PRODUCT SUMMARY
Practice and Client Database is an integrated relational database providing facilities for the registration of all information pertinent to the management of legal clients and their matters. The fundamental principle of the database is that information is registered once only and is then available to all areas of work of the practice.
Partners, fee earners and support staff can have immediate access to client and matter information whether their requirement is a simple enquiry for information, the need to manage a matter, the completion of word processing documents or forms, marketing, diary management or other practice functions.
FUNCTIONALITY
Client and matter registration
Comprehensive registration of client details including analysis by type of client, industry (SIC) code, source of business and with the ability to add user-definable fields to further categorise and personalise the client information. These user-defined fields or ‘attributes’ may be used to identify clients to whom you wish to send a house magazine or Christmas card etc. or to log national insurance number or other personal information.
Other name and address registration
All names and addresses known to the practice can be registered in the database. For instance, a counsel register can be maintained, as can details of estate agents, insurance companies, experts, other side's solicitors etc. The referential nature of the database enables names and addresses to be linked to the matters to which they relate by a simple click and point procedure. The database can be interrogated to identify all persons involved in a client matter and conversely a counsel or expert can be interrogated to identify all matters in which they are involved.
Names and addresses can also be categorised using user definable fields. For instance the name an address record of a counsel or an expert witness can be set up to show their areas of expertise.
Money Laundering
Documents accepted as proof of identity can be scanned and logged against the client. Proof of identity can thereafter be established via enquiry or print.
Conflict of interest
All database names and addresses are available for conflict search purposes. The database can be searched on any field or part of a field to identify potential conflicts. Fields in the name and address record include name, address, town, county and post code.
Automatic Conflict of Interest
Additionally the system offers a simpler facility for automatic checking of names and addresses for conflict purposes.
Case/file notes
Case/file notes can be logged against a client or matter and a client or matter can have any number of notes associated. Notes can be printed for the paper file and existing notes can be identified by searching for words or expressions. Case notes can be accessed by screen enquiry or report and can be used to support the billing guide. Case notes can additionally be input as a feature of the Access Time Capture facility.
Document Registry
Archived files, wills, deeds or any other documents held on behalf of clients can be logged against a matter. The storage location, date of origination and dates for review and destruction may be entered against a document.
Documents can also have associated with them other names and addresses so that, for instance, a will could have associated with it details of the executors and beneficiaries.
Documents can be interrogated and lists produced based on dates – e.g. all deeds due for review – or names and addresses – e.g. all wills with a particular executor.
The document registry system allows for notification of borrowed documents and a log is produced of document movements.
Matter Financial and Time Enquiries
Matter financial and time enquiries are available via the database enabling the fee earner to view and print matter financial ledgers, time ledgers and billing guides without the need for an accounts licence. Access to the Access Legal Accounts application can thus be restricted to accounts staff and partners who require statistical, management and nominal ledger information.
Pro Forma Invoicing
Disbursements and recorded fees may be selected for inclusion in a pro forma invoice. The invoice is produced in Microsoft Word and can then be edited and saved.
Client and Matter Management
All client data and the centralised diary function can be used to support the management of client matters and marketing of the practice service.
The centralised diary can be interrogated by a diary manager to ensure key event dates are met across the whole practice. The diary can be interrogated for an individual matter to establish what actions have taken place and what actions are due to be done.
All information relating to a client is available on the screen without the need to ‘find the file’.
Marketing
Clients can be categorised for marketing purposes so that mailings can be specifically targeted to types of client.
Practice defined attributes may be used to further specialise the client contact.
The effectiveness of marketing campaigns can be judged via the monitoring and reporting of source of business.
Marketing Reports
Fees billed can now be analysed for department, branch, industry code, source of business, client type and by amount of fee.
Word Processing
All names and addresses, matter details and user-defined attributes are available interactively from within word processing products such as Microsoft Word. Any criteria held by the database can be used to extract lists for mailshot purposes for use in marketing and maintaining good client relationships.
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