Reading path
For the associate
You run files day to day. These are the things you will do every week, in the order a new matter asks for them.
- 01Sign in and turn on two step sign inSign in at your firm's own address, set a strong password, and protect the account with an authenticator app or an emailed code.
- 02Find anything with searchOne search box across matters, parties, documents and their text, notes, filed mail and originals, showing only what you may see.
- 03Add a party and keep the register cleanAdd a person or an organisation once, see possible duplicates before saving, and merge two records that turn out to be the same.
- 04Run and decide a conflict checkCheck every proposed party against the whole register before a matter opens, and record the partner's decision for good.
- 05Open a matterRecord the enquiry, add the client and parties, clear the conflict check and complete the opening checklist, then open the file.
- 06Upload documents and keep their versionsFile documents on a matter, understand the scan that runs before anyone can open them, and work with versions and locks.
- 07Templates and document generationKeep the firm's Word templates, draft from them with the matter's details filled in, and file the result on the matter automatically.
- 08The case, hearings and filingsOpen the case on a matter, list hearings and record what the court did, and keep filings, service and orders that start time running.
- 09Confirm, 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.
- 10Work with tasksCreate tasks on a matter or for the firm, work their checklists, mention colleagues in comments, and see your list and the team's.
- 11Record timeRun a timer or fill the week grid, with each entry rounded, valued at once and checked against the rules the firm sets.
- 12Record a disbursementRecord what was paid out on a matter from office money, client money or petty cash, and see it post to the books in the same step.