Attorney-Client Privilege for Secure Client Communication
Invitation-only access. Legal-team-only visibility. Privilege built into the architecture.
Attorney-client privilege applies to client communication apps when the platform meets the same legal standards courts already uphold for email and text. Quilia was designed to exceed those standards — with privilege built into the architecture from day one.
Does Privilege Apply to Digital Communication?
Attorneys already communicate with clients digitally every day — emails, text messages, client portals. Courts have upheld attorney-client privilege on all of these for decades, because privilege doesn't depend on the medium. It depends on the circumstances.
Under ABA Model Rule 1.6 and Formal Opinion 477R, attorneys have a duty to make “reasonable efforts” to prevent unauthorized access to client communications. Courts evaluate four elements to determine whether privilege applies:
1. A communication
Messages, documents, and updates shared through Quilia are communications between identified parties.
2. Between attorney and client
Clients can only join when their attorney invites them — the legal relationship is established from the start.
3. Made in confidence
Only the assigned legal team can view client data. No other clients, no third parties, no public access.
4. For the purpose of legal advice
Quilia is purpose-built for attorney-client communication — treatment updates, case documents, and legal guidance.
Quilia satisfies every element by design — not through policy documents or user agreements, but through architectural controls enforced at the platform level.
Invitation Only
Clients can only join Quilia when their attorney invites them. There is no public sign-up, no self-registration. The attorney controls who has access, establishing the legal relationship from the start.
Legal Team Only
Only the client's assigned legal team can see their data. No other clients, no third parties, no public access. Organization-level isolation ensures data stays exactly where it belongs.
Stronger Privilege Protection Than Email or Text
Courts already protect attorney-client privilege for email and text messages — even though email can be forwarded with one click and is often sent unencrypted. A platform with invitation-only access and role-based visibility provides even stronger protection.
- One-click forwarding
- Often unencrypted
- Anyone can send
SMS
- Carrier storage
- Screenshot risk
- No access controls
Quilia
- Attorney-controlled access
- Role-based visibility
- Encrypted by default
- Purpose-built for legal
Security & Access FAQs
Who can see the information clients submit?
Only your firm. You control access within your team. Nothing is shared with third parties and everything is encrypted.
How does Quilia maintain attorney-client privilege?
We've spoken with multiple discovery commissioners, and they've confirmed that privilege is preserved as long as (1) the client is invited after signing the retainer, and (2) only the law firm has access to the client's info. Quilia checks both boxes—just like email or text communication, it's protected.
Who can invite a client to Quilia?
Only the attorney or their firm can invite a client to use Quilia. This ensures attorney-client privilege starts at the right point—after a retainer is signed—and no outside party is ever involved in the onboarding process.
Who can see the data clients enter?
Only the attorney and their authorized team. Client-submitted data is not visible to doctors, insurance companies, or any third party—keeping everything squarely within attorney-client privilege.