built for Advas Advocaten
Advas Advocaten is a law firm in the Brussels region. Over time we built four tools for the office and its clients.
Client portal
Clients log in to follow their dossier and add costs themselves. A two-minute video on the login page shows them how.
Intranet with roles
Separate access for administrators, lawyers and employees: handbook, team, leave requests and time registration.
AI tool for lawyers
Summarizes judgments and written submissions and prepares pleading outlines. The lawyer stays in charge.
Read the case →Website with intake form
Bilingual Dutch and French website with an intake form, plus FAQ, news and team pages managed from one database.
Read the case →Advas Advocaten now consistently attracts new clients through a range of digital channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, our web site). Automatable understands our challenges and translates that into concrete, measurable results.
Veerle Puttemans
Lawyer, Advas Advocaten
Questions from law firms
Is a client portal compatible with professional secrecy and the GDPR?
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It can be, if access is set up properly. Each client sees only their own dossier, and access is checked on the server, not just hidden on screen. We test every role before go-live. Before the build, we go through where the platforms store your data, so you can document it in your GDPR register.
Can clients upload documents themselves?
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Yes. Clients add documents or costs straight to their own dossier. Your team sees them right away, without emails to sort or attachments to file.
Does it work with our practice-management software?
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The portal can run next to it. If your software offers an API or an export, we connect the two with n8n so dossiers aren’t typed twice. We check this together during the discovery call.
How much does a client portal for a law firm cost?
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It depends on the scope: the number of roles, screens and automations. After a free 30-minute discovery call, you get a clear estimate. On top of the build come monthly platform subscriptions (Softr, Airtable), which depend on your number of users.
How long does it take?
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Most portals go live 2 to 4 weeks after kick-off. Larger projects are delivered in phases, so you start using the first part while the next one is built.
Will our clients actually use it?
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A portal only helps if clients find their way. That’s why we add a short video on the login page that shows the most common task step by step. At Advas, clients see a two-minute how-to video when they log in.
Does the portal work in Dutch and French?
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Yes. Automatable is based in Brussels and builds bilingual portals, so each client uses the portal in their own language.
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