Case management, one file per client with every matter in it
Compass by WattReach keeps each client's matters, phases, tasks, documents, dates and payments in one file, so everyone at the firm works from the same record.
A client file: Overview, Activity, Matters, Documents, Money, Details.
One file per client
Compass gives every client one file. Every matter inside it carries its own case number, court, charges or matter type, judge, dates and tasks, and the file holds the documents. Starting a phase sets out the steps your firm follows for that kind of matter, each with an owner and a due date, and every change says who made it.
What you get
Phases that run the checklist.
Write the steps for each kind of matter once. Starting a phase gives each step an owner and a due date, and a step can wait for another or count back from the next court date and move when that date moves. Starter checklists come ready for criminal, estate and general practices.
Your own fields.
Add text, date, number, choice and yes-or-no fields to clients and matters. A date field can go straight onto the calendar.
One calendar for the firm.
Hearings, consultations, signings, meetings and your own date fields, on one calendar. Each person can subscribe to it from Google Calendar or Outlook, and it exports to Word, PDF and CSV.
Tasks where the work is.
One task list for the firm. Type @name in a note to tell a colleague, and add a day to make it their task.
Documents on the file.
Drag documents onto the client's file, or photograph them with a phone, and every change is logged. Each client's Google Drive folders can be linked from the file.
The rest of the file
- Couples and families can share one file, and each person is checked for conflicts.
- A client's file can be limited to chosen security groups, and every open of it is recorded (security).
- Appointments: consultations, signings and meetings, with reschedules, no-shows and monthly counts.
- Email to the client goes from the file, and replies are filed back on it.
- Money sits on the same file: the fee, the payments recorded against it and the balance (billing).
- The court's notices are filed on the matter they belong to (court integration).
How it connects to the rest of Compass
A retained lead from lead management becomes the client file through one form. The court's notices arrive through court integration. A charge on a matter links to its law library entry when the library has one, and the file's Ask box looks first at this case's own sections.
Questions
What is legal case management software?
Legal case management software keeps each matter's dates, tasks, documents and history in one place for the whole firm. In Compass by WattReach it sits inside one file per client, beside the lead it came from and the payments recorded on it.
How does Compass keep a matter's steps on schedule?
Compass by WattReach turns each phase of a matter into steps with an owner and a due date, and a step can count back from the next court date and move when that date moves. The firm is reminded before each hearing on its calendar, and Compass does not calculate court-rule deadlines.
Can we add our own fields to clients and matters?
Yes, your firm can add text, date, number, choice and yes-or-no fields to clients and matters, and a date field can appear on the firm calendar.
Does Compass sync with Google Calendar or Outlook?
Yes, one way: each person can subscribe to the Compass by WattReach calendar from Google Calendar or Outlook, and changes made there do not flow back into Compass. The calendar also exports to Word, PDF and CSV.
Can we run a conflict check in Compass?
Yes, a conflict check from the lead searches the caller, the person the matter is about and any other parties against every client, archived ones too, and every past lead. The result is recorded on the lead. A match with a file the person running the check cannot open shows as one line, without its name, and the check cannot be recorded clear while that line stands.
Where are our documents kept?
Documents uploaded to a client's file are kept in Compass by WattReach, encrypted at rest, with an encrypted backup every night. Your Google Drive stays in your Google account, linked from each client's file.