PCLaw is available either via download or on CD. A download link appears in your product key . To obtain a CD, call Sales at

Transcription

1 PCLaw 13.0 Obtaining the software PCLaw is available either via download or on CD. A download link appears in your product key . To obtain a CD, call Sales at Note PCLaw service packs and hot fixes are only available by download, and not available on CD. For assistance in downloading service packs or hot fixes, please visit the Support Center, contact your LexisNexis Certified Independent Consultant (CIC), or call LexisNexis Technical Support at Before you install Be sure to do the following before installing PCLaw 13.0 data files and documents. Perform a complete backup on your PCLaw data files and documents. Close PCLaw and all open applications on your computer. 1 of 11

2 What's new in this release The following features and/or enhancements are new in PCLaw See "Issues addressed" for a list of fixes included for this release. Dashboard Interface PCLaw 13 provide users with a new dashboard technology which allows them to access features that are frequently used to view and manage their law practice and client matters. There is also an enhanced Security feature to restrict a user's access to individual or all Dashboard tabs and features. Note Microsoft Office must be installed on each computer using PCLaw Dashboard features to properly utilize the following Dashboard features/functionality: o o o o Quick Links - (Client Intake and Outlook Inbox tabs) My Practice Dashboard - (Messages:Inbox) My Clients Dashboard - (Documents:Create) My Business Dashboard - (Marketing:Create). The dashboards are: My Practice: The My Practice dashboard can be used to customize the Recent Client Matters Settings and to provide quick access to key tools and features (e.g., Calendars, Client/Matter data, news feeds, other) that can be consolidated and customized to assist you in managing appointments, key tasks, , phone messages, and developments in the legal world. My Clients: Allows users to quickly access critical client and matter information, including meetings, tasks and ticklers; s, documents and files; contact information for all parties involved in a matter; a summary of recent activity; and financial status. My Business: Allows users to track your budget, monitor key performance indicators (billable hours, work in progress, receivables, bank balances), and execute billing transactions with ease. 2 of 11

3 Client Intake The client intake is an automated process which allows users to open a new client file by using a template intake form to set up a client contact record and/or to create a new client matter. During/after the intake process, the following activities may also occur: s can be generated Conflict checks can be initiated Form fields can be imported into the PCLaw application. Template The Template provides users with the ability to bill clients using a standard format. This function reduces the administrative task of manually creating the body of each message before it is ed to the client. The Template is a default template within the PCLaw application. From the System Settings - Billings Tab, the Default Template may be accessed and used when billing clients. The Template can also be accessed from the Matter Manager - Billing Tab when the Allow Bill Settings Overrides option is activated. This setting at the "Matter" level overrides the System Settings selection. During the billing process, a user can determine/change the Template being used. When the user selects the option from the Output area of the Bill Selections screen for specific billing functions (i.e., Quick Bill), they have the ability to select the template to be used when billing the client. In addition to the standardized content, the bill(s) can be attached using 1 of 3 formats (PDF, TXT, or RTF). The Template is accessible with the Bill, Quick Bill, BillFlow Manager, Settlement Statement, Recreate Bill, Request Bill, and Release Bill PCLaw billing functions. Third-Party Product Support and Integration The following 3rd-party products are now supported with PCLaw 13.0: Microsoft Windows 8 Microsoft Windows 8 Pro Internet Explorer 10 Microsoft Office 2013 Amicus Attorney 2013 Please refer to the PCLaw Support Center for a complete list of 3rd-party supported hardware and software. 3 of 11

4 Additional Enhancements Other PCLaw 13 enhancements and/or updates includes: Time Entry Notes Display your Time Entry notes on pre-bills with the new Time Entry Note token that is available in the Template Editor. Reports A new layout for the List of Clients Report to include addresses. 4 of 11

5 Issues addressed PCLaw 13.0 The following issues has been addressed in PCLaw 13.0: Accounting - Accrual The Modified Cash General Ledger and the Modified Cash Balance Sheet Reports no longer displays incorrect net profit values. Accounts Payable The vendor's name is now printed correctly (First Name, Middle Initial and Last Name)when checks are printed, instead of Last Name, First, Middle Initial. Banking General Bank An overpayment message is no longer received if an invalid client name is entered for a payment received, and the pop up help is used to correct the name. Billing Taxes are now being split as expected if Split billing is done using the Bill by Client option and taxes are involved. If a time/expense entry is removed when pre-billing with the Billing > Pre- Bill > Options Tab > Select Charges option selected, the PCLaw application no longer crashes. Retainers are now applied to A/R when releasing a second invoice to allocate retainer amounts. Trust receipts that are entered prior to a specific billing date are now included in the calculation of the trust balance when the Recreate Bill function is performed. The Vendor List is now listed in Pop Up Help based on selecting the Options > System Settings > Show Vendors in Paid To Pop Up Help option. The Payments section tokens (Client Check#, Bank Account) are now correctly displayed, and the type of payment is no longer displayed as 'None' in the Quick Bill Template when the bill is created and/or previewed. 5 of 11

6 The.rtf file Hours column is no longer merged with the Explanation column when a time entry on a bill has a long explanation and the bill is sent to editor. The Pre-bill and the final bill now calculates Total Fees After Discount correctly. The error message 'The trust transfer is too large. You may not transfer funds to cover new charges.' is no longer displayed and disbursements are no longer rounded up incorrectly when the Use Special Fees explanation code is used to bill disbursements. Calendar Additional Calendar entries are no longer generated/displayed if entries are edited after being exported to Express It no longer takes one minute or more to create a Tickler Appointments displayed for the Daily view of the Calendar are now also displayed in the Weekly/Monthly view as expected. Hovering over an appointment in the Calendar Month view no longer gives details of the wrong appointment; and when double-clicking on Appointments, it now brings up the Change Appointment dialog as expected rather than the New Appointment dialog. Date range searches are now performed instead of a search just of the specific day you are viewing when using the Find function in the Calendar. The Calendar now refreshes as specified in the Options > Workstation Settings > Calendar > Refresh Calendar Every Minute(s) value. The default start time in the Day View of the Calendar no longer differs from system to system if the resolution of the monitor has not changed. Recurring events are now being calculated correctly when the Move Forward option is selected to make adjustments if a date falls on a weekend. The search tool on the grid of the Calendar now finds specified search text the same way text is found using the search tool on the Calendar toolbar. 6 of 11

7 Connection Settings Duplicate entries are no longer being created in the Time Entry Advisor when the Options > Connection Settings > Enable Connection for Appointments option is selected. Contact Manager Notes are now displayed for the selected/highlighted client/contact on the Contact Manager > Notes Tabeven when only that contact is used as filter/search criteria. When a new note is added to a contact from the Notes tab of Contact Manager, it now properly displays if Clients and Vendors are selected for display in the Contact Manager. Dashoards Matters with a blank Sort Name no longer produces the message Parameter is incorrect message when it tries to load the matters into the Client/Matter area of the dashboard. Data Entry The Trust-to-General Transfer function no longer prevents you from transferring total A/R amounts, and the message Transfer amount is too large is no longer generated. A user no longer gets the error message You should enter either a client (or) responsible lawyer when appointments are viewed through the register. Document Management After clicking the Document Manager button, the list is populated, but no documents are read/searched until a search has been initiated. It no longer takes an extremely long time to open and populate the Document Type list when being accessed from Options > List or from within the document properties using the Document Manager. The contact information is now automatically populated in Microsoft Word 2010 when the contact is highlighted and the option Qdocs for Use precedents is selected. 7 of 11

8 General Ledger Accrual and Modified Cash G/L reporting now displays correctly when a G/L and Balance Sheet report is run. Interest amounts for matters that have been 'Voided' are no longer being doubled and now are the same for the G/L Statement and the General Bank Journal Budget Figures for Load from Average Year-To-Date now populates correctly Matter Manager When the Options > Administrator > Security > Advanced > Enable Access on Matter basis option has been enabled for a selected user, the 'Pop Up Help - Matters' now displays all matters that the user has access to. Switching between matters in Matter Manger when viewing items on the Time Tab no longer locks up the PCLaw application. Miscellaneous The PCLaw User Guide and associated Help files have been updated to describe the Anchor Date and Limitation Date per creating a Tickler in the PCLaw Calendar. If an import of an expense is done through Cost Recovery and the data file has the Tax Category of B, and the Explanation Code is set to either Y or B, the expense now calculates both GST and PST. Tax Category is now saved when the default tax category is set for the expense code. If an explanation code for an expense is created, where the Do Not Summarizeoption has been selected with a default tax category as B, it now displays # sign after the explanation on the bill. When performing a Global Search is performed by entering the default Name contents of "February 14, 2011" and selecting the Show Full Re Line/Memo option, it now finds all conflicts as expected. When the Options > Administrator > Security Setup > Advanced > Time/Fees > Explanation Codes option has been set to Required, the message This is a required field is no longer generated if an explanation is entered without entering a code. 8 of 11

9 Both GST and PST are now being charged on special fees when Special Fees has been enabled on the Provincial Tab. The caption on the Printer Setup for Trust Acct1 screen now displays the correct account number. Category codes no longer just prints the first letter of the code's nickname -- and the error message Error saving the list of location codes is no longer generated when printing the list of codes. Past Due Notice The Calculate Interest To date no longer affects the A/R balance. Register All time entries displayed in the Time Tab of the Register are continually sorted by the selected sort order, and no longer changes the sort order when a time entry is modified by drilling down the entry in the Register. Reports There are no longer Client Ledger and Billing Fees Journal A/R mismatches when a discount is applied using the Calculate button during billing. When the Law Society Audit - Billing and Accounts Receivable Report is generated, it no longer picks up the General Bank Opening Balance entry, nor causes the Unrecognized entry type message to be displayed. The Client Trust Ledger - Final Trust Overdraw Report no longer takes a long time to run when sorted by the Entry #. If an account is not listed in the Client Trust Ledger due to not having any activity when a report is to be generated, the totals listed in the Totals sections of the Trust Ledger Report will no longer leave a blank space. The Unrecognized Entry Type error message is no longer displayed when the Law Society Audit Report is generated. Fees are no longer included on the Settlement Statement Report when a report is generated if the Include Fees check box is not selected on the Settlement Statement Selections Fees Tab. When Use Queries for Reporting has been enabled, entries now correctly appear on the Fee Allocation Summary Report if the Matter Intro Lawyer 9 of 11

10 option was manually selected on the Matters tab Custom Reports are now generated as expected and no longer causes the PCLaw application to crash The 1099 form no longer prints out with a comma (,) after the state The Client WIP, Billing, and Collection Summary Report now displays the Client Totals for the matters that the selected lawyer is responsible for when the Client Totals Only option is selected. The Total Fees amount in the Matter Intro Lawyer drill down report now displays the correct amount and equals the Total Fees amount in the Summary by Fee Credit Lawyer Report. The Sort by Client Name option now functions properly to allow sorting by client name when generating the Invoice Journal Report. Appointments and To Dos are now properly displayed, and Appointment/To Do entries are no longer being listed on the Appointment Listing Report if a matter is not assigned. The Comparative Time Analysis Report no longer crashes when it is run with the All Lawyers option selected. The Matter Description and Last Receipt Date fields under the 'Selected' area of the Customizable Layout Report now reflects the correct labeling (Matter Description = Matter Description, and Last Receipt Date = Last Receipt Date). Template Editor Values are no longer being entered by default when a formula token (i.e., Add Invoices - Taxes Paid) is added to the Miscellaneous section of the Past Due Notice template. Workstation Settings The 'Word Misspelled' window now opens as expected if a word is spelled incorrectly, even no matter whether it's spelled with an initial lower case or upper case letter. The User Dictionary Action of Exclude - treat as misspelled now treats words properly whether they are spelled with an upper case or lower case letter. 10 of 11

11 Plans for the future The following issues will be addressed in a future release. Billing Pre-bill/Bill > Output > Editor - Edit Disk Image is not numbering the pages sequentially. Contact Manger Address is not auto populated for new matter when client and vendor is deselected. Reports Lawyer WIP and billing and Collection Summary shows inactive lawyers. LexisNexis, Lexis, and the Knowledge Burst logo are registered trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used under license. Time Matters is a registered trademark of LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. PCLaw is a registered trademark of LexisNexis Practice Management Systems Inc. Other products and services may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Copyright 2013 LexisNexis. All rights reserved. Release Date 6/18/2013 1:54 PM 11 of 11