In LeanLaw, user roles and permissions are designed to give the firm's principals more control over the information. The settings can be adjusted to ensure not everyone in the firm has the ability to view and edit all information, thus reducing the risk of error and better defining user duties within the software.
This comprehensive guide will help you understand how to add new users, change roles, adjust permissions, and make the software more personalized to fit your firm's needs.
Roles Glossary
Each role serves a specific function and grants different levels of access:
Principal: Typically a managing partner or a partner in the firm with access to billing information and reporting for matters as well as overall financials for the firm.
Attorney: Can be associates or partners at a firm. They have access to billing information and reporting for matters they are involved with, but not for the firm as a whole.
Operator: Typically business managers, bookkeepers or assistants of a firm. They have access to all billing information but are not normally responsible for matters.
Accountant: Accountants have access to all billing information for the firm.
Paralegal: They have access to billing information and reporting for matters they are involved with, but not for the firm as a whole.
Time Keeper: A person who does not have access to billing information and reporting, typically associates, contractors, or staff. This can be overridden for specific matters.
Time Keeper+: A Time Keeper who can also see and enter other users' time.
Adding New Users and Changing Roles
1. Open Settings
Click the gear⚙️icon from the top-right toolbar.
2. Open the Users section
Select the Users option from the left-hand side bar. Scroll down the list to locate it.
3. Select the User, and Change the Role
In the Users page, you will see an overview of all users in the firm, their status, role, and their stage in the setup process. Click on a user to open a window displaying settings specific to the user. You can select the Role dropdown and adjust the role the user is set to. From this page you can also change other properties for the user such as rates, name, or access to settings.
4. Save Changes
Once you've reassigned their role, and saved the changes then you're all set! You can confirm this from the Users settings page by checking the Role of the user.
Changing User Permissions
Access to User Permissions can be gained through your firm's settings page. Follow these steps to make changes,
Note: Customizing user permissions is a LeanLaw Pro feature. To switch to Pro, go to your firm's Subscription settings.
1. Open Settings
Click the gear ⚙️ icon in the upper right of your LeanLaw to open your firm's settings.
2. Open User Permissions
On the left side of your settings page, you'll see a menu of headers with links. Under the Firm Setup header, click the link labeled User Permissions. You should now be viewing your firm's User Permissions.
3. Change User Permissions
In the User Permissions page, locate the user permission and the user role column you want to change. Click the checkbox where the row and column intersect. A checked box means the role will have the permission, an empty one means it won't.
4. Save settings
Click the green Save Settings button to finalize your adjustments.
These permissions give users access to various functionalities such as time entry, expenses, fixed fees, client and matter management, billing, trust, and report management.
For detailed descriptions of all the functionalities controlled by User Permissions, please refer to the User Permissions Glossary below.
User Permissions Glossary
The rest of this article is going to describe what every user permission controls within a LeanLaw firm. Remember that locating these permissions will require expanding the drop down menu of their associated header!
Time Entry permissions
Name of permission | Function |
Time for Self | Allows users to create and edit time entries where they are assigned as the Timekeeper. Accountants always have this permission disabled. |
Time for Others | Allows users to create and edit time entries where another user is the Timekeeper. |
View Rates | Allows users to view hourly rates listed in time entries. Also allows a user to view rates at the matter level via the Billing and Rates tab. |
Edit Rates | Allows users to adjust hourly rates listed in time entries. Also allows a user to adjust rates at the matter level via the Billing and Rates tab. |
Expenses permissions
View Expenses | Allows users to view expenses from the Expenses page. If disabled, users will be told they don't have access when they try to load the page. |
Create/Edit Expenses | Allows users to create and edit expenses.
Note: this setting only applies to pre-invoice expenses. If the user can edit invoices, they would still be able to add or edit expenses within an invoice. |
Assign QuickBooks Expenses | Allows users to assign expenses from QuickBooks into LeanLaw. |
Can be Assigned to Expense | Allows users to be assigned to an expense. If disabled, expenses will have to be assigned to a valid user or they'll become unallocated expenses. |
Fixed Fees permissions
Create/Edit Fixed Fees | Allows users to create and edit fixed fees for a matter. |
Can be Assigned to Fixed Fees | Allows users to be assigned to fixed fees. If disabled, fixed fees will have to be assigned to a valid user or they'll become unallocated fixed fees. |
Clients and Matters permissions
Create and Edit Clients/Matters | Allows users to create and edit new clients and matters for the firm. |
View Rates | Allows users to view the Billing and Rates tab for all matters. Allows users to view the Matter Rates report.
Note: rates can be viewed from other areas, such as invoices. If this is information you wish to keep confidential, consider other permissions. |
Edit Rates and Users | Allows users to access the Billing and Rates for a matter, where they can change the type of billing, the rates of billing, and
Note: the user will still be able to adjust their rates in individual time entries if the Edit Rates permission is enabled. |
Auto-Assign to Matters | Allows users to select any user and any matter when creating time entries or expenses. If the selected user is not already assigned to that matter, they will be automatically assigned to the matter when the time entry or expense is saved. |
Connect/Create in QuickBooks | Allows users to connect client and matters to existing entries in QuickBooks or create new ones. Also allows the user to switch between Client Accounting and Matter Accounting. |
View Client Notes | Allows the role to view client notes under the client's Info tab. |
Billing permissions
View Invoices | Allows users to view invoices. If disabled, the Drafts, Review, Approved, and QuickBooks tabs of Billing will be restricted to the user, as well as any invoice the user attempts to open. |
Create Draft Invoices | Allows users to create draft invoices from the Ready to Bill tab of Billing. |
Edit Draft Invoices | Allows users to edit invoices currently in the Drafts tab of Billing. |
Approve Invoices | Allows users to move invoices into the Approved tab of Billing. |
Submit Invoices to QuickBooks | Allows users to finalize invoices, moving into the QuickBooks tab where they can be paid. |
Manage Distributions | Allows users to use the functions in the Distributions tab of Billing to manage the firm's distributions. |
Trust permissions
View Trust Account(s) | Allows users to view trust accounts. If disabled, the Trust Account tab will be hidden from Billing and the user will be given an error if they try to access it. |
Trust Deposits and Payments | Allows users to make trust deposits and payments for clients and matters. |
Reports permissions
General Reports | Allows users access to reports under Other Client Reports, Matter Management, and Other headings. This also allows access to the Overview and Billing Activity tabs of individual matters. |
My Reports | Allows users to access the My Reports section of the Reports tab. |
Revenue by Attorney Report | Allows users to access the Compensation (Revenue by Attorney) report. |
Compensation Report | Allows users to access the Compensation (Revenue by Attorney) report. |
Other Revenue Reports | Allows users to access other reports found under the Revenue Reports heading (e.g. Revenue by Client and Matter, Revenue by Originating Attorney, and Receivables). |
Billable Reports | Allows users to access all reports under the Billable Reports heading. |
By following these steps, you can effectively manage users, customize roles, and permissions in LeanLaw to make it a more streamlined and secure tool for your firm. If you need further assistance, please contact the support team.