Client Portal Instructions

How to Use Caras & Shulman’s Client Portal – Citrix ShareFile

This Guide is designed for portal users who will have access to Caras & Shulman, PC’s Client Portal – ShareFile. The Client Portal is an extension of Caras & Shulman, PC’s website and provides a fast, secure solution for sharing and exchanging electronic documents. It also allows a reduction in environmental waste by corresponding electronically instead of handling paper. Unlike email and email attachments, documents accessed through the Client Portal are protected by encryption technology so that you will have confidence that the information is secure when transferred back and forth.

What is a Portal?

Portals are web-based applications that allow for the encrypted, bi-directional transmission and storage of electronic data. In other words, you have instant access to documents and information wherever and whenever you want. A portal is a place where files can be uploaded, downloaded, stored, and shared in a safe and secure environment — 24/7. Here are a few reasons Caras & Shulman, PC has implemented ShareFile:

  • It’s easy to use — This user guide contains simple instructions, but if you’ve ever used online banking or email, you’ll find your portal to be intuitive and easy to learn. Once we create your portal you will receive a few introductory email notifications with additional information and your specific login credentials.
  • It’s secure — Portals are the most secure way to exchange documents electronically. With identity theft on the rise, portals provide you with peace of mind knowing that the only person who can access your files is you and anyone you designate.
  • It’s convenient — Whether you want to locate last year’s tax return or need to urgently upload a file to send our way, you can do so – anytime, anywhere, thanks to 24/7 access. You won’t have to wait for the postal service or make a trip to our office — just log in and get to work. You can share PDF files, Web pages, hyperlinks, Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheets, Microsoft® Visio® diagrams, Microsoft® Word documents, PowerPoint® presentations and financial software data files — and more!

Once you have been granted access to a ShareFile account, you will receive an email with a link to activate your user account. Follow the prompts in the email to activate your account by setting a password.

Note: You may have been sent a request to download or upload a file without being sent any login information. If this is the case, there is no need to enter a user name and password.

Accessing Your Client Portal

Logging In to Your Personal Portal

You may log in to your portal at any time here:

Click here to login »

We recommend you add this link to your browser’s favorites.

If you have not received your password, or at any time forget your password, click on the Forgot password? link under the Log In button and follow the on-screen prompts.

Home Screen

After logging in, you’ll see your Home screen, which shows all of the folders you may access.

Because security is a top priority for our firm and clients, a separate folder has been created for each client and documents will be available only in the corresponding folder for each client. Individual and business documents will not be co-mingled.

Working with your portal folders is much like navigating the file system on your home computer. You may quickly and easily return to your home screen by clicking the Home link in the upper left hand corner of the screen.

The firm may occasionally provide communication about a various topics that pertain to you or your business. These documents will be located in the corresponding “Correspondence” folder.

Downloading Files

You will receive an email notification from the firm when new documents are uploaded to your portal. You may follow the link in your email to download you documents, or log in to your portal to retrieve them.

  1. Select the files and folders you wish to download and click the Download button. To download an individual file you can also click the file name.
  2. Select to save or open the file. Depending on your web browser, you may see the file name displayed on the bottom of your screen, or a pop-up will appear prompting you to save or open the file.
  3. If you choose to open the file rather than save, you can save the file to your computer once it is open.

Tip: If you have saved a file and are unsure of the location, check your “Downloads” folder.

Sending Files

You may send secure files to an individual or other institution. This is useful when you want to ensure a document goes to a specific recipient, including staff members of Caras & Shulman, PC!

  1. Click the check box next to the file you wish to send to select it.
  2. Click the Send link and follow the on screen instructions.

Note: The recipients you wish to send files do NOT need to be ShareFile users.

Uploading Files

  1. Open the – Upload Files HERE folder by clicking its title (provided so clients may conveniently upload all files to a central location).
  2. Click the Upload Files button.
  3. Click the Choose Files button and select one or more files from your computer.
  4. Click the Upload Files button. Files up to 10 GB in size may be uploaded.

Note: Caras & Shulman, PC will be notified via email when files are upload to the portal. All files uploaded will be moved to the “Received by C&S” folder after they have been downloaded by our staff.

Portal Inbox

Your ShareFile Inbox allows you to easily find the links to download or upload files that have been sent to you through ShareFile without searching your email inbox.

Click Inbox in the sidebar of your Folder screen. The Inbox has two tabs: Files Sent to Me and Files Requested from Me. You can use these tabs to see a record of the download and request links sent to the email address you use to log in to ShareFile.

Favorite Folders

In the Folders tab, click the star to the left of a folder to display it under your Favorite Folders tab. By selecting only the folders you use most to include in Favorite Folders, you can find and access these folders more easily.

You can remove a folder from the Favorite Folders tab at any time by clearing the star to the left of its name in either the Folders or Favorite Folders tab

About Citrix ShareFile Security

All communications between Citrix ShareFile and the user are encrypted using either Secure Socket Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) encryption protocols and up to AES 256-bit encryption. This is the same functionality used by banks and popular e-commerce services for secure communication. ShareFile also encrypts stored files when they are at rest on Citrix’s servers for an additional layer of security. Read more here.

Support for Citrix ShareFile

Citrix ShareFile offers FREE, unlimited support at: 1-800-441-3453 | support@sharefile.com