electronic office document management
Previous   Next

Chapter: Administration


Overview


Every document in Legal Notes must have a Matter (and therefore a client). You cannot create or file a document until you have created the Matter. The Matter Record gives the Matter a unique numerical or alphanumeric code and holds all information relevant to the instruction and its administration. You cannot have a matter until you have a Client.

Clients and Matters are created in the System database. Legal Notes can centralise the creation of clients and matters by limiting the number of people authorised to create them. However it allows any staff member to complete the necessary forms, and submit them as "Requests" to the person authorised to create matters and clients, as specified in the User Profile. Distributed work flow is a feature of Legal Notes.

Below is an example of a Matter Record. It records:
  • Name of client, description of the Matter, the responsible lawyer and other lawyers involved in the matter, statistical information.
  • Limitation of action information
  • Cost estimates and agreements. Once the combination of bills and WIP exceed a prescribed percentage of the estimate (eg 85%), every time a document is created the user is warned and an email is sent to the lawyers responsible for the matter.
  • Administrative information as to the location of the matter (database and server), and who has access to the matter. For example you can give a client access to the matter through the Matter Record, and limit access to specified users or groups of users.



Every matter is created by this form. It is in effect a profile document or mini database that contains all information relevant to the matter, or more to point, the conduct of a matter in an operational (Matter) database.

The life of a Matter follows a fairly predictable path as reflected in the available options for its status, namely:
  • Current
  • To be closed
  • Closed
  • Administration (reserved for matters that are really internal files to deal with office administration).

This form is created in the System db, and a copy is created and maintained in the Matter database and on the Server specified under the Administration section of the document. The copy is maintained for three reasons:
1. It gives information on the matter in Main view of the Matters database.
2. Certain values in the copy are accessed by documents created in the Matters database. Whilst these values could be taken from the System db, there is a speed advantage in taking them from the same database.
3. It assists in archiving the matter.
The relevant fields are discussed below
    Show details for Type:Type:
    Hide details for SolicitorsSolicitors
Partner [or Responsible Solcitor]: Solicitor:
Other:Up to six solicitors can be associated with any given matter. A Partner or Responsible Solicitor must be specified. The user will be prompted to insert the initials of another solicitor that has the conduct of the matter under the responsible solicitor.
The solicitors are relevant in the following ways;
1. Matters are categorised by responsible solicitor and solicitor
2. All incoming (and outgoing) documents are emailed to, and put in the WIP view of, these solicitors.
3. Only the responsible solicitor (or a member of the system group) can change the responsible solicitor.
4. The responsible solicitor is the recipient of automatic mail messages to complete the litigation section of the form, as explained below.
    Show details for Sub filesSub files
    Show details for Miscellaneous Information:Miscellaneous Information:
    Hide details for Related partiesRelated parties
Insert companies or people that are associated with the matter. eg defendants in litigation. The field is used in conflict checking.
    Show details for LitigationLitigation
    Hide details for AdministrationAdministration
This section is critical to the proper operation of Legal Notes
H.O. Server: The name server that holds the database for the matter from the list supplied. eg HeadOffice/Acme. The list is taken from the User Profile.
Office: The name of the Office having control of the matter from the list supplied. This field will always default to the name of the head office. the list is taken from the User Profile.
Database The name of the database for the matter. eg matter.nsf
Status: See workflow
On account: The amount required from the client to be held on account of costs for the matter.
Messages: Stores any messages sent with the "Messages" button
    Hide details for Set read access rights:Set read access rights:
This section deals with access rights to a matter. It can only be accessed by an Administrator.
How you set this field will determine who can see documents created for a matter. Whilst the matter details form is always visible, documents created for the matter can only be seen by the users, or the members of groups, specified in the "Read Access" field.

If the Read Access field is given an incorrect value, it may be that no one can even see the document. Accordingly great care should be taken in setting the value, and in specifying the available options. For details see Security

By default, Read Access is set to the group specified in the "ReadersGroup" in User profile.
Name of client: The cross certified name of the client who has the right to view his files over the internet.
Read access: The field gives the user a list of options that are set in the User Profile.
Comments




Sub topic: Matters