Roles & Permissions
This guide is provided for Practice Managers and administrative support staff. It explains how to navigate roles and permissions setup, including the system default roles available and how to manage user access to different functions and features.
Overview
The system includes defined system default roles to simplify roles and permissions management. Each role has varying levels of access to certain functions based on the persona it serves.
Users can be assigned to more than one role where relevant. For example, a user in the Accountant role will have full access to all banking functionality, while a user in the Lawyer role will be prevented from accessing banking functionality.
System Default Roles
The system includes a set of pre-defined roles designed to meet the largest cross-section of roles found in law firms today. Each system default role has specific access levels and permissions built in.
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
Global Administrator (System) | Full access to the system. |
Access All Matters (System) | Special role that allows access to all matters. |
Accountant (System) | Finance Director, Accountant or most senior finance professional in the firm. Has full access to all features and functions. Is the only role able to affect user permissions. |
Approve All Invoices (System) | Special role that allows approval of all invoices. |
Approve All Requisitions (System) | Special role that allows approval of all requisitions. |
Cashier (System) | Senior cashier or lower-level finance manager. Handles the bulk of finance operations but is limited in certain compliance areas (client overdraw) and some firm-level settings. |
Junior Cashier (System) | Most junior member of finance team. Has access to most areas of the finance system, but actions are restricted to day-to-day tasks or those without direct effect on compliance. |
Lawyer (System) | General fee earner level access. Needs ability to work matters and request finance transactions on those matters. Has no access to non-matter related financials. |
Manager (System) | Managing or senior partners, and/or COFA. Needs oversight of most finance aspects of the business but is not able to directly affect postings. |
Paralegal (System) | Basic level access to work matters, time record and request transactions. Limitations exist within these functions. |
Partner (System) | Partner or Head of Department within the business. Needs oversight of some finance aspects of the business but is not able to directly affect postings. In some areas may require Managing Partner approval. |
Team Lead (System) | Special role that allows user to see performance reports of own team members. |
Special Roles: The system has three special roles intended to complement a user's primary role by granting additional privileges. The "Access All Matters" role is essential for users needing comprehensive access to all database matters. Likewise, "Approve All Invoices" and/or "Approve All Requisitions" should be assigned to users with the authority to approve invoices and requisitions, regardless of whether they're the designated approver for that specific request.
System Defined Permissions
Each system default role has varying levels (bands) of access to certain functions, based on the persona it serves. Each user requires a role in the system. Each role has pre-defined bands: Basic, Standard, and Unrestricted, of permissions relating to each feature/function area of the system (for example Billing).
Permission Access By Band
A group and band is assigned per user role, or there will be nothing assigned if the role has no access to that particular function (for example Purchase Ledger).
The band hierarchy moves left to right: Basic, Standard, and Unrestricted. If a permission is excluded from a higher band (for example Standard), it will also be excluded from all bands lower in the hierarchy (for example Basic). Permissions listed in the tables below are exclusions for that permission band.
| Accounts | Management | Fee Earner | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | Cashier/ Bookkeeper | Junior Cashier/ Junior Bookkeeper | Manager | Partner | Lawyer | Paralegal | |
| Approvals | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Basic |
| Banking | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Basic | None | None | None |
| Billing | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Standard | Standard | Basic |
| Client/Trust Account | Unrestricted | Standard | Standard | Basic | Basic | Basic | Basic |
| Dashboards | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Standard | Basic |
| Disbursements & Cost Recoveries | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Standard | Standard | Basic |
| Entities | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Basic | Basic | Basic |
| General Ledger | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Basic | Basic | None | None |
| Matters | Unrestricted | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Basic |
| Office Account | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Basic | Basic | Basic | Basic |
| Purchase Ledger | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Standard | None | None |
| Reports | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Unrestricted | Standard | Basic | Basic |
| Settings | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | None | None | None |
| Work Items | Unrestricted | Unrestricted | Standard | Unrestricted | Standard | Standard | Standard |
Permission Access By Feature
The sections below detail individual permissions excluded from each band for relevant features. Band hierarchy moves left to right. If a permission is excluded from a higher band (Standard, for example), it will be excluded from all bands lower in the hierarchy (Basic, for example).
Permissions listed are exclusions for that permission band—don't get confused!
Approvals
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Release Requisitions | Approve Invoice For Receipt | |
| Approve CMA | ||
| Approve Trust/Client | ||
| Approve Ledger Transfers | ||
| Approve Office Trxns | ||
| Approve Own Requisitions | ||
| Approve Reqs for Payments | ||
| Approve Reqs for Purchases |
Banking
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Undo Bank Reconciliation | New Receipt | |
| Setup Account | New Payment | |
| Bank Entries | ||
| Reconciliation | ||
| Bank Deposit | ||
| Prepare Payment | ||
| Stat Deposit |
Billing
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Override Invoice Number | Email Invoices | |
| Reject Invoice | ||
| Split Invoice | ||
| Add Discount | ||
| Finalise Invoice | ||
| Unfinalise Invoice | ||
| Bulk Edit Sent Date |
Client/Trust Account & Controlled Money/Investments
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Allow Trust Overdraw | Post Trust/Client Payments | |
| Post Trust/Client Receipts | ||
| Post Stat Dep Transfers | ||
| Release Allotments | ||
| Reverse Trust/Client Transactions | ||
| Client Interest Calculator (Posting) (UK) | ||
| Trust/Client to Office Transfer | ||
| Trust/Client to Trust/Client Transfer with Request Toggle | ||
| Process CMA or Investment Accounts | ||
| Set up CMA or Investment Accounts |
Dashboards/Widgets
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Aged Debtors | Aged Debtors | |
| Creditors | Creditors | |
| Statement Run | Statement Run | |
| Pending Transfers | Pending Transfers | |
| Trust Cash Accounts | Trust Cash Accounts | |
| Office Cash Accounts | Office Cash Accounts | |
| Aged WIP | Cost Disclosure | |
| Message Quarantine | KPIs | |
| Aged WIP | ||
| Message Quarantine |
Disbursements & Cost Recoveries
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Incurred Payments | Anticipated Disbursement | |
| Incurred Purchase | Cancel Incurred Disbursements | |
| Write Off Disbursements | ||
| Reverse Disbursement | ||
| Apply Credit Funds | ||
| Apply Credit Note |
Entities
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Make Supplier | Make Employee | |
| Update Supplier | Update Employee | |
| New in Form Entity Creation: Purchases |
General Ledger
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| New Journal | Reverse Transaction | |
| Setup Journal | ||
| Lock Journal | ||
| Post Transaction | ||
| Account Roles | ||
| VAT Return | ||
| Add New Account | ||
| Edit Account | ||
| Lock Account | ||
| Budget Sets |
Matters
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Delete Matters | Matter Setup - Edit fields | |
| Matter Permissions |
Office Account
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Write Off Invoice | Post Receipt | |
| Unlink Receipts | Post Payment | |
| Allow office in credit | Office to Trust/Client Transfer | |
| Matter to Matter Transfer with Request Toggle | ||
| Issue Credit Note | ||
| Receipt Invoice | ||
| Pay with Credit | ||
| Reverse Transaction |
Purchase Ledger
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Add Purchase | ||
| Add Supplier Credit Note | ||
| Issue Supplier Credit Note | ||
| Pay Supplier | ||
| Unfinalise Purchase | ||
| Reverse Transaction | ||
| Print and Export Supplier Ledger |
Reports
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| VAT Return | Balance Sheet | |
| Consolidated Tax | Cashbook | |
| Consolidated Tax | ||
| General Ledger | ||
| Office Trial Balance | ||
| Profit & Loss | ||
| Referral Fee Analysis | ||
| Office Credit Balance | ||
| Purchase Listing | ||
| Aged Creditors | ||
| Aging Analysis Pivot | ||
| Fee Analysis Pivot | ||
| VAT Return | ||
| Client Interest |
Settings
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | ||
| General | ||
| Matter | ||
| Notifications | ||
| Reports |
Work Items
| Unrestricted | Standard | Basic |
|---|---|---|
| Write Off Work Items |
Adding New Employees to Roles
Any new employee requires a role. To add a new employee to a role, follow these steps (this is performed after the employee has been created—see Setting up New Users):
1. Go to Directory > Employees and open the new employee card.
2. Select Update > Employee > Update Employee.
3. Select Actions > Invite Employee.
4. Select the relevant role for the new user from the available system default roles. Select Invite Employee.
5. The employee will receive an email confirming they have been added to the role.
Removing Users from Roles
To remove a user from a role, follow these steps:
1. Go to Settings > Firm Settings > Roles.
2. Select Edit Users to the right of the role line.
3. Locate the user you wish to remove and select Remove User. Select Save. A "Role Updated successfully" message will appear.
Moving Users Between Roles
There are two methods to move users from one role to another: via the employee card or via the Manage Roles screen.
Via Employee Card
1. Go to Directory > Employees and open the employee card.
2. Select Update > Employee > Update Employee.
3. Select Actions > View Permissions.
4. Select or un-select the appropriate role from the list of system roles.
5. Select Save. Once saved, this change will be reflected in Settings > Manage Roles screen. No further action is required.
Via Manage Roles Screen
1. First follow the steps above on how to remove users from a role.
2. Once users have been removed from existing roles, navigate to the role you wish to move the user to and select Edit Users.
3. Select Add User.
4. Begin typing the name or details of the user removed in step 1. Select the employee from the populated results.
5. Select Save in the bottom right of the screen. You have now moved a user from one role to another.