Understanding User Permissions in Legal Accounting

In this article:

• Reviewing Workflow Details
• Assigning Permissions

Reviewing Workflow Details

Before you assign permissions, it's good to review how the different elements of accounting (like contacts, matters, and timekeeping) are handled in both systems:

• Contacts and matters can be created or changed in Practice Management and synchronized with Legal Accounting (and vice versa). 
• When created, contacts and matters are automatically assigned Legal Accounting contact and matter numbers. 
• Time entry can be recorded or changed in either Practice Management or Legal Accounting.
• A status indicator appears on all contact and matter records to indicate whether the associated record is synchronized between both Legal Accounting and Practice Management. It also allows users to access the contact or matter record in the other system.
• Users can view Legal Accounting matter balances from the matter's Billing page in Practice Management.

To learn more, see the following articles:

• Working with Contacts in Actionstep Practice Management and Legal Accounting
• Working with Matters in Practice Management and Legal Accounting
• Creating a Time Entry Using the Legal Accounting and Practice Management Integration

Assigning Permissions

When working in both Legal Accounting and Practice Management, permissions must be set in each system. Please note the following:

• User permissions for creating, viewing, and editing contact and matter data must be configured in both Practice Management and Legal Accounting separately. Otherwise, users may have access in one area of the system vs. the other. There are a few exceptions, however:
  • Exception 1: If a user has security permissions to create or edit a contact or matter in Practice Management only, the contact/matter will be created or changed in Legal Accounting regardless of the user permissions in Legal Accounting.
  • Exception 2: If a user has security permissions to create / edit a contact or edit a matter in Legal Accounting, the contact/matter will be created or changed in Practice Management regardless of the user permissions in Practice Management.
• Ethical walls must be established in Legal Accounting and matters must be restricted in Practice Management. These tasks must be completed separately.
• Permissions for a conflict search must be established in each system.
• To access Legal Accounting matter balances within Practice Management, the user must exist in both systems and have access to view the data on the matter's Billing page. They must also have access to the client ledger report in Legal Accounting.
• Time entry permissions are configured in Legal Accounting only and referenced by Practice Management.
• The Legal Accounting “Hold” option for matters restricts time entry in Practice Management when enabled.
• Permissions for Activity Code, Task Code, and Lawyer Rate are configured in Legal Accounting only and referenced by Practice Management.
• All billing and accounting permissions are configured in Legal Accounting only.
• All Practice Management permissions are configured in Practice Management only.

• Permissions to close a contact or matter are independent between the systems as you can close a matter in Practice Management, but keep it open in Legal Accounting.