Encrypted Chat for Lawyers & Clients
Most attorney-client conversation happens over channels that keep persistent records: email, SMS, mainstream messengers. For routine matters that is fine. For initial intakes with anxious clients, urgent conversations during fast-moving matters, or exchanges where the existence of a message log itself becomes a discovery target, an account-free, self-destructing channel is a better fit.
The threat model
- Privilege depends on the conversation staying confidential. A leaked, breached, or subpoenaed message log can compromise that.
- Clients in distress often do not have, or will not install, a particular messenger app.
- Some clients deliberately do not want their phone number associated with a particular legal matter.
- The lawyer's own device should not become a long-term archive of every privileged exchange.
How Ciphar fits
Open a Ciphar channel and send the link plus access key to the client over whichever medium they already trust. The client opens the URL in any browser — phone, tablet, public computer in a pinch — types the access key, and is in the conversation immediately. Sixty minutes later the entire exchange is gone from the relay. Nothing to subpoena, nothing to breach, nothing to back up.
Useful patterns
- Initial intake: a 60-minute window is roughly the length of a careful first conversation.
- Sensitive document review: share files (encrypted in-browser) and walk through them on a voice room without recording anything.
- Crisis response: open a fresh channel for each incident so different matters never co-mingle in any history.
Important caveats
- Encryption protects content from the relay. It does not, by itself, satisfy any specific bar-rules requirement on records retention or client-file maintenance. If a record of the conversation is required, take notes outside the channel.
- Privilege is a legal concept, not a technical one. Ciphar can help operationally, but the privilege analysis is jurisdictional and matter-specific.
- If the client uses a shared or compromised device, no E2E system can protect the conversation. Confirm the client is on a private device before discussing anything sensitive.
Read more: Security & threat model · How Ciphar works · FAQ.