Run and decide a conflict check

A matter cannot open until a conflict check covering its current parties has been decided. That is the rule of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 2020 (L.I. 2423), and the system enforces it.

Run a check

1. From a new matter, choose Run conflict check, or open Conflicts and start a check by hand.
2. The check looks at every party you name against the whole register:
   • names alike above the firm's threshold, so a misspelled name is still found;
   • identity numbers and shared phone numbers or emails, matched exactly;
   • one step of relationship, such as a company's directors;
   • every matter each party has appeared on, open or closed, in any role.
3. Results are grouped by the party they matched, with the connecting matters, roles and dates.

Decide it

A partner holding the decide permission reads the results, adds notes against any result, and records one of three decisions:

• Cleared: no conflict.
• Cleared with waiver: a conflict the clients have consented to. The signed waiver must be uploaded before this decision is accepted.
• Conflict found: the firm cannot act.

Later changes

Adding a party to an open matter runs a targeted check on that party. If it finds a conflict, the matter goes on hold at once and the responsible partner is told.

The register

Conflicts lists every check with its decision, searchable by the names typed on it. Each party's record has its own history of checks.