Initial Configuration
This page details the recommended steps that should be performed after a new subscription is created in ContactsLaw.
Data Created During Provisioning
Certain resources and data will be created automatically, using sensible defaults. This includes:
- The primary business
- General and trust accounts to support built-in functionality (e.g. billing) - note that no bank accounts are added
- Credit card types - without surcharges
- Default scale for billing
- Fee earner types
- Automatic time recording for various activities (e.g. reading/editing documents, telephone calls)
- Scheduled jobs to import holidays and create instances of recurring tasks/appointments
- Auto-completion data for addresses
- Built-in roles for documents, parties and members
- Document types to support built-in functionality (e.g. correspondence)
- Functionality to support table fields
- Functionality to support integration with InfoTrack
- Default permissions for the built-in User role
You should review these resources and configure them according to your needs and policies.
Businesses and Members
The contact for the primary business is used for many purposes, including creating documents. You should ensure that all business details, addresses and communications have been added.
To streamline the onboarding process for members, you should create a contact for each user who will access the subscription. Add the email address that they will use to register (or be registered) for CPMS ID. Members are created automatically when they first access the subscription; however, they can be created manually ahead of time if you wish to assign different roles.
Workgroups
Before you can create matters, you will need to create at least one workgroup. Ideally, create a separate workgroup for each of the main practice or administrative areas of your business. You can add more workgroups later if needed.
You should also add roles representing the main parties in each workgroup, along with the options that govern them.
Document Types and Templates
After customising the existing document types to suit your needs, consider adding more to represent the most common types of documents you deal with. Where document types are restricted to a particular practice or administrative area, add them to the appropriate workgroup.
Templates are required to create documents. You can get started by:
- Importing templates provided to you by CPMS
- Adapting your existing templates and precedents for use with ContactsLaw
- Creating new templates from scratch
Accounting
Before you can meaningfully record transactions, you will need to create accounts. These include:
- Bank/loan accounts
- Trust/controlled money accounts
- Credit cards
- Business-specific accounts (assets, liabilities, income, expenses and owner's equity)
Avoid duplicating accounts which already serve a specific purpose in ContactsLaw; e.g. accounts receivable.
Opening balances can be entered using a General Journal transaction. Do not enter sales tax (GST) components for any line items. For reconcilable accounts, you will also need to record an opening reconciliation.
Ensure that setting for Authorisation Requirements reflects the policies and regulatory requirements under which you operate. Also check the remaining settings in the Accounting category, such as the sales tax reporting frequency.
Billing
Before you can record time or create invoices, complete the following:
- Assign fee earner types to members
- Enter rates for each scale (create additional scales if needed)
- Review credit card types and enter surcharges if applicable
- Review timed activities
- Create disbursement types¹ to represent the disbursements you commonly incur
- Create products² in each workgroup and configure charge policies according to your operational requirements
¹ If you do not add disbursement types, you can still record and bill disbursement transactions; however, you will not be able to include disbursements in quotes.
² If you do not add products, you will not be able to bill time records.