Document collection — Get the documents you need without chasing clients by email
Automated document collection sends each client a list of the exact documents their case or file needs, with a simple upload link. Reminders go out until each item arrives, and staff see a live checklist. It suits firms that spend a lot of time asking the same client for the same missing page.
By Julia Ja, Owner
Documents for the new client file
2 of 5 done- Signed engagement letterDone
- Photo IDDone
- Last year's statementsWaiting
- Proof of addressMissing
- Signed authorization formMissing
Why it matters
The problem it solves
Most firms ask clients for documents by email. The list gets skimmed, half the items arrive, and files come in by text, email and on paper with names like IMG_2231.
Staff then become collectors. They track what's missing in a spreadsheet or their head, and send follow-ups when they remember. The work waits on a missing page while the deadline gets closer.
Example · illustrative
A small tax practice in February
- On February 3 a returning client gets a link with a list built from last year's return.
- It asks for two W-2s, a 1099-INT and a mortgage interest statement.
- He uploads both W-2s from his phone that night.
- One is from the prior year, and the system marks it as the wrong tax year.
- The next reminder asks only for the right W-2 and the two items still missing.
- The preparer opens the file once the last statement arrives.
How it works
How document collection works
- Starts whenA new client, case, loan file or tax season starts
- 1Step 1Build the listThe checklist is picked by file type, such as a refinance, a rental application or a business tax return.
- 2Step 2Send the requestThe client gets a link to upload from their phone or computer, with a plain description of each item.
- 3Step 3Check what arrivesEach upload is matched to a checklist item. Blank pages, wrong years or unreadable photos are flagged.
- 4Step 4Remind about the restReminders by email or text name only the items still missing, and stop once everything is in.
- A person decidesReview and acceptStaff look over the file and accept it or ask for a fix.
Before · by hand
- Staff email a list and hope the client reads all of it.
- Documents arrive by email, text and in person, with odd file names.
- Someone tracks what's missing on a spreadsheet or in their head.
- Follow-up emails go out late, or not at all, when things get busy.
With document collection
- Each client gets one link and one clear list.
- Files are named and saved in the right folder as they arrive.
- Everyone can see what's in and what's missing.
- Reminders go out on schedule and only ask for what's still missing.
What we build
The parts of document collection
Your systems
- Google Drive
- Microsoft 365 (OneDrive, SharePoint)
- Dropbox
- Clio
- Karbon
- Twilio
What we build
1Checklists by file type
Your list of required documents for each kind of file, such as a refinance or a business return, with plain descriptions for clients.
2Client upload page
A private link per client that works on a phone with no account, and shows what's still needed.
3Upload checks
Matches each file to a checklist item and flags blank pages, wrong years, missing pages and unreadable photos.
4Reminder schedule
Emails or texts on your schedule that name only the missing items, and stop when the list is done or staff pause them.
5Filing and naming
Saves each file to the client's folder in your own storage, named to your standard.
6Staff checklist view
A live view of every open file: what's in, what's missing and what needs a second look.
Your team decides
- Staff decide whether a document is the right one and good enough to use.
- The business sets the checklist for each file type.
- A person handles clients who are stuck or need a different way to send things.
Industries it fits
What document collection looks like in each industry
Accounting & tax firms
Tax clients get a list built from last year's return, like W-2s, 1099s and mortgage interest statements. Reminders run through the season and stop for each item once it arrives.
Everything for accounting & tax firmsYour industry isn’t listed, or works differently? Describe it and get an answer in a minute.
Getting started
What you need first
We go through these with you in the audit, before anything is built.
Before we start
4 things to have ready- The checklist for each file type, including which items are required and which are optional.
- A storage location you control, such as Google Drive, OneDrive or your practice system, with a folder per client.
- Your reminder rules: how often, by email or text, and when to stop and hand the client to a person.
- Consent to text clients if reminders go by text, and a person who helps clients who get stuck.
How a rollout runs
- 1Build the checklistsWe write the lists for your main file types from what you request today, with a client-friendly description for each item.
- 2Connect storage and contactsWe connect your storage and client records so uploads land in the right folder with the right name.
- 3Set checks and remindersWe agree on which problems to flag, the reminder schedule, and the wording for each reminder.
- 4Run real files in parallelA few live clients use the link while staff keep their usual follow-up, and we compare what each catches.
- 5Roll out by file typeThe remaining file types move over, and items clients often misunderstand get clearer descriptions.
What to measure
How to know it's working
Weekly report · document collection
IllustrationFiles completed without manual follow-up
Shows whether the list and reminders do the chasing on their own.
Items most often missing or wrong
Points to checklist items that need a clearer description or an example.
Uploads flagged by checks
Shows which problems are common, and whether checks catch them before staff do.
Clients who never start uploading
These clients may need a call or a different way to send things.
Reminders sent per completed file
A high count can mean the wording is unclear or the schedule doesn't suit your clients.
We measure the baseline before building, so the change can be compared afterwards.
When it’s not a fit
- Clients who can't or won't upload still need another path, like mailing copies or dropping them off for staff to scan.
- Automated checks catch common problems, not all of them. A statement for the wrong account can look fine to a machine.
- Too many reminders feel like nagging and get ignored. Agree on a schedule and a point where a person calls instead.
- If checklists aren't kept current, clients get asked for documents you no longer need.
Tool or custom build
Do you need a custom build?
Option A · a ready-made tool
An off-the-shelf tool may be enough
Client portals like TaxDome, Karbon or Content Snare handle checklists and reminders well. They're a good fit if you're happy to work inside that portal.
Option B · built around your systems
When a custom build is worth it
A custom build makes sense when files must land in storage or a practice system you already use. It also fits when checklists depend on case details or uploads need special checks.
Not sure which fits?
What it typically costs
Typical ranges as of October 2026. Not a quote.
Ready-made tool, set up by us
An existing platform on your own account, configured for your business.
- Setup, one timepaid to Lorryn
- $750–$1,500
- Tool subscriptionpaid to the provider
- $15–$75 / month
Fits when your process matches what the platform already does.
Custom build
Built around how you work, with no platform subscription. You own it.
- Build, one timebasic version to full version
- $2,000–$5,000
- Running costshosting and usage, on your accounts
- ~$10–$40 / month
Fits when your systems, rules or exceptions don't match a ready tool.
Optional Automation Care: $125 · $250 · $375 / month
1, 2 or 3 hours of support a month, with monitoring and alerts included. Without it, you run it yourself after handover.
Typically works with Google Drive, Microsoft 365 (OneDrive, SharePoint), Dropbox, Clio.
Booking into or writing to your field-service, practice or shop software adds up to $500 to the ready-made tool (often a built-in feature) and $500–$1,500 to a custom build.
Your price depends on volume, the systems involved and how many exceptions need a person. Our team confirms a fixed price before any work starts.
Proof and who stays in charge
Who does what
The automation does the routine steps. A person makes the call.
- 1Build the listAutomated
- 2Send the requestAutomated
- 3Check what arrivesAutomated
- 4Remind about the restAutomated
- 5Review and acceptA person
Consent and privacy
Reminder texts go only to clients who agreed to get them, say they're automated, and stop on STOP. Sensitive files are stored in the business's own secure storage, not left in email.
FAQ
Questions about document collection
Usually not. Most setups use a private upload link per client, so they can send files from a phone in a few taps.
It can catch many common problems, like the wrong tax year, a blank page or a blurry photo. A person still makes the final call on each file.
In the storage you already use, like Google Drive, OneDrive or your practice system, inside each client's folder.
Yes. Staff can mark an item as received or pause reminders for a client at any time.
Uploads go over an encrypted link straight into your own storage. Access is limited to the staff who need it, and nothing is left sitting in email.
Yes. Staff can add or remove items at any time, such as a new underwriting condition, and the client sees the updated list.
Yes. Requests and item descriptions can be sent in the language you choose, and the upload page can show two languages.
Related use cases
Often built together
- Intake & documentsClient onboardingRuns the steps between a client saying yes and the work starting: agreement, payment, setup and kickoff.
- Intake & documentsDocument classificationWorks out what each incoming document is and who it belongs to, then files and routes it.
- Intake & documentsDocument data extractionReads invoices, forms, photos and handwritten notes and turns them into clean data for your systems.
Want document collection for your business?
Pick the step that suits you. Every path starts with how the work runs today, and we'll say honestly whether it's worth automating.
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