This process is not totally reliable and formatting can be lost or information in a document can be altered inadvertently. An alternative is to send and receive via the same commercial electronic mail system. Another serious issue to bear in mind is the hidden information that often accompanies word processing files that are transmitted to someone else. Believe it or not, it is sometimes possible to find supposedly deleted text in a word processing file, because the supposed deletions were simply hidden and not removed from the document in its computerized form. Before you use e-mail or any other method of business communication, the appropriateness of all available methods should be considered.
Confidentiality is questionable.
These programs are complex and are not generally used by law firms. I'm a dog. As more lawyers and law firms become comfortable with e-mail and economic and competitive pressures push lawyers toward greater independence from secretarial and other support, the issues raised above and others will become significant. No matter how good a computer system is or how well the engineers and programmers do their jobs, working with a powerful and complex medium requires careful thought. The wise law firms realize that all the money in the world spent on technology is for naught if the people who use the technology don't know how to use it correctly and safely.