This article explains how law firms and legal professionals can use Bunkor as a secure client portal for law firms to safely share confidential legal documents—such as contracts, case files, evidence, and correspondence—without relying on email attachments or consumer file-sharing tools.

Why Use a Secure Client Portal for Law Firms?

Law firms handle some of the most sensitive client information, including privileged communications and confidential case materials. Email attachments, shared drives, and consumer file-sharing platforms introduce unnecessary security, confidentiality, and compliance risks.

Many firms adopt a secure client portal for law firms to:

• Protect attorney–client confidentiality
• Keep documents encrypted and access-controlled
• Share large legal files securely (hundreds of MBs to multiple GBs)
• Avoid files living in inboxes or unsecured links
• Maintain clear ownership, access control, and accountability

Two Ways a Secure Client Portal for Law Firms Shares Files

Bunkor provides two primary methods for securely exchanging files with clients. The right option depends on whether you need ongoing access or one-time delivery.

Option 1: Vaults (Secure Client Portals for Law Firms)

Best for: Ongoing client relationships and long-term case files

Vaults function like secure client portals for law firms, allowing controlled, ongoing access to legal documents in an encrypted environment. Many firms create one Vault per client or per matter to store active and historical case files.

How Vaults Work

• Each Vault can be dedicated to a specific client or legal matter
• Files remain available until you remove access or delete them
• If a file is deleted, it is no longer accessible to anyone
• Access does not expire automatically, making Vaults ideal for active cases and long-term records

Sharing a Vault

You can share a Vault in two ways:

1. Invite by Email

• Share the Vault with a specific email address
• Assign a role (e.g., Viewer or Uploader)
• The client creates a Bunkor account and accesses the Vault under “Shared with me”

2. Secure Share Link

• Share a private URL to the Vault
• For additional security, enable password protection in the Vault settings
• Passwords cannot be reset, so some firms use client-specific information they already manage rather than storing passwords separately

Receiving Documents from Clients

Vaults support secure document intake from clients:

• Assign clients the Uploader role so they can submit files directly
• Create a File Drop page and connect it to a client’s Vault

File Drop pages can be branded with your firm’s logo, and any files uploaded through the link are automatically saved to the correct Vault.

Option 2: Secure Email (Time-Limited Access)

Best for: One-off or time-sensitive file delivery

Secure email allows law firms to send files as protected attachments with built-in expiration controls.

How Secure Email Works

• Files are sent as encrypted secure attachments
• You choose when access expires (after download, or 1–14 days)
• Once expired, the recipient can no longer access the file
• The file and its audit record remain visible in your sent folder

Secure email is ideal when ongoing client access is not required.

Recommended Secure Client Portal Setup for Law Firms

For most law firms looking to implement a secure client portal:

• Use Vaults as client or matter portals for ongoing access
• Pair Vaults with File Drop pages so clients can securely submit documents
• Use Secure Email for one-off or time-limited file delivery

This setup supports confidentiality today while scaling as your firm grows or adds staff.

Get Help Setting Up a Secure Client Portal for Law Firms

If you’d like help:

• Structuring client or matter-based Vaults
• Setting up File Drop pages
• Choosing the right sharing method for your workflow

Our team is happy to help you get started.

Bunkor
A secure client portal for law firms built to protect confidential legal data

‍