Help Center

Setting Time Entry Permissions for the Legal Accounting Integration

Time can be recorded or edited in both Practice Management and Legal Accounting. In Practice Management, time can be viewed or edited from the Timesheet or the matter's Billing > Time/Fees page. If the user is restricted from editing their own time or time for others, they will not be able to make changes in either system. If the user is restricted from viewing other’s time, they will not be able to access that information.

 

Accessing User Permissions

User permissions for time entry are defined in Actionstep Legal Accounting and consumed by Practice Management. Additionally, all fee earners and staff must exist in both Practice Management and Legal Accounting with the same email address.

 

To access time entry permissions:

  • In Legal Accounting, go to Administrator Settings > Users  > Security > Time Entry.

Time Entry permissions in Legal Accounting are separated into Own and Other Users Within This Group groups and include additional options for Create, Edit, View, and Delete.

When setting these permissions, note the following:

  • Time can be recorded for users who are set to record time in Legal Accounting and have permissions to create and edit. 
  • Editing time will be restricted if:
    • The entry is billed.
    • The entry is before the time entry restriction date.

    • The user does not have edit or delete permissions in Legal Accounting for their own time.

      Note: The Delete permission is required to change the fee earner on a time entry.

    • The user does not have change permissions in Legal Accounting to edit other users’ time.

      Note: The Delete permission is required to change the fee earner on a time entry.

 

Potential Impact

These settings may potentially affect access to the following areas of Practice Management and Legal Accounting:

 

Timesheet (Practice Management)

Time entry security restrictions may impact information that appears on the Timesheet page:

  • If the user is restricted from Edit or Delete, those options will not be available
  • If the user is restricted from Viewing Other Users’ Time, they will not be able to view that information
  • If the user is restricted from the Rate or Amount, they cannot view that information
  • If the user is restricted from Delete, they cannot delete or change the Fee Earner

 

Matter's Billing > Time/Fees Page (Practice Management)

Time entry security restrictions may impact information that appears on the matter's Billing > Time/Fees page:

  • The multi-select checkbox will be greyed under the following conditions:
    • The entry is Billed
    • The user has security restrictions in Legal Accounting permissions for Time Entry 
  • Own (Edit Accounting, Edit Other)
  • Other Users (Edit Accounting, Edit Other)

 

Multi-Select/Change Time and Fees Function (Legal Accounting)

Time entry security restrictions may impact information that appears on the multi-select/Change Time and Fees options:

  • If the date, fee earner, and rate options are restricted in the Change Entry panel, the user is restricted from Edit Accounting (Own or Others) in user security.
  • If the matter, activity code, and task code options are restricted in the Change Entry panel, the user is restricted from Edit Other (Own or Others) in user security.
  • If the fee earner option is restricted in the Change Entry panel, the user is restricted from Delete in user security (Own or Others)
  • If the rate option is restricted in the Change Entry panel, the Hide Rate permission is enabled (Own or Others).

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