Client Texts (SMS)

Overview

LawyerPara can text clients: reminders before hearings and consultations, payment reminders, stage automation messages and staff replies from the Client Inbox. Clients' replies come back into the Inbox as a conversation.

Texts need the SMS feature on the firm's plan. They go out through either the platform's SMS account (paid in SMS credits) or the firm's own provider account (no credits, the provider bills the firm directly).

Setting up

Firm Admin → Settings → Messaging opens on a three-step checklist until everything is ready:

Set your country (Settings → General). Phone numbers typed without a country code are read with it.
Choose how texts are sent. If the platform has an SMS account, you are ready. Otherwise add your own keys.
Send a test SMS to your own phone. If it fails, the provider's exact error shows under the button.

Your own provider

Supported: Twilio, MSG91 (India) and Africa's Talking. Enter the account details, then copy the two webhook addresses shown into your provider's settings, so replies, STOP requests and delivery receipts reach LawyerPara. Saving new keys again keeps the same addresses.

A client is texted only after they agree:

Booking and chat: an unticked "Text me reminders about my matter" box, with the opt-out wording beneath it.
Client portal: a switch on My profile.
Staff: the client form has a consent switch that asks how the client agreed (verbally, in writing, in the engagement letter).

When a client agrees, they get one confirmation text. Replying STOP (or ARRET, ALTO, HALT, UNSUBSCRIBE) turns texts off; START turns them back on. A STOP sent to the platform number stops texts from every firm that uses that number, because carriers block per number.

What gets sent

Message	When
Appointment reminder	24 hours before a hearing, consultation or client-visible meeting; all-day items at 08:00 the day before
Payment reminder	08:00 the day before an unpaid invoice is due, and again 3 days after
Stage automation	When a matter enters a stage with a Message the client action (Matter Board & Stages)
Inbox reply	When staff reply in an SMS conversation

Reminders go by the first channel that works for that client: SMS, then WhatsApp, then email. Each reminder is sent once. If an event is rescheduled before its reminder goes out, the old one is dropped, and the new time gets its own reminder. Reminders also stop once the matter is closed or the invoice is paid. Turn each kind of reminder on or off under Settings → Notifications.

Every text starts with your firm's name (or the shorter name you set under Texting preferences). Texts written between 21:00 and 08:00 wait until 08:00 firm time unless you turn quiet hours off.

The Inbox

SMS conversations appear in Client Inbox next to web chat and WhatsApp. The reply box shows the length, the number of SMS parts and the credit cost ("142/160 · 1 SMS · 1 credit"). Enter sends and Shift+Enter adds a line. If a text cannot be sent, the box says why and links to the fix (for example "No SMS consent · Record consent"). Each sent message shows a clock while queued, one tick when sent and two when delivered; a failed text shows Retry.

Credits

When texts go through the platform account, each SMS part costs credits (1 by default; some countries cost more). Plans can include an allowance that is added each billing period, and unused credits carry over. Settings → Messaging shows the balance and history; firm admins get one alert a day when credits drop below 10% of the allowance or the provider rejects the keys. Ask the platform to top up.

The message log

Settings → Messaging → Message log lists every client message on every channel with its status and, when it was not sent, the reason. Each matter's Communications → Messages tab shows the same for that matter.

Best Practices

Send yourself a test after changing keys.
Keep the short name under 12 characters so more of each text is your message.
Record consent only when the client really gave it, and choose how.