One business account
Updates come from your firm, not a fee earner's personal phone, so messages stay with the firm when people move on.
Compliance
Using WhatsApp with clients, safely.
Regulators expect firms to keep clients informed in a way they can understand. They also expect client information to stay confidential and well supervised. Here's what the rules say, and how Matterping helps you meet them without staff messaging clients from their own phones.
✓ Consent record
- Client
- Sarah Example
- WhatsApp updates
- Agreed, verbally
- Recorded by
- J. Smith, 6 Oct 09:42
⏻ Opt-out
STOP received by text, 14:03
Text updates switched off immediately
≡ Audit trail
- 09:42 Matter opened by J. Smith
- 11:15 "Searches received" sent by J. Smith
- 11:16 Delivered and read
- 11:20 Client reply filed to matter
What the regulators say
Keeping clients informed is part of the job.
None of these rules mention WhatsApp, and none require a particular way of updating clients. They do make clear that timely, understandable information is a professional duty.
"You give clients information in a way they can understand. You ensure they are in a position to make informed decisions about the services they need, how their matter will be handled and the options available to them."
"You ensure that the service you provide to clients is competent and delivered in a timely manner. You consider and take account of your client’s attributes, needs and circumstances."
"You ensure that the service you provide to clients is competent and delivered in a timely manner, and takes account of your client’s attributes, needs and circumstances."
"We will keep you informed of progress in your sale or purchase."
The Charter also commits firms to respond promptly to enquiries, explain the steps in the process clearly and ask for feedback on their service.
"Clients have the accurate, appropriate and useful information they need to make informed decisions and provide clear instructions."
Outcome 6.1 requires the service to be accessible and responsive to the needs of individual clients, including those who are vulnerable.
"Details of what services are included in the price displayed, including the key stages of the matter and likely timescales for each stage."
Poor communication was the most common complaint type the Legal Ombudsman received in 2025/26. Legal Ombudsman, 2025/26 annual complaints data.
How Matterping helps
Controls built for regulated firms.
Consent on record
Every WhatsApp opt-in is logged with how it was given, who recorded it and when.
Immediate opt-out
Clients who reply STOP are opted out of that channel straight away.
Everything on the file
Every update, reply and delivery receipt is kept against the matter, with who sent it.
Supervision and permissions
Departments control who sees which matters. Admins see everything. Support access is logged.
Plain English by default
Stage wording is written once, reviewed by the firm, and used consistently on every matter.
Service messages only
Updates and feedback questions contain nothing promotional.
Secure sign-in
Staff confirm each sign-in with a link sent to their email, on top of their password.
Sensible defaults
Quiet hours, one open matter per phone number, and per-matter switches for sensitive cases.
Good practice for messaging clients.
- Get clear consent to message the client on WhatsApp, and record how you got it.
- Keep messages general. Say what has happened and what comes next. Keep sensitive or financial detail for a call or a secure letter.
- Never send bank details by message. Clients should be warned that your firm will never change payment details by WhatsApp, text or email.
- Check the number is safe for clients in sensitive matters, such as family cases.
- Keep it on the file. Messages about a matter are part of the record.
- Have a written policy on messaging apps, and make sure staff follow it.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Matterping helps firms meet their own obligations; it does not make a firm compliant on its own, and the SRA does not approve software.
Questions firms ask
Can solicitors use WhatsApp with clients?
There is no SRA rule against it, and no rule that names a particular channel. What matters is meeting your existing duties: keeping client information confidential (SRA Code 6.3), supervising client matters, and protecting personal data under UK GDPR. A controlled business system, with consent recorded and every message kept on the file, makes that far easier than staff using their own phones.
Do we need a WhatsApp policy?
It’s good practice to have a written policy on how your firm uses messaging apps with clients: which channels are allowed, what can and can’t be sent, how consent is recorded and how messages are kept. Matterping helps you put that policy into practice.
How is consent recorded?
When a matter is opened, the client’s WhatsApp consent is recorded with how it was given (verbally, on a form or by email), who recorded it and when. Clients without consent don’t receive WhatsApp messages.
How do clients opt out?
By replying STOP. They are opted out of that channel immediately, including any other client records that share the same number at your firm.
Are updates marketing messages?
No. Matter updates and Pulse questions are service messages about the client’s own matter, with nothing promotional in them. The ICO says data protection law and PECR don’t stop you telling customers information they need as part of their relationship with you. Keep promotional content out of updates so it stays that way.
Who is the data controller?
Your firm remains the data controller for your clients’ information. Matterping processes it on your behalf to send updates.
Is Matterping SRA approved?
No, and no software is: the SRA doesn’t approve products. Be wary of any supplier that says otherwise. Matterping supports the client care standards your regulator sets; the responsibility for meeting them stays with your firm.
See Matterping with your own matters.
Book a short demo and we'll set up a matter type that matches how your firm works, then send an update to your own phone so you can see exactly what your clients would get.