The Matter Input and Edit program used for entering new Matters and editing existing Matters. Before entering a new Matter, you must have already entered and saved the Client.
The format of the Matter Code is defined in the System File Maintenance program (System Information chapter). The firm can choose whether to use an alphanumeric structure or a numeric structure for the Code. If a numeric coding structure is used, the system can right-justify the number code and/or pad the empty spaces to the left of the number with zeros. These options should be considered and established before proceeding. Once you have begun using a certain scheme, you should not change it without consulting with Orion Law Management System Support personnel as some data conversion may be necessary.
Note: Before adding matters, read the File Maintenance Manager View section of Chapter 1 for information on how to display Matter records.
Next Steps
After you set up Matters, you are ready to set up Matter Task Codes. For instructions, see the Matter Task Codes chapter.
Adding a Matter
Use this procedure to add Client-Matters.
Steps
To add a new Matter:
1. From the Button Bar, select a Client.
2. Click Action and select Open Matter for this Client. The Matter Intake Screen appears.
3. Fill in fields as required. For details, see “Field Descriptions – Matter Intake Screen.” Note: Portions of this screen are customizable; not all available Field Descriptions are listed.
4. Click OK.
Field Descriptions – Matter Intake Screen
The following table describes the fields.
Initial Matter Information
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Matter Name | The full name of the Matter (limited to 60 characters and spaces). When entering the Matter Name, if you precede the adversary name with \, that name will automatically be entered into the Conflict of Interest program with a relationship of Adversary. All characters are saved as typed in this field. The system automatically enters the Matter Name as a Matter relationship in the Conflict of Interest program when the record is saved. |
| Additional Description | A free-form text box for additional description, if necessary. |
| Bill to | Name and address to use for billing purposes. Use to specify a special billing address for the Matter; each Matter can have its own billing address if required. You can also set up carbon copy addresses for purposes of addressing invoices to someone in addition to the Client-Matter being invoiced. Basically, you are sending a copy of the invoice to an additional party without having to address it yourself – the system does it. |
| Address | The Client’s address in this field and in the City, State, Zip, and Country fields. This address does not have to be the billing address, as you can set that up separately for each Matter entered in the Matter Input & Edit program. Notice that the City and State fields are automatically populated by the default city and state set up in the System Information file. You can, however, override this by typing in a different city and state. All characters are saved as typed in this field. |
| Attention | If applicable, the name of the person or department to whom statements will be addressed. All characters are saved as typed in this field. |
| Phone and Fax | The phone and fax numbers of the Client. |
| Use Client’s Address | Indicates whether to use Client’s address for billing the Matter. |
| Date File Opened | The date the file is opened. The system defaults to the current date, but you can change this by entering a new date or clicking the pop- up calendar button to choose a date. |
| Conflict Names: Search/Add | An area in which to enter names to be searched for conflicts. |
| Matter Intake Notes | An area in which to enter notes about the Matter Intake process. |
| Completed | Indicates completion of this part of the Intake Form. |
Accounting
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Conflict Check Complete | Check box. Select if conflict check is completed. |
| Default Rate Code | The default billing rate code to be used for this matter. If you entered a default billing rate code in System Settings, it will appear here. You can, however, override it. |
| Invoice Style | The code of the invoice style to use with this Matter. The style code you enter will override the style code chosen in the Client Input & Edit program, but only for this Matter. |
| G/L Trust Account | This is a required field and must be completed prior to saving the record. The system defaults to the current date, but you can change this by entering a new date or clicking the pop-up calendar button to choose a date. |
| Billing Cycle | The default frequency that the Matter is to be billed. Enter the interval at which to invoice the Matter. When printing prebills and invoices, the system allows you to select and print Matters in a particular cycle. If an invoice has already been printed for a Matter within the same cycle, the system will not select that Matter for invoicing again unless you specifically override the selection. This will help you avoid invoicing someone more than once within the Matter’s billing cycle. You can, however, bill a Matter as many times as you wish within a period by simply overriding billing cycle criteria and using manual criteria. The available cycles are as follows:
|
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Fee Arrangement | The type of fee arrangement. Values are:
|
| Fees/Expenses | Selected or Deferred. When you enter a new Matter, you have the option of “flagging” time and expense transactions as being Selected for Billing as they are entered. That is, the default status of the transactions (Selected for Billing or Deferred from Billing) can be established here. For instance, if this is an hourly Matter that will be billed on a regular basis, you want to choose the Selected default. If it is a contingency Matter, where fee transactions will not be billed, choose the Deferred default for fees, but Selected default for costs since they will be billed on a regular basis. The default selections are only to save a step during the billing process. Any transaction individually or in groups can be selected and deferred from billing during the bill preparation phase. Orion will default to one or the other based on the settings in your Firm System File. You can, however, override the settings by clicking the one you want for the Matter you are entering. |
| Type of Law | The Code for the type of law applicable for this Matter. The Type of Law assignment is a required field since it is used for most reports and for income classification. The Types of Law for your firm should be established by the partners and made part of the Client Intake Form. |
| Department | The Department Code to be used for this Matter. Entry in this field is required. You can click the down arrow to locate a valid Code. |
| Charge Interest | Indicates whether to charge interest on a particular Matter. This will override what you chose in the Client Input & Edit program, but only for this Matter. If you wish to charge interest, click Yes. When interest is generated, the system looks to the System Information File to see what the interest rate is and creates a transaction equaling the interest percentage multiplied by the past due amounts. |
| Originating Attorney | This field defaults to the Originating Attorney entered for the Client record for this Matter. It can be changed to another ID if applicable. An Originating Attorney ID is required in order to save a Matter record. |
| Managing Attorney | This field defaults to the Originating Attorney ID for the Client, but can be changed to another attorney ID. Although the Managing Attorney field is not used by a lot of firms and there are no current reports to sort by it, it is available for those who wish to use it. Typically, it is used to identify the attorney responsible for overseeing the work done on a particular Matter or the attorney performing most of the work on a particular Matter. A Managing Attorney ID is required in order to save a Matter record. You can click the down arrow for a list of valid attorney ID codes. |
| Project Attorney | This field defaults to the Originating Attorney entered for the Client record for this Matter. It can be changed to another ID if applicable. A Project Attorney ID is required in order to save a matter record. You can use the F8 key or click the Look-up button for a listing of all valid attorney ID codes. |
| Billing Attorney | Orion automatically defaults to the Originating Attorney ID for the Client, but it can be changed to another ID. The Billing Attorney is sometimes referred to as the Responsible Attorney since he or she is responsible for reviewing the account for the Matter. The Billing Attorney identification is important because it can be used as a sort criteria in almost all reports and in the prebilling and invoicing process. A Billing Attorney ID is required to save a Matter record. You can click the down arrow for a list of valid attorney ID codes. If there is more than one attorney receiving credit as the originating attorney, click the Split Assignment option in the list of attorneys. Select an attorney from the list below the Billing Attorney field and double-click. In the Split Amount box, enter the percentage of credit this attorney should receive and click OK. Continue assigning percentages as needed. If you add someone you should not have, you can delete them by changing their percentage to zero. |
| Completed | Indicates completion of this part of the intake form. |
Editing a Matter
Use this procedure to edit an existing Client-Matter.
Guidelines
| If you change the. . . | Then… |
|---|---|
| Matter Code | If you change the Matter Code for an existing Matter, the old Matter Code in all other files will be changed to the new Matter Code including all related transactions in Time and Billing. |
| Type of Law Code | If you change the Type of Law Code of a Matter that has posted transactions, you must note that the Type of Law monthly balances will not be accurate. Since the Type of Law monthly balances are a combination of the posted transactions for all Matters, and since no monthly balances are kept on an individual Matter basis except for the current month, there is no way to move the respective portion from the old Type of Law Code’s monthly balances to the changed Type of Law Code’s monthly balances. The Type of Law Code will be changed from the old to the new code in all unposted transaction records (fees and expenses). It will not be changed in posted transactions. |
| Matter Name | If you change the Name field and click the Save and Close button or press the F10 key to save the record, Orion gives you two options regarding the Conflicts record (where relationship is equal to Matter) associated with the Matter record. You can either:
|
Steps
To edit a Matter record:
1. Select a Client and then select a Matter.
2. From the button bar click Edit or double-click the Matter Name.
3. Make changes as required.
4. To save your changes, click Save and Close or press the F10 key.
Printing a File Copy
Once you have saved the Matter, you may want to print a file copy of the Matter record to place in the physical file created for the Matter. This file copy displays the information you have entered as well as any conflicts records created in relation to the Matter.
Steps
To print a file copy:
1. Select a Client and double-click the Matter for which you need to print a report.
2. Click Report to display the Matter File Copy screen.
3. Enter the initials of the individual who performed the conflict check as well as the date of the conflict check.
4. Click Print to print the report.
Moving a Matter
You can move a Matter from one Client to another. Once the procedure is complete, the old Matter and the old Client-Matter Number will no longer exist in the system.
Steps
To move a Matter from one Client to another:
1. Select a Client and double-click the Matter you want to move.
2. Click Tools and select Move Matter.
3. Enter the new Client Code and Matter Code for the Matter.
4. Click Move. This procedure may take a while as Orion must change multiple data files (WIP, AR, Billing History, Override Rates, etc.).
Deleting a Matter
Use this procedure to delete a Client-Matter. You cannot delete a Matter that has transactions attached to it.
Note: It is highly recommended that you not delete Matters unless they were entered by mistake.
Steps
To delete a Matter:
1. Select a Client and highlight the Matter you want to delete.
2. To delete the Matter, click Delete. The system prompts you to confirm the deletion.
3. Click Yes if you want to delete the Matter or No if you want to keep it.
Viewing Matter Information
Use this procedure to access the Additional Matter Information screen, which you use to view Matter information. The fields that appear on this screen are defined in the System Setup File.
Steps
To view Client information:
1. Select a Client and double-click the Matter you want to view.
2. Click the Billing General tab.
3. Click Additional Matter Information.
4. Make any necessary entries or edits.
5. To save your changes, click OK.
Viewing Matter Conflicts of Interest
Use this procedure to view conflicts of interest associated with a Matter record.
For details on adding a new conflict record or searching for other records, see the “Conflict of Interest” chapter in the Desktop Back Office Reference Guide.
Steps
To view Matter conflicts of interest:
1. Select a Client and a Matter and double-click to display the Matter record.
2. Click Action and select Conflict Search.
Orion displays the conflict record showing the relationship with the displayed Matter.