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The importance of Matter Plans in By Lawyers Guides

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Each of our Legal Guides contains a Matter Plan which follows the typical flow of a matter, with precedents and commentary ordered sequentially, and less commonly used content appearing in ‘If required’ folders.

This structure not only allows members of your team to confidently conduct matters in areas they are perhaps unfamiliar with, but also allows for precise answers to be found quickly. Users have the freedom to access as much or as little guidance as is needed, with the ability to easily navigate to the commentary and precedents required.

Each Matter Plan typically starts with the folder ‘Getting the Matter Underway’. It contains everything you need to get a matter started. There are precedents such as a file cover sheet, retainer instructions, a ‘to do’ list and initial letters. There is also commentary detailing the first things you need to do and be aware of when getting the matter underway. Each Matter Plan proceeds through the logical sequence of a matter, concluding with a ‘Finalisation’ folder, which contains precedents such as a tax invoice and finalisation letters.

This clear structure is a very useful risk management tool and essential to daily practice.

Using the Matter Plan

  1. Open a matter.
  2. From the Details & Correspondence tab, click on the  button. If the Legal Guides tab is not your default view, select the Legal Guides tab to view the By Lawyers Guide for the selected matter type. The Legal Guides tab can be set as your default view from the hamburger menu at the top right of the Guides & Precedents screen.
  3. The Legal Guides tab displays the Matter Plan which proceeds through the logical sequence of the matter.
  4. Commentary is identified by green text and the  icon being C for commentary. Clicking the green commentary title will open the commentary in a browser.
  5. Precedents are identified by blue text and the  icon being W for Word Document. Click the precedent to open it. The precedent will merge information from the matter.

The Matter Plan is your road map for navigating through our Guides, allowing you to maximise the value of our detailed content and get the most from By Lawyers.

Matter management

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By Guy Dawson, CEO

All practices use technology to a lesser or greater extent to run client matters, produce documents, keep accounts, and access information on ever changing law and practice.

In their guides and precedents, By Lawyers have responded to law office needs by providing practitioners with a system for running all common matters encountered in practice. They have brought together all the ingredients needed for the conduct of most matters in matter plans, taking practitioners from file opening to finalisation with all required letters and documents provided in sequential order accompanied by practical guides and research materials.

These guides and precedents are practice based not academic. Accompanying the precedents are the research materials relevant to each matter. If preparing a contract the law relating to such matters as disclosure requirements or GST are a click away. If conducting a family law matter the rules on pre-action procedures are again a click away. The information runs with the precedents. The precedents themselves run sequentially from starting to ending every matter.

Behind the straightforward commentary is further research material in the 101 series. Alternate precedents are found in libraries so for example the terms of a testamentary discretionary trust are found in the wills library of clauses. As the law changes, so the commentaries are updated on a daily basis relieving the practitioner of the need to keep abreast of changes in the law. If a precedent is not provided then users are welcome to contact By Lawyers and discuss their requirements, which will be met. This pro activity is central to our ethos of providing all that is necessary for practices to conduct all common matters.

By the use of this system it makes little sense for any member of staff including the principal to dictate a letter, or make written notes, or write time sheets to be put on the file later, by someone else. Uniform practices are established throughout the office and immediate and substantial increases in production and profits are achieved.

By Lawyers also provides a subscription based mentoring service to assist with answers that arise in general practice in most areas of law.

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