Use the Client Portal to review documents

In addition to being a secure messaging platform to share files on, the Client Portal can also be set up to help your firm with document reviews. 

As a document reviewer or approver, streamline your workflow by using the Client Portal to discuss documents with staff members and easily create actionable tasks directly from Client Portal messages. 

Review and approve requests in the Client Portal

If a staff member has sent you a request to review a document over the Client Portal, you will receive a notification in your Messages tab. To manage requests:

1. Select the Messages tab.
   
   
2. New requests appear in Unread messages. Refer to older requests in the Internal Matter Conversations section.
   
3. Select the chat and click the document to review.
   
4. The document previews in the chat, ready for review.
5. Use the panel on the right to add comments to the document.
   
   

Client Portal messages have a timestamp, so it can record the time of approval.

Create a new task from a document comment

When sending back a request for further edits, you should create a task from the Client Portal comment.

1. Send a comment with suggested edits.
2. Hover your mouse over the comment. Select the three dots next to the message, then select Create task.
   
3. Enter the details of the task – for more guidance on this, refer to creating a task from a Client Portal message.

Review document edit history

If you need to review document edits:

1. Right-click the document from the Documents section in the matter.
2. Select Properties.
3. Click the History tab.
4. Review document versions in the list.

Mark tasks as completed

If a review task was assigned to you, mark it as completed upon approval/review:

1. Go to the Tasks tab from the left menu.
   
2. Tick the relevant task’s checkbox to mark it as completed.
   
   

Keep approval requests organised

You can remove Internal Matter Conversations to keep the Client Portal tidy. You can also create an approval/review request task view.

1. Go to the Messages tab on the main Smokeball window.
2. Hover your mouse over the Internal Matter Conversation containing the request.
   
3. Click the blue X that appears on the conversation. A record of the conversation remains on the matter file.