Concept
Critical deadline checks
A second person confirms each critical deadline, the system escalates one still open as it nears, and the near misses report shows the dates met at the last moment.
A missed court date is the commonest claim against a law firm. Critical deadlines are checked twice and escalated before they are missed.
A second person confirms
A deadline whose priority is one the firm checks twice, Critical by default under Settings, General, deadlines, Priorities needing a second check, is not in force until somebody other than whoever set it, or recorded what started it running, confirms the date. It reads Needs second check on the register and on its record, and the person who may not confirm it is told why. The matter says how many of its critical dates wait for a check.
Your own deadline list opens on the critical dates waiting for you to check.
Escalation
A critical deadline not yet confirmed or not yet complete is escalated the day before it falls due, on the day, and the morning after it passes: the holder, their supervisor, the partner who answers for the matter and whoever the firm escalates to are told, each stage once. An extension arms the stages again for the new day.
Near misses
Deadlines, Near misses lists deadlines completed on time but within the firm's Near miss window (days) of falling due, two by default, with who held them and how many days were left. Read it for the matters and people running closest to the edge.
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Read next
- Confirm, extend and complete deadlinesReview the deadlines the rules suggest, confirm them, extend one only with a reason and the authority for it, and complete it with evidence.
- How the deadline rules count timeThe firm's own rules for counting time, the units and calendars they count against, and why editing a rule never moves a date already set.
- Reminders and escalationHow reminders climb from the holder to the partner and the managing partner, why each must be acknowledged, and what leave does.