Client resources behind passwords, precedents behind roles.
A law-firm client portal gives each client a login and a private area holding only their documents, with files protected so a forwarded link does not open them for anyone else. FileDeck Pro adds a client portal with client areas, file protection and a download record to the WordPress site you already have. The free plugin covers the public side: client guides and firm documents in one searchable library.
All categories
All tags
| Title | Categories | Date | Size | Type | Preview | Download | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anti-Money Laundering Policy | Legal | November 22, 2025 | 2 KB | Download | |||
| Client Care & Engagement Terms | Legal | December 25, 2025 | 2 KB | Download | |||
| Complaints Handling Procedure | Legal | December 3, 2025 | 2 KB | Download | |||
| 🔒 Confidential Board Pack — Q3 2026 (members only) | Legal | July 12, 2026 | 2 KB | — | 🔒 | ||
| Fee Schedule — Commercial Matters 2026 | Legal | December 14, 2025 | 2 KB | Download | |||
| Guide to Commercial Lease Terms | Legal | November 11, 2025 | 2 KB | Download | |||
| Litigation Case Preparation Checklist | Legal | October 31, 2025 | 2 KB | Download | |||
| Privacy Notice for Clients | Legal | October 20, 2025 | 2 KB | Download |
No documents found.
Fig. 1The actual plugin, filtered to sample law-firm documents · Open the full demo · See it in your own colours →
01What it needs
What a law-firm client portal needs.
A client portal replaces email attachments for documents that should not travel by email. These are the things that decide whether it does that job, and how FileDeck handles each.
Each client sees only their own documents
Client areas · ProTurn a category into a client area by assigning people by username or email, a whole company by email domain, or a group. The client portal page shows each signed-in client their own areas, and other clients see no row, title or padlock for them. Assigned clients are emailed when you publish a document into their area.
Files that do not open from a forwarded link
File protection · ProRestricted files move into a protected folder and are served through signed links that expire after 15 minutes, so a copied file address does not open them and a forwarded download link stops working within minutes. Stopping direct access to uploads.
One-off documents, with or without an account
Specific people and single-use links · ProSet a single document to specific people only, or send someone without an account a single-use link that works for one download and lapses after 7 days if unused.
Clients send documents back
Client uploads · ProEach client area can carry an upload form locked to that client. Uploads land in your moderation queue as pending documents, unpublished until you approve them.
A record of who took what
Activity log · Pro / Watermarks and transmittals · AI planThe activity log records views, searches and downloads, named for signed-in clients, with CSV export. On the AI plan, PDF watermarking stamps each served PDF with the recipient’s email and the time, and transmittals keep a numbered register of what was sent to whom.
Firm knowledge behind roles
Role restrictions · ProPrecedents, checklists and internal policies sit in the same library, restricted to fee-earners or another WordPress role. On the AI plan, acknowledgment tracking records who has confirmed reading a policy.
Where it stops
A portal, not a practice-management systemFileDeck shares documents with clients. Matter management, e-discovery and email filing need a practice-management or document management system alongside it; secure client folders walks through where that line falls.
02How it works
Live in three steps.
Add your documents
Upload files one at a time or drag in a whole folder — free. On Pro, bulk-convert your Media Library or import a CSV. External links to Drive, Dropbox or SharePoint work too.
Organise and protect
Sort documents into categories, then set access rules where you need them (Pro) — a password or role on a category, a password on a single document, and per-document visibility. Restricted entries stay listed but locked: titles visible, contents and downloads sealed. The exception is a document assigned to specific people, which is hidden from everyone else entirely.
Add the block
Drop the FileDeck block (or shortcode) onto any page and pick a layout. Your searchable, sortable library is live — no template editing.
03Document jobs
What firms publish with it.
- Client portal
- On Pro, each client signs in to their own documents and can send files back — see client portals.
- Review dates
- On Pro, client-care letters, AML procedures and engagement terms carry a review date, and an email says which have passed — useful the week before an audit.
- Client guides
- Plain-English guides clients can find and download themselves.
- Engagement terms
- Client-care and fee documents in one current place.
- Precedents
- On Pro, behind a role — visible only to fee-earners.
- Litigation checklists
- Your litigation case management checklists and templates, access-controlled per team on Pro.
- Firm policies
- Your complaints handling procedure, AML and compliance documents, organised and current.
04Questions
What firms ask about client portals.
How do I build a client document portal for a law firm on WordPress?
Install FileDeck Pro and add each client under Documents → Clients. FileDeck creates their account and a private area for their documents, sets up the client portal page, and emails them an invitation to choose a password. Each signed-in client sees only their own documents there, and you can preview the portal as any client. The client portal guide covers each step, including client uploads and a download record.
Can one client see the names of another client’s files?
No. Client-area documents are left out of other visitors’ libraries rather than shown as locked rows, because a locked row would still reveal a title such as a client’s name. Opening the address of another client’s document returns a not-found page.
Do clients need a WordPress account?
Yes, and FileDeck creates it: add the client under Documents → Clients and they are emailed an invitation to choose their own password. They sign in on the firm’s portal page, not the WordPress login screen or dashboard. To send one document to someone without an account, use a single-use link: it works for one download and stops working after 7 days if it is not used.
Can clients send documents back to the firm?
Yes, on Pro. Each client area can include an upload form locked to that client’s category. Uploads arrive as pending documents in your moderation queue and are not published until you approve them.
Is there an audit of who downloaded what?
On Pro, the activity log records views, searches and downloads, with the person’s name when they are signed in, and exports to CSV. On the AI plan, PDF watermarking stamps each served PDF with the recipient’s email and the time, and transmittals keep a numbered register of what was sent to whom.
Can precedents be restricted to fee-earners?
Yes, on Pro. Restrict the category to a WordPress role and other visitors see at most a locked entry they cannot open.
Can we prove fee-earners have read a policy?
Yes, on the AI plan. Acknowledgment tracking records who has confirmed they read a document, chases the rest by email, and exports a CSV of who confirmed which version and when, which is useful for AML and complaints procedures.
Where are client files stored?
On your own WordPress site. Restricted files move into a protected folder and are served through signed links that expire after 15 minutes. The only features that send document content off your server are scanned-PDF OCR and the AI tier, and both stay off until you switch them on. A document that links to a file hosted elsewhere is only as private as that host. The security page sets out each control and its limits.
Is FileDeck a document management system for law firms?
No. It is a client portal and document library for the documents you share. If you need matter management, e-discovery or email filing, you need a practice-management or document management system as well. Secure client folders walks through where that line falls.
What does a law-firm client portal cost with FileDeck?
Client areas, file protection, single-use links and the activity log are in Pro, from $59 a year for one site, with renewals at the same price. PDF watermarking, acknowledgment tracking and transmittals are on the AI plan, from $119 a year. The free plugin covers public client guides and firm documents.
Publish a controlled client document library.
Free forever, no document limits, and a 30-day refund on Pro.
Or try the live demo first.