Client Portal
Privacy Policy

We collect only the information reasonably necessary to represent our clients, administer the matter, and operate the Portal.

Information about others. If you provide information about another person, such as a beneficiary, heir, creditor, or minor, you confirm that you are permitted to share it for purposes of the matter.

We use information collected through the Portal to:

• provide legal services and administer the probate or estate matter, including preparing, filing, and serving pleadings, inventories, accountings, and notices,
• give Users status updates, deadlines, and access to documents relevant to their role in the matter,
• send and receive messages and email notifications through the Portal,
• verify identity, authenticate logins, and control access to matter files,
• maintain audit logs, detect and prevent unauthorized access, fraud, or misuse, and secure the Portal,
• meet the Firm's legal, ethical, court-reporting, and record-retention obligations, and
• maintain, troubleshoot, and improve the Portal's functionality.

We do not use matter information or uploaded documents for advertising or marketing. We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information, and we do not use it to train artificial-intelligence models for any third party.

Attorney-client relationship.

Only the Firm's client in a matter (typically the personal representative, or another party the Firm has agreed in writing to represent) has an attorney-client relationship with the Firm. Beneficiaries, heirs, and other Users who are granted Portal access are not clients of the Firm solely by reason of that access, and the Firm does not give them legal advice through the Portal.

Role-based access.

Each User sees only the documents, messages, and updates the Firm has assigned to that User's role. The client may direct the Firm to share, or not share, particular items with other Users, subject to the Firm's legal and ethical obligations, including duties of disclosure the personal representative owes interested persons under Chapter 733, Florida Statutes.

Preserving privilege.

Communications between the Firm and its client are privileged. Sharing a privileged communication with a non-client User, or forwarding Portal content outside the Portal, may waive the privilege. Do not forward, copy, or share Portal communications without first consulting the Firm.

Public court filings.

Documents filed with the clerk of court in a probate proceeding generally become public records under Florida law. The Firm files documents in compliance with Florida Rules of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.420 (public access to and protection of judicial branch records) and 2.425 (minimization of sensitive information), including redacting or designating confidential information such as Social Security and financial account numbers. Information you upload to the Portal is not public unless and until it becomes part of a court filing.

We share information only as needed to handle the matter, operate the Portal, or comply with law:

• Courts and clerks. Filings, notices, and records submitted through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal or otherwise to the court,
• Other Users in the matter. Documents and updates the Firm has assigned to that User's role, as described in Section 4,
• Parties and professionals in the administration. Opposing counsel, interested persons entitled to notice, financial institutions, title companies, appraisers, accountants, and similar professionals, as the matter requires and as the client authorizes,
• Service providers. Vendors that host, secure, or support the Portal are bound by confidentiality and security obligations and may use information only to provide services to the Firm,
• Legal requirements. When required by subpoena, court order, rule, or law, to comply with the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of the Firm, clients, or others, to the extent permitted by Rule 4-1.6, and
• Firm transition. If the Firm merges, dissolves, or transfers its practice, client files will be handled in accordance with the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar governing the sale of a law practice and client file transfers.

The Firm does not sell personal information and does not share it with third parties for their own marketing.

Secure messages.

Messages sent inside the Portal are encrypted in transit and at rest and are stored as part of the matter file. They are the preferred way to send confidential information to the Firm.

Email notifications.

The Portal sends email notifications to the address on your account, for example when a document is uploaded, a message is posted, or a deadline approaches. Notifications are designed to contain minimal information and direct you to log in; they should not contain sensitive details. Standard email, however, may pass through servers the Firm does not control and is not as secure as the Portal.

Your responsibilities.

Use an email account that only you can access. Do not use an employer-provided email account or a shared family account, because others may be able to read it and privilege may be jeopardized. Notify the Firm promptly if your email address changes.

Transactional email only. Portal emails are service communications about your matter. The Firm does not send marketing emails through the Portal.

The Firm takes reasonable measures to protect information as required by section 501.171(2), Florida Statutes, and Rule 4-1.6(e) of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. Current safeguards include:

• encryption of data in transit (TLS 1.2 or higher) and at rest (AES-256 or equivalent),
• multi-factor authentication for all User and staff accounts,
• role-based access controls limiting each User to assigned matter content,
• automatic session time-outs and account lockout after repeated failed logins,
• audit logs recording logins, uploads, downloads, and message activity,
• malware scanning of uploaded files,
• vendor due diligence and written confidentiality and security terms with service providers, and
• staff confidentiality obligations and periodic security training.

No system is completely secure. You help protect your information by keeping your password and authentication device private, logging out on shared devices, and contacting the Firm immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

If the Firm determines, or has reason to believe, that a breach of security has resulted in unauthorized access to your personal information as defined in section 501.171(1)(g), Florida Statutes, the Firm will notify you as required by the Florida Information Protection Act of 2014.

Notice will be given as expeditiously as practicable and no later than 30 days after the determination, unless a delay is authorized by law enforcement or otherwise permitted under section 501.171(4).

Where required, the Firm will also notify the Florida Department of Legal Affairs (breaches affecting 500 or more Florida residents) and consumer reporting agencies (breaches affecting more than 1,000 individuals at one time). Service providers that host Portal data are contractually required to notify the Firm of any breach so the Firm can meet these deadlines. Consistent with its professional obligations, the Firm will also inform affected clients of any unauthorized access to their confidential information.

Portal content is part of the client's legal file and is retained in accordance with the Firm's record-retention policy and the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. The Firm generally retains closed matter files for at least six (6) years after the matter concludes, and longer where a trust-accounting record, pending claim, or legal hold requires.

After the matter closes, the Firm will deactivate non-client User access within 30 days. The client may request a copy of the file in accordance with the engagement agreement. Deleting a message or document from your view does not delete the Firm's copy of the file. At the end of the retention period, the Firm securely destroys electronic records so they cannot be reconstructed, consistent with section 501.171(8), Florida Statutes.

Technical and audit-log data is retained for 24 months for security purposes, unless needed longer to investigate an incident or comply with a legal hold.

Access and correction.

You may review and update your account information in the Portal at any time. To correct information in the matter file, contact the Firm; some records, such as court filings, cannot be altered but may be supplemented.

Access limits and revocation.

The client may ask the Firm to remove or limit another User's access. The Firm may suspend or terminate any User's access to protect the matter, the client, or the Portal's security.

Deletion requests.

You may ask the Firm to close your account. Because Portal content forms part of the client's legal file, the Firm may be required to retain it as described in Section 9.

Children and minor beneficiaries.

The Portal is not directed to anyone under 18, and minors may not create accounts. Information about a minor beneficiary or heir is provided by and accessible only to the minor's parent, legal guardian, guardian ad litem, or other authorized representative, and is handled with heightened care.

Third-party links and services.

The Portal may link to court websites, payment processors, or other third-party services. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, not this one.

Out-of-state users.

The Firm is based in Florida and the Portal is hosted in the United States. Users located in other states may have additional rights under their state's laws; contact the Firm to make a request.

Cookies.

The Portal uses only essential cookies and similar technologies needed for login, security, and session management. It does not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. Disabling essential cookies may prevent the Portal from working.

Changes to this Policy.

The Firm may update this Policy. Material changes will be posted in the Portal and sent by email notification at least 15 days before they take effect, and the Effective Date above will be revised. Continued use of the Portal after the effective date constitutes acknowledgment of the updated Policy.

Governing law.

This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of Florida.