¶ 1. Overview
The Manage Lawyers & Timekeepers feature allows administrators to maintain the complete list of all billable and non‑billable professionals in the firm. This includes:
- Lawyers
- Paralegals
- Legal assistants
- Clerks
- Contract timekeepers
- From this section, administrators can configure:
- Personal and professional details
- Billing rates
- Custom client‑specific rates
- e‑Signature settings
- Permissions and activation status
This ensures accurate timekeeping, billing, and document signing across the firm.
¶ 2. Features Under Manage Lawyers & Timekeepers
¶ 2.1 Lawyers & Timekeepers (List View)
- Displays all active and inactive timekeepers in the firm.
¶ Key capabilities
- View all lawyers and timekeepers
- Search by name or role
- Filter by status (Active/Inactive)
- Add new timekeepers
- Edit existing profiles
- Open detailed view for configuration
¶ 2.2 Lawyer / Timekeeper Detail
- A detailed profile page for each lawyer or timekeeper.
¶ Information displayed
- Full name
- Role (Lawyer, Paralegal, Assistant, etc.)
- Email and contact information
- Billing rate
- Default time entry settings
- e‑Signature
- Custom client rates
- Status (Active/Inactive)
¶ 3. Lawyer / Timekeeper Detail
- The detail view provides full configuration options for each professional.
¶ 3.1 Personal & Professional Information
Includes:
- Name
- Role
- Phone (optional)
- Initials (used in time entries and reports)
- Status (Active/Inactive)
Inactive timekeepers cannot post time or appear in selection lists.
¶ 3.2 Billing Rate
Each lawyer/timekeeper has a default hourly billing rate.
This rate is used when:
- Posting time entries
- Generating invoices
- Running billing reports
Administrators can update this rate at any time.
¶ 3.3 Custom Rates (Client‑Specific Billing Rates)
This section allows firms to set custom billing rates for specific clients.
¶ Use cases
- Preferred client pricing
- Volume‑based discounts
- Contractual rate agreements
- Alternative fee arrangements
¶ How it works
- Select a client
- Enter a custom hourly rate
- Save
When posting time for that client:
- The custom rate overrides the default billing rate
- The rate applies automatically on invoices
Multiple custom rates can be added for different clients.
¶ 3.4 e‑Signature
Lawyers can upload their digital signature for use in:
- Invoices
¶ Supported actions
- Upload signature image
- Replace existing signature
- Remove signature
The signature is stored securely and applied automatically where required.
¶ 3.5 Permissions & Status
Administrators can control:
- Whether the timekeeper is active
- Whether they can post time
- Whether they appear in assignment lists
- Whether they can be selected on matters
Inactive users remain in the system for historical reporting but cannot be used for new entries.
¶ 4. Integration with Other Features
- The Manage Lawyers & Timekeepers module integrates with:
¶ Time Entry
- Lawyers appear in time entry posting
- Billing rates and custom rates apply automatically
¶ Daily Activities
- Time entries display lawyer initials and rates
¶ Matters
- Lawyers can be assigned to matters
- Custom rates apply per client
¶ Invoices
- Billing rates flow directly into invoice generation
¶ Reports
- Lawyer productivity
- Billing summaries
- Timekeeper performance
- Rate comparison reports
¶ 5. Best Practices
To maintain a clean and accurate lawyer/timekeeper list:
- Keep profiles updated with correct roles and contact info
- Deactivate users who leave the firm (do not delete)
- Review billing rates annually
- Use custom rates for clients with negotiated pricing
- Ensure e‑Signatures are high‑quality for professional documents
- Assign initials consistently for reporting clarity
¶ 6. Summary
The Manage Lawyers & Timekeepers feature provides a centralized, structured way to manage all professionals in the firm. With tools for configuring profiles, billing rates, custom client rates, and e‑signatures, it ensures accurate timekeeping, billing, and document management across LawPractica.
This module is essential for maintaining a clean, compliant, and efficient billing and workflow system.