Uploading Documents for a Client into a Document Request
Uploading documents for a client into a document request
Clients don't have to upload everything themselves. When a client emails you a bank statement, drops off paperwork at your office, or you already have a document on file, you can upload it into their document request yourself — and it lands in exactly the same place it would have if the client had uploaded it.
Overview
A document request (also called a document checklist) is the list of files you're collecting from a client on a case. Each line on that list is a requested document — "Photo ID," "Last 2 months of bank statements," "2024 tax return," and so on.
Anyone on your firm's team with access to the case can upload against any of those lines. Uploading on the client's behalf is useful when:
The client emails, texts, or hand-delivers documents instead of using their portal.
You already have the document from intake, a prior matter, or a credit report pull.
The client is struggling with the portal and you want to keep the case moving.
The checklist is a firm-only checklist (for example, trustee documents) that the client never sees.
Step 1: Open the client's document request
In Glade 2.0:
Open the client's case (workflow).
In the case's side navigation, open Resources and select Document requests. (You can also reach a client's document requests from the client record under Resources → Document requests.)
Click the document request you want to add files to — for example "Chapter 7 – Client Document Checklist."
The checklist opens with its items grouped into Outstanding (nothing uploaded yet) and Uploaded. A progress line at the top tells you how many required documents have been submitted.
In classic Glade: open the workflow, go to the document checklist step, and click the checklist title to open it.
Shortcut: if you have an "Upload documents" or "Review documents" task in your inbox, clicking the task's action button takes you straight to the right checklist.
Step 2: Upload the files
In Glade 2.0, there are two ways:
Drag and drop — drag one or more files from your desktop onto the row for that requested document. The row highlights when it's ready to receive the drop.
Use the row menu — click the ⋯ (more actions) button at the end of the row and choose Upload more. Your computer's file picker opens; you can select several files at once.
In classic Glade, click the card for that requested document — the one labelled Upload — and pick your files. To add more files to a card that already has uploads, use the card's actions menu and choose Upload more.
Each file uploads in place. When it finishes you'll see a "File uploaded" confirmation, and the item moves from Outstanding to Uploaded.
Pay stubs and income sources
Pay stubs belong in the Income Organizer, and its rows behave a little differently. On an employment income source, open the ⋯ menu and choose Upload wizard to upload pay stubs month by month, so Glade can slot each one into the right pay period. Glade then reads each stub and fills in the income table automatically.
Step 3: Finish the request
Uploading a file does not, by itself, close out the request. Once every required document is in:
A banner appears at the top of the checklist telling you the request is awaiting submission or in review.
Click Mark as completed in that banner to close the request out on the client's behalf.
If you need to collect more later, use Re-open request on the same banner.
In classic Glade, once all required documents are uploaded you'll see a "Ready to submit for review?" prompt. Choose Submit for Review, or Keep Uploading if you're still adding optional documents.
Important: on a firm-only checklist (one marked "For practitioner"), that prompt includes a "Notify client that documents are ready for review" checkbox. It is unchecked by default, so submitting stays silent unless you tick it. That's deliberate — it means you can prepare a firm-side checklist without emailing the client.
Key details
Supported file types: PDF, JPG, and PNG only. Anything else is rejected with an "unsupported file type" message.
HEIC photos from an iPhone won't upload. iPhones save photos as HEIC by default, and Glade can't process that format. Convert the photo to JPG or PNG first, or on the iPhone set Settings → Camera → Formats to Most Compatible before taking the picture.
Password-protected PDFs cause problems downstream. They may upload, but Glade can't preview them, run AI review on them, or include them in a merged PDF. Always ask for an unlocked copy — bank and payroll PDFs are the usual culprits.
You can upload several files against one requested document. Two months of bank statements, a multi-page ID — they stack under the same line item rather than needing separate lines.
Files you upload are visible to the client in their portal, unless the requested document is marked For your eyes only or the whole checklist is a firm-only checklist.
Glade AI reviews each upload automatically, checking that the document is legible, not expired, and matches what was asked for. You'll see a review status next to the file — Needs review or Approved — once it finishes.
Other things you can do from the checklist
Add a line item — need to collect something that isn't on the list? Use Add an item and give it a title and description. You can mark it Required and, if it's internal, For your eyes only.
Move a file — uploaded to the wrong line? Open the file's actions and choose Move file to shift it to the correct requested document.
Rename files — rename a file inline, or use AI file rename to have Glade suggest clear, descriptive names for every uploaded file at once and apply them in a batch.
Reject a document — if the client uploaded something unusable, choose Reject document and write a short note. The item moves back to Outstanding and the client sees why. The client is notified of the rejection automatically. When they upload a replacement document, they're prompted to submit it again for review — so a rejected item doesn't just quietly sit there. Once they resubmit, your legal team is notified that the client has re-uploaded and submitted the checklist for review, so no one is left unsure whether the new document has actually been reviewed or is still pending.
Download everything — grab the whole checklist as a single merged PDF or as a ZIP, or tick individual files to download just those.
Mark required or optional — toggle any line item, or use bulk edit to change several at once.
FAQ
Q: Does the client get notified when I upload a document for them?
A: Uploading a file doesn't send the client a notification. On a firm-only checklist, the client is only notified if you tick the "Notify client that documents are ready for review" box when you submit. Client-facing notification settings are controlled on the document request itself.
Q: What happens after I reject a document?
A: The client is notified that their document was rejected and sees the note you left explaining why. Once they upload a replacement, they're prompted to submit it again for review. Your team is then notified that the client has re-uploaded and resubmitted the document checklist — so there's no gap where a new document is sitting unreviewed without anyone knowing.
Q: Can the client still upload after I've uploaded for them?
A: Yes. Both of you are working from the same checklist, and files stack under the same line item. If the request has already been marked completed, use Re-open request to let more come in.
Q: The client emailed me a photo of their ID and it won't upload. Why?
A: Almost certainly a HEIC file from an iPhone. Convert it to JPG or PNG and it will upload fine.
Q: Can I upload a document that isn't on the checklist?
A: Yes — add a new line item with Add an item, then upload against it. That keeps the file labelled and reviewable rather than loose in the case.
Q: I uploaded a pay stub but the Income Organizer doesn't show it. What now?
A: Make sure the stub went onto an income source in the Income Organizer rather than a general checklist line, and use the Upload wizard so it's assigned to the right month. If it's still missing, re-run the AI extraction from the row's ⋯ menu.
Q: Does uploading for the client complete the request?
A: No. You still need to mark the request as completed (Glade 2.0) or submit it for review (classic Glade).
Still need help?
Contact support with the client's full name or a link to the case, plus the name of the document request and the file you're trying to upload.