---
title: "Client portal guide: choosing and running a portal for your firm"
url: https://thematteros.com/resources/client-portal-guide
updated: 2026-10-17
author: Raghav Handa
---

# Client portal guide: choosing and running a portal for your firm

Before you choose a client portal, decide what clients need from it: secure document exchange, a view of progress, and a place to ask questions. Options range from encrypted email to dedicated legal portals to a shared Notion page. Pick by security needs and client comfort, then roll it out with one pilot matter.

## Key takeaways

- Start from the client's needs, not the technology.
- Options differ most in security controls, ease of use and cost.
- A shared Notion page gives status visibility but is not a full secure document exchange.
- Roll out on one pilot matter before changing every client's experience.

## What do clients actually want from a portal?

- To send and receive documents without email attachment risk.
- To see the status of their matter and what is needed from them.
- To know what the next step is and who is doing it.
- To avoid learning another complicated login.

Ask three or four clients which of these matters most before you spend anything.


## What are the options?

| Option | Strength | Limit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Encrypted email | Familiar to most clients | No shared status view |
| Dedicated legal portal | Built-in controls and document exchange | Cost; another login for clients |
| Cloud storage shared folder | Easy for documents | Little matter context |
| Shared Notion page | Clear status and next steps | Not a dedicated secure document exchange; depends on Notion sharing settings |

Our blog post on building a client view in Notion covers the shared-page approach in detail; this guide is about choosing between options.


## How do you roll one out?

1. Write down the security questions: Who can access, how sign-in works, where data is stored and how access is removed. Ask vendors directly and read their documentation.
2. Pilot on one matter: Pick a friendly client and a simple matter.
3. Write a one-page client guide: What it is for, what it is not for, how to get help.
4. Review after a month: Keep, change or drop it based on what clients used.

- Build a client portal in Notion: https://thematteros.com/blog/law-firm-client-portal-in-notion
- Security and your data: https://thematteros.com/security
- Virtual law firm setup: https://thematteros.com/resources/virtual-law-firm-setup
- MatterOS vs Clio: https://thematteros.com/resources/matteros-vs-clio


## FAQ

### Do I need a client portal?

Not always. If most clients are comfortable with email and your matters are simple, a portal may add little. Ask your clients first.

### Is a Notion page a secure portal?

It can give clients a restricted view of status. For sensitive documents, check Notion's sharing and security features against your confidentiality duties, or use a dedicated exchange.

### What should I ask a portal vendor?

Where data is stored, how access is controlled, whether two-factor sign-in is available, how data is exported and what happens when you leave.

### Does MatterOS include a portal?

No. It is a template. You can build client-facing views using Notion's sharing features, within the limits Notion sets.