I hate it when an attorney asks me to use my own personal cell phone to call or message a client. I understand one of my major tasks as a paraprofessional is to keep a client updated, make sure the client shows up etc…but why should I use my own phone? For one, there’s a security concern right? Once a client has your personal cell phone they might feel the need to “learn a little more about you”. Theres also the record keeping concern. How do I document that I did in fact reach out to this client without spending more time saving screenshots etc. While there are a number of great programs that can actually incorporate a feature that will not only text your client but also store it, that does not mean you are in a firm that utilizes or has the funds to select this type of technology. So how can a paralegal effectively do their job yet protect their own interest?

An easy way to provide updates to clients via text is by using email-to-text. You will want to ask your attorney and your clients if they are amenable to sending/ receiving text messages, but you need not use your personal or business cell phone to text them. You can simply put their cell phone number into one of the various cell phone provider suffixes and text them directly from your email. This is a great way to provide clients with reminders regarding their appointments, hearings, etc. They can also easily confirm they have received the text message no matter where they are.

To send a text message via email, you must use an SMS- or MMS-to-email gateway (email address). Just substitute a 10-digit cell phone number for “number” for each carrier below:

•  AT&T: [email protected] (SMS), [email protected] (MMS)

•  Boost Mobile: number@sms. myboostmobile.com (SMS), [email protected] (MMS)

•  C Spire: [email protected]

•  Consumer Cellular: number@ mailmymobile.net

• Cricket: number@sms. cricketwireless.net(SMS), [email protected]. net (MMS)

• Google Fi (Project Fi): number@ msg.fi.google.com (SMS & MMS)

• Metro byT-Mobile (MetroPCS): [email protected] (SMS &MMS)

• Mint Mobile: number@ mailmymobile.net(SMS)

• Page Plus Cellular: number@ vtext.com(SMS), number@ mypixmessages.com (MMS)

• Red Pocket Mobile: Red Pocket uses AT&T or T-Mobile (for GSM SIMs), and Verizon for CDMA (See information for those carriers.) Republic Wireless: number@ text.republicwireless.com (SMS)

• SIMPLE Mobile: number@ smtext.com (SMS)

• Sprint: number@messaging. sprintpcs.com(SMS), number@ pm.sprint.com (MMS)

• T-Mobile: [email protected] (SMS & MMS)

• Ting Mobile: number@message. ting.com(SMS for CDMA), [email protected] (SMS for GSM)

• Tracfone Wireless: number@ mmst5.tracfone.com (MMS)

• UScellular: [email protected]. net (SMS), [email protected]. net (MMS)

• Verizon: [email protected] (SMS), [email protected] (MMS)

• Virgin Mobile: number@vmobl. com (SMS), [email protected] (MMS)

•  Xfinity Mobile: number@ vtext.com (SMS), number@ mypixmessages.com (MMS)

You’re biggest hurdle with contacting your client this way, will be to make sure you have the name of their cell phone provider. If you do any form of litigation, you will usually need this information for discovery anyway, so why not ask during the intake process? (check out my client Intake post). If somewhere along the line you missed this step and/or prefer not ask your client you can use a service like fonefinder.net*to determine their provider.

*Source: Alicia Mitchell-Mercer and Nala.org