One secure portal per client matter

Document workflow reality for solo & small firms

If you're a solo practitioner or a small firm, you've probably tried:

• Email attachments. Hits size limits. Gets buried. Clients lose them.
• Drive folders. Too open, too messy, often shared with the wrong person.
• Big enterprise document management systems. Expensive, overbuilt, painful onboarding.
• WhatsApp for "quick" things. Now signed documents are next to family photos.

What's actually needed is simpler: a clean place per client where documents go both ways, messages happen next to them, and nothing gets lost.

Why legal professionals use Droplana

One portal per client matter

A client opens one link. Their engagement letter, their signed docs, their court filings, their messages from you — all in one place. They never have to ask "where do I send this?" again.

Document intake that doesn't require another tool

Clients can upload to their portal. You get their intake forms, their signed retainer, their evidence and supporting documents — without back-and-forth email tag.

A clean trail

Files have timestamps. Messages have history. When you need to know when something was delivered or reviewed, you can see it.

Clients without tech friction

Your 70-year-old client doesn't want to create an account. They want a link that works. Droplana doesn't make them sign up.

Looks like a real practice

Even solo practitioners can present a polished, professional client experience — without paying for a system designed for 200-attorney firms.

Common use cases

Solo & small-firm lawyers

Engagement letters, intake forms, signed contracts, court filings shared with the client, ongoing matter documents, closing packages.

Family law & estate planning

Sensitive documents, drafts and revisions, signed final instruments — kept in a single tidy portal for the client to refer back to for years.

Notaries & paralegals

Document delivery, signed copies, client communication for ongoing matters.

Immigration law

Visa applications, supporting evidence, status updates, signed declarations — one portal per matter with full audit trail.

Real estate attorneys

Purchase agreements, title docs, closing packages, amendment history — clean per-transaction portals your clients can revisit.

GDPR and data protection for EU legal practices

EU-based law firms and sole practitioners are both data controllers under GDPR. When you use a third-party tool that processes client documents on your behalf, that tool is a processor — and GDPR Article 28 requires a signed Data Processing Agreement before any personal data is transferred.

Many law firms still run document exchange over email or US-hosted cloud storage, both of which create compliance exposure. Client documents shared through Gmail or Dropbox may transit or rest on US servers, where different legal frameworks apply.

How Droplana handles this

• EU storage, end to end. All files, messages, and metadata are stored on Hetzner in Germany. No data leaves the EU at any point.
• DPA available. A Data Processing Agreement is available for all plans. It covers Droplana's role as a processor, your role as controller, the categories of data processed, retention, sub-processors, and deletion procedures.
• EU company. Droplana is operated by Ubique d.o.o., registered in Croatia, European Union. Your contractual relationship is with an EU entity subject to EU law.
• Sub-processors in the EU. Storage (Hetzner, Germany), mail delivery (Brevo, France), payments (Creem, Estonia) — all EU.

What this covers

For everyday document exchange — intake forms, signed engagement letters, correspondence, case documents — Droplana provides a clean, GDPR-ready layer that replaces email and Drive folders. For practices with specific sectoral obligations (regulated legal aid, certain notarial records), confirm whether your specific requirements go beyond standard GDPR data processor obligations.

If you need the DPA or have data protection questions, get in touch.

Considerations for sensitive work

Per-client isolation

Each client portal is its own space. Clients can't see each other. There is no "shared workspace" where files get mixed up.

You control access

Send a link. Stop sharing the link. Clean.

A single record per matter

For matters that span months or years, the portal serves as a quiet, organized record of what was shared, when, and what was said about it.

Quick FAQ

Is this a replacement for our practice management software? No. Practice management systems run the firm — billing, calendaring, conflicts, matter management. Droplana is just the client-facing document and message layer. They live alongside each other.

Is Droplana GDPR compliant? Yes. All data is stored in Germany (Hetzner). Droplana is operated by an EU company. A DPA is available — required under GDPR Article 28 when engaging a processor.

Is a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) available? Yes. Available for all plans. Get in touch to sign one.

Can clients upload documents back to me? Yes. That's a major use case — getting client documents in cleanly without email tag.

What about retention after a matter closes? Portals stay accessible until you archive them. You decide.

Does it work for clients who aren't very technical? Yes — they open one link. There's nothing to install, nothing to sign up for, nothing to learn.

Is it appropriate for highly sensitive matters? For everyday document sharing it's a major upgrade over email and Drive. For matters that require specific compliance certifications, confirm your specific requirements first — we're happy to walk through what Droplana does.

Check our simple pricing (or start free)

No per-client fees.
Security, encryption, isolation, and data export are the same on every plan.
Tax calculated by Creem at checkout.

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