File transfers overview

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File transfers enable you to share documents securely with your clients and contacts using web-based portals. You can use Practice CS to add portals, send files to a contact, and request files from a contact. You can also require a file to be signed electronically and returned by the recipient.

Note: To use the file transfers feature, your firm must be licensed for the Client Management module and NetFirm CS, and each staff member who performs file transfers must have a valid portal in NetStaff CS.

Types of portals

Practice CS uses three kinds of portals for file transfers:

  • NetStaff portal icon with 2 circling arrows around a person NetStaff CS portals — permanent portals associated with members of your firm’s staff
  • Permanent portal icon with orange alternating arrows Permanent client portals — permanent portals associated with contacts for one or more of your firm’s clients, or for standalone contacts
  • Temporary portal icon with gray alternating arrows Temporary client portals — limited, temporary portals used for transactions with miscellaneous contacts. These portals expire and become inaccessible 30 days after they are created (or 30 days after file transfer requests for a portal are completed, whichever comes last).

    Note: If necessary, you can promote temporary portals to be permanent portals.

File transfer status

You can check the status of a file transfer, as well as the status of files involved in the transfer and of electronic signatures, using the File Transfers tab on the Manage Clients screen or the File Transfers portlet on the Firm, Staff, or Client Dashboards.

Notifications

You can use the Notifications tab of the Firm setup screen to set up notifications for the following file transfer-related events. Choose Setup > Firm > Notifications tab.

  • The registration of a new portal
  • The completion of a file transfer
  • The files provided by a contact are ready to download
  • The signing or rejection of a document in a file transfer
  • The downloading of a file in a file transfer

Additional events related to the status of files, electronic signatures, and file transfer transactions are shown in the File Transfers portlet and the File Transfers tab of the Manage Clients screen. The progress of file transfers through their life cycles is also recorded as interactions shown in the Interactions portlet (Staff and Client Dashboards) and the Interactions tab of the Manage Clients screen.


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