Creating a File Request Template
File requests are a great way to seamlessly and automatically allow your clients to upload important files for your firm to review. It is very simple to create a file request template which can either be emailed to your clients, or shared with them via portal.
First, hover your mouse on the Assets tab at the top of your page and select File Requests. You will then select the button to Create File Request Template, near the top right of the page.
You will see a window similar to the image below. Give your template a name, an email subject and message, and list the requested file(s).
Your template can have as many files as you wish. Since the example template below is specifically pertaining to Bankruptcy documents, we would want to add in each file that we need to collect from someone filing a bankruptcy.
If you’ve checked the box for “Allow requestee to upload additional optional files”, shown near the top of the image above, then your clients will also have an additional space to upload any additional files that are not specified on the list.
For each file that you list, you will have the option to select what file type(s) you would like to accept. Feel free to leave this selected as Any to allow the client to upload any file type, or you can choose to limit them to certain types, shown below.
If your firm handles multiple different practice areas or if you simply have a different list of files that you need to request depending on the specifics of a particular matter, you can feel free to add as many different templates as you need. You may have a Bankruptcy Template, an Estate Planning Template, an Immigration Template, and so forth.
Once you’ve created and saved your template, you will see it in the File Request Templates Section. If you would like to create a custom asset email for your template, you can feel free to do so by clicking the ... icon highlighted below, and then select Email template.
If you don't choose to create a custom asset email, then the request would simply be sent with our templated email, containing your firm's logo and a button for the recipient to click to upload files.
Once you have created your file request template, then you are ready to start using it to request files. When a matter uploads their files to one of your file requests, they will appear automatically on the files tab of that matter's profile. There you can view a preview of each file, or download or delete the files as needed. Note that you can also bulk select files to download or delete multiple at once by checking the box shown to the left of each file name.
FAQ's
What types of files can be uploaded?
By default, we will accept any file type. You have the option to limit the request to certain file types if you would like, as shown above.
Instead of sending a request for just files, can I have my clients upload a file while filling out an intake form?
Yes, you also have the option to use a file request field in a custom form. This will allow your client to submit information into the form and also upload a file. You will find this option when editing a custom form, in the Advanced section on the left sidebar.
Is there a limit to the size of file that can be uploaded?
There is technically a limit, but it is very large. The majority of files should be handled without an issue, but you may see an issue with very large video files. These types of files may be better shared with a google drive link.