One answer for the whole family
Post the update once and everyone you have added to the Case sees it. Per-client read receipts show who has actually read it, so you know the mother got the new date.
BetterDocket for criminal defense
Court dates and next steps the client and family can see.
A criminal defense client is frightened, and so is their family. Court dates move, continuances pile up, and the phone rings every time someone at home wonders what is happening. BetterDocket gives the client, and the family members you choose, one private place to see the next court date, what to bring, and the latest word from your office, with your Firm deciding exactly what is visible.
The problem
Where criminal defense time actually goes.
The family calls too
The client calls, then their mother calls, then their spouse calls, each asking the same thing about the same hearing. Your staff repeats the answer three times and still cannot be sure everyone has it.
Continuances and moving dates
Arraignment, pretrial conference, motions hearing, trial, sentencing. Each one can move, and a client who shows up on the wrong day, or does not show up, has a much bigger problem than a missed appointment.
Documents only the client can supply
Proof of employment, character letters, receipts, enrollment records, screenshots. Mitigation and preparation depend on things the client and family have, and they arrive late, by text, in pieces.
How it runs
A criminal defense matter in BetterDocket.
Stage by stage, from the first call to the closed file, each step is something the product does today.
Start at the first call with a Prospect Case
Open a Prospect Case and request the charging document, the bond paperwork, and the next court date notice. The prospect uploads from a phone to a single documents page. Nothing bills until you accept the representation.
See howAccept it and set plain-English stages
Your template seeds phases the family can follow: Arraignment, Discovery and investigation, Pretrial, Resolution or trial, Sentencing. Each has a short explanation in the portal of what the stage means and what the Client should expect.
See howRequest what the client and family can supply
Employment verification, character reference letters, proof of enrollment or treatment, receipts, photos. Each is a Document Request with instructions and a due date, sent to the Client or the family member who has it. Daily reminders continue until it is answered.
See howPost the update after every court date
“Today's hearing was continued at the state's request. The new date is below. Nothing is needed from you before then.” One templated Status Update reaches everyone on the Case and stays in the feed for the next time someone wonders.
Keep the next court date current
Add each appearance as a Key Date the Client can see, with what to bring in the note. When it moves, change it once. Upcoming client-facing dates surface in your Today queue so you know who has an appearance this week.
Decide who sees what
Add a spouse or parent as a Client on the Case if the client wants them there. They see the same status, dates, and requests; each person's messages stay private. Mark the Case restricted so only assigned Firm Members can open it.
Bill the retainer and close the file
Issue flat-fee or stage invoices from BetterDocket, remind on the due date, and record payments received elsewhere. At disposition, close the Case with a closing note; it archives automatically and stays readable. Export a complete copy for your retention duties.
See how
Client Portal
What your criminal defense client sees.
One private page in any browser: the current phase in plain English, the latest word from your Firm, the documents you have asked for, and what happens next. No app to install. Uploads work from a phone camera. Firm-only folders, notes, and drafts in progress never appear here.
Client portal
Your case
State v. Dorsey
Pretrial
From your firm · today
Today's hearing was continued at the state's request. The new date is below. Nothing is needed from you before then; we will be in touch the week before.
What we need from you
- Employment verification letterReceived
- Character reference letters (3)Due Oct 17
- Proof of program enrollmentDue Oct 17
Next step
Pretrial conference: November 6, 9:00 a.m., Courtroom 4B. Arrive by 8:30 and dress for court.
Why it fits
The follow-up handles itself.
The next date, with what to bring
Court appearances are Key Dates with notes the Client can read. Change one once when it moves, and no one is holding the old date.
Requests that get answered
Character letters and employment records are Document Requests with due dates and daily reminders. What arrives lands on the Case, not in a text thread.
Your Firm controls visibility
Clients see only what you make client-visible. Firm-only folders, notes, and drafts never appear in the portal, and restricted Cases are enforced in the database.
Deliberately focused
What BetterDocket does not do for criminal defense.
BetterDocket organizes the administrative work around a matter. The legal work, and the tools you already use for it, stay where they are.
- It does not receive, organize, or review discovery from the prosecution. It collects documents from your Clients only.
- It does not file motions or track the court's docket. Key Dates are the ones you enter.
- It does not handle bail, bond, fines, or trust accounting.
- It does not offer legal analysis, and the Client guide in the portal explains only what your Firm has shared.
Keep reading
Related guides
How to keep legal clients updated without spending hours on the phone
Post one visible status update per milestone in a place clients can check themselves — a portal — instead of returning each call. Here is the playbook.
Read the guideWhat is a client portal for law firms — and what it isn't
A client portal is a private page where a client sees their case: status, next steps, messages, and requests. What it does, what it isn't, what to look for.
Read the guideEmail vs. portal vs. texting for law firm client communication
Texting is fast but unmanageable; email is universal but untrackable; a portal is where case communication should live. How the three actually divide.
Read the guideQuestions.
Is the portal appropriate for a criminal matter?
Your Firm decides what is client-visible: the phase, the Status Updates you post, the Key Dates you mark as visible, and the requests you send. Firm-only documents, folders, notes, and drafts never appear. Access is scoped at the database layer, and our security page describes what we do and do not yet offer.
Can a parent or spouse follow the case?
Only if you add them. A Case can include multiple Clients, each seeing the same client-visible status and dates while their messages and read state stay private. You can remove a Client's access at any time.
Does BetterDocket manage discovery from the prosecution?
No. It has no discovery review or e-discovery tooling. Document Requests go to your Clients, and your team can upload files to Firm-only folders, but discovery review stays in the tools you use today.
Can I restrict who at the firm can see a matter?
Yes. Mark the Case restricted and only its assignees and Firm owners can open it. That is enforced in the database, not hidden in the interface.
How does billing work for a retainer or flat fee?
Invoices combine manual lines and time, so a flat fee or a stage fee is one line. Issued invoices are permanent PDFs with due-date reminders, and you record payments received elsewhere. BetterDocket does not hold funds or manage trust accounting.
Give the client and their family one place to look.
The next court date, what to bring, and the latest word from your office.
14 days. No card.