Communications
Unified communications hub — email, phone, SMS, internal messages, client portals, and video meetings in one place.
Overview
Client communication is the single most frequently cited factor in client satisfaction (and dissatisfaction) with law firms. Studies consistently find that clients don't primarily complain about legal outcomes — they complain about not hearing from their attorney, not knowing what is happening, and not being able to reach anyone. The Communications module gives the firm a centralised hub for managing every communication channel: email, phone calls, SMS, internal team messages, client portal messages, and video meetings.
The hub provides a Unified Inbox view that aggregates unread and outstanding communications across all channels, alongside a channel-by-channel drill-down for detailed management. Quick stats at the top of the hub show unread messages, active chat threads, missed calls, pending follow-ups, and communications resolved today — giving the responsible attorney an immediate picture of their communication load.
Communication Channels
Email Communications
Manage all outbound and inbound email correspondence linked to matters and clients. Track open and read status. Use AI to summarise long email threads. Apply email templates for common communications (engagement letters, status updates, billing notifications).
Phone Call Logs
Log all phone calls with the client, call duration, subject, and outcome. For supported integrations, calls can be transcribed automatically. Logged calls can be converted to billable time entries directly from the call log.
Text Messages (SMS)
Send and receive SMS messages with clients. Use for appointment reminders, payment reminders, and urgent status updates. Two-way SMS means client replies land back in the Communications hub, not in a personal phone.
Internal Messages
Team-only communication for discussing matters, sharing drafts, and coordinating work. Internal messages are linked to specific matters and never visible to clients. Supports @mentions to notify specific team members.
Client Portals
A secure, branded portal for each client. Clients access their portal to view matter updates, download documents, pay invoices, and send messages to the firm. Portal messages are logged in the Communications hub.
Video Meetings
Schedule and manage video conferences with clients or co-counsel. Integrates with Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Meetings can be recorded and transcribed, with the transcript linked to the matter file.
Hub Summary Stats
The Communications Hub shows five live counters at the top of the page:
Quick Actions
The hub's Quick Actions panel provides one-click access to the most common communication tasks:
Communication discipline
- • Respond to client communications within 24 hours, even if only to acknowledge receipt and advise when a substantive response is coming. Silence is the biggest driver of client complaints.
- • Log every phone call immediately after the call ends. Call records that are not logged within the hour are often forgotten or recorded with incorrect details. A 2-minute log entry protects against billing disputes and creates a contemporaneous record.
- • Use the client portal for document sharing rather than email attachments. Portal documents are version-controlled, access-logged, and searchable. An attachment in an email thread is none of those things.
- • Mark items Follow-up immediately when you know action is needed later. The follow-up queue is the instrument that prevents things from being forgotten. Unresolved follow-ups are reviewed at daily check-in — clear them before they become overdue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does FRITH connect to Gmail and Outlook?
Yes. Connect your Gmail or Outlook account via the App Integrations module. Once connected, emails sent from your connected account to client email addresses are automatically logged in the Communications hub against the relevant contact and matter.
Are SMS messages sent from the firm's number or my personal number?
SMS messages sent through FRITH are sent from a dedicated firm SMS number (provisioned during onboarding). Replies come back to the firm number and appear in the Communications hub. Your personal mobile number is not involved.
Can clients see internal messages?
No. Internal Messages are only visible to team members. They are explicitly marked as internal and are excluded from client portal access. A client accessing their portal will never see internal team discussions about their matter.
How long are communications records retained?
Communications records are retained for the duration of the matter file retention period configured in Organisation → Settings → Data Retention. The default is 7 years from matter close. This meets the records retention requirements of most law societies.