Amicus Attorney - PCLaw Link Guide

Transcription

1 Amicus Attorney - PCLaw Link Guide Applies to: Amicus Attorney Small Firm Edition 2011/2010/2009/2008 (or Amicus Small Firm) Contents About the Link... 1 What you need... 2 What is Exchanged in the Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link?... 3 Link Setup Checklist... 5 Configuring the Link... 6 Step 1: Select PCLaw as your Accounting System... 6 Step 2: Configuring your Team Settings... 7 Step 3: Map Amicus Attorney Timekeepers to PCLaw Lawyers... 9 Step 4: Verifying the Timekeeper Mapping Pre-Initialization Tasks Preventing Excluded Amicus Attorney Files from Resulting in Duplicates Files upon an Initial Exchange Disabling a Matter in PCLaw Preventing PCLaw Closed/Archived Matters from being Re-activated/De-archived after an Initial Exchange Performing Backups in Amicus Attorney and PCLaw Unlocking Records Before Exchanging Information for the First Time Performing a PCLaw Database Integrity Check in PCLaw Exchanging Information between Amicus and PCLaw Field Mapping About Amicus Files/Clients and PCLaw Matters/Clients Working with Files/Clients About Team Member Assignments About Amicus File Types and PCLaw Types of Law About Amicus Activity Codes and PCLaw Task Codes About Task-Based Billing About Billing Rates About Time Entries Working with Time Entries Troubleshooting Resetting the Link Resolving Issues Affecting the Exchange Contacting Technical Support About the Link With the Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link, you can conveniently Exchange information between Amicus Attorney Files and PCLaw Matters, and post Time Entries from Amicus Attorney to PCLaw. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 1

2 What you need The File/Matter data Exchange is a two-way process that eliminates the need for entering information twice. Users will create Files/Matters in one program and the Amicus Administrator will send them to the other program by performing an Exchange. The Link allows Amicus Attorney Timekeepers to post Time Entries directly to PCLaw from their Team Member Offices (Direct Posting), or to have Time Entries sent to PCLaw only when an Exchange of information is performed by the Team Administrator (Centralized Posting). This document provides details on how to prepare and align your data for better synchronization, map Team Members, configure the Link, select the posting method option that is right for you, configure your users and user rates, perform backups, and Exchange data. It is important that all Team Members understand the basics of how Amicus Attorney and PCLaw match data based on the key fields and how the subitems within each of the applications affect the match criteria. The most basic underlying premise of the Link is that if a match is not found in the other application, the record will be added. Therefore, data consistency is especially important for those types of records that are exchanged in both directions. Taking the time to check for data consistencies and making those Team Members who enter data aware of the Link fundamentals, will help in eliminating duplicates from being created upon Initialization and subsequent Exchanges. Amicus Attorney Small Firm Edition 2011/2010/2009/2008, OR Amicus Small Firm - Amicus Attorney Small Firm Edition PCLaw* For PCLaw versions supported, see the Hardware & Software System Requirements document, available from the Technical Resource Guides section of our website. * If you are using PCLaw Version 5.50c or higher with Amicus Attorney, you need not install the Link as it is already included with PCLaw Version 5.50c. It is important to ensure that PCLaw and the PCLaw Link reside on the same computer as Amicus Administrator. IMPORTANT FOR PCLaw 7.2x or higher USERS: To configure and activate the Link with PCLaw 7.2x or 8.x, you must contact a PCLaw Technical Support representative for PCLaw configuration instructions and a product key (plaalink.key). Place this product key file in the appropriate Data folder. (This does not apply to earlier versions of PCLaw.) NOTE: All PCLaw screenshots in this document are taken from PCLaw Version 5.5 and may vary from version to version. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 2

3 What is Exchanged in the Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link? The Link handles the dynamic exchange of several record types between the two programs. Some types of records are exchanged in both directions, while others are only sent from Amicus Attorney to PCLaw or vice-versa. The following table illustrates the types of data exchanged and the direction of the Exchange: Amicus Attorney Exchange Direction PCLaw Files AND Clients on File File Types Activity Codes Task-based Billing Task Codes Task-based Billing Activity Codes Time Entries Time Entries (Flat Rate) Matters and Clients on Matter Types of Law Task Codes Task Codes associated with a Type of Law Explanation Codes flagged for use with Task-based Billing and for use with Time Entries Time Sheets Fee Sheets In some instances the above noted records are filtered based on certain criteria such as their current status (i.e., active vs. inactive). The following rules apply: Files/Matters (including Clients): Amicus Attorney Files and PCLaw Matters are Exchanged in both directions. Any Amicus File that is NOT excluded will be Exchanged in the Link. PCLaw Matters included in the Exchange must be active, not flagged as Disable Updates with other software, AND the PCLaw Responsible Lawyer must be mapped to an Amicus Attorney Timekeeper Updates will be sent from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney where the PCLaw Matter is active and the Amicus Attorney File is not flagged as excluded, with the exception that a change in File status must be made manually in both applications. Updates will be sent from Amicus Attorney to PCLaw where the Amicus Attorney File is not flagged as excluded and the PCLaw Matter is not Closed/Archived or Disabled, with the exception that a change in File status must be made manually in both applications. Deletions are not supported in the Link. Note: To avoid duplicates for PCLaw Matters that are inactive (i.e., closed, archived), the corresponding Amicus Attorney Files must be flagged as Excluded. File Types/Types of Law: PCLaw Types of Law are Exchanged in one direction from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney as File Types. Updates are supported from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney. Deletions are not supported in the Link. Activity Codes/Task Codes: PCLaw Task Codes are Exchanged from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney as Activity Codes. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 3

4 Task Codes that do not exist as Activity Codes in Amicus Attorney will be added from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney. Updates are supported from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney where an exact match is found (see Field Mapping on page 20). Deletions are not supported in the Link. Task-Based Billing Tasks/Activities/Explanation Codes PCLaw Task Codes associated with a Type of Law are Exchanged from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney as task-based billing Task Codes PCLaw Explanation Codes that are flagged for use with Task-based Billing and for use with Time Entries are Exchanged from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney as task-based billing Activity Codes Any that do not exist in Amicus Attorney will be added from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney. Updates are supported from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney where an exact match is found Deletions of Amicus Attorney task-based billing Task Codes are not supported from PCLaw (Tasks Codes) to Amicus Attorney. Deletions of Amicus Attorney task-based billing Activity Codes are supported from PCLaw (Exchange Codes) to Amicus Attorney. Time Entries: Time Entries are posted in one direction from Amicus Attorney to PCLaw via the Centralized Posting method through Amicus Administrator or via the Direct Posting method from Team Member Workstations. Updates to Time Entries already posted to PCLaw are not supported. Revisions must be made directly in PCLaw. Deletions are not supported in the Link. What is Mapped but not Exchanged? Amicus Attorney Timekeepers are mapped to PCLaw Lawyers through Amicus Attorney rather than exchanged. What about Billing Rates? The value of the Billing Rate (e.g., $200.00) is sent with the Time Entry. Billing Categories and User Rates are not Exchanged between the two applications. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 4

5 Link Setup Checklist Before performing the Initialization, there are some preliminary procedures you will need to do. The following is a checklist of these steps, each of which are fully detailed in this document. It is recommended that you back up your Amicus and PCLaw data before proceeding. 1 Install the PCLaw on the Amicus Administrator workstation, and optionally on each workstation if you desire to use Direct Posting (see About Time Entries on page 30). Note: If you are using a version of PCLaw prior to version 5.50c you will need to install the Link from your Amicus Attorney CD or from the Team50\Install\PCLaw folder. 2 In Amicus Administrator configure the Link: a) Select PCLaw as your accounting system. b) Configure your Team Settings. c) Map Amicus Attorney Timekeepers to PCLaw Lawyers. d) Verify the Timekeeper mapping. For details, see Configuring the Link on page 6. 3 Align Amicus File Types and PCLaw Types of Law by matching the text labels (see About Amicus File Types and PCLaw Types of Law on page 26). Align Amicus Activity Codes and PCLaw Tasks by matching the Amicus Code field value to the PCLaw Nickname field value (see About Amicus Activity Codes and PCLaw Task Codes on page 26). TIP: If you are using Amicus for the first time, it may be easier for you to delete all File Types and Activity Codes prior to Initialization. (Ensure that you do not delete any values that may have been used in Files or Time Entries.) During Initialization, and each subsequent Exchange, any items in PCLaw that are not in these Amicus lists will be populated with the PCLaw values. Note: Task-Based Billing Tasks and Activity Codes are not editable in Amicus. These are aligned from PCLaw to Amicus during Initialization and Exchange. 4 Ensure that your Amicus User Rate values are configured accurately for each Timekeeper. Time Entries posted to PCLaw will include the Amicus Rate Value. 5 If you already have data in both Amicus and PCLaw, take recommended measures to ensure that duplicate Contacts and Files are not created in Amicus Attorney (see Preventing Excluded Amicus Attorney Files from Resulting in Duplicates Files upon an Initial Exchange on page 11. Note: Ensure that each Amicus File has a unique Matter ID, and that Matter IDs and Client IDs conform to character limits imposed by PCLaw. 6 Take measures to prevent Closed/Archived PCLaw Matters from being reactivated (see Preventing PCLaw Closed/Archived Matters from being Re-activated/De-archived after an Initial Exchange on page Backup data in both Amicus Attorney and PCLaw. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 5

6 8 Perform a Scan Database followed by the Unlock All Data function from Amicus Administrator (see Unlocking Records Before Exchanging Information for the First Time on page Perform a database integrity check in PCLaw (see Performing a PCLaw Database Integrity Check in PCLaw on page All users should be online and logged out of Amicus Attorney, and logged out of PCLaw. 11 Perform the initial Exchange (see Exchanging Information between Amicus and PCLaw on page If necessary, after your initial Exchange of information, resolve issues affecting the Exchange (e.g., aborted or skipped Matters, no address information for a Client, Files that are in use, no last name for a Contact/Client). Once you have successfully Exchanged information for the first time, users can post Time Entries to PCLaw. Configuring the Link Step 1: Select PCLaw as your Accounting System To choose PCLaw as your accounting system: 1 From Amicus Administrator, select Configure > Time Sheets. 2 Click on the Accounting System tab and select PCLaw Link from the drop-down menu. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 6

7 Now that you have selected the PCLaw Link, you may now configure your Team Settings. Step 2: Configuring your Team Settings In order to configure your Team Settings, you will need to select your PCLaw set of Books, and select a Time Entry posting method. To configure your Team settings: 1 If using PCLaw 7.2x or 8.x, ensure that the product key file (plaalink.key) obtained from PCLaw Technical Support has been placed in the appropriate Data folder. 2 From the Time Sheets dialog, Accounting Systems tab, click the Team Settings button. 3 From the PCLaw Link Settings dialog that appears, click the Change button to select the appropriate set of books. Please note that you can Link with only ONE set of PCLaw books. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 7

8 The Select PCLaw Book dialog appears. 4 You must select the valid PCLaw Book that is used by your firm. Select the appropriate Book and click OK. Your selection appears in the PCLaw Set of Books field of the PCLaw Link Settings. 5 Once you are satisfied with your PCLaw Set of Books selection, you may select the Centralized or Direct Time Entry posting method by selecting the appropriate option. For information on Time Entry posting methods, see About Time Entries on page 30. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 8

9 If you select the Centralized posting method, specify the minimum and round-up times for the firm: The minimum amount of time a Time Entry can contain (in tenths of an hour or in minutes). The unit of time used for rounding up time when a Time Entry is posted (in tenths of an hour or in minutes). Note that if longer times are set by a Timekeeper, their settings will be applied for their Time Entries. 6 Once you have chosen your PCLaw Set of Books and your Time Entry Posting Method, click OK in the PCLaw Link Settings dialog. 7 From the Time Sheets dialog, click OK. 8 The following prompt appears reminding you to back up Amicus Attorney as well as PCLaw before you Exchange information for the first time. Click OK. The PCLaw Link Settings dialog also contains an option for resetting the Link. For important information about this function, see Resetting the Link on page 36. Step 3: Map Amicus Attorney Timekeepers to PCLaw Lawyers Once you have selected PCLaw as your accounting system and configured your Team Settings, you must map all Amicus Attorney Timekeepers (i.e., Team Members) to the corresponding PCLaw Lawyers. Mapping is the process of aligning an Amicus Attorney Timekeeper with a corresponding PCLaw Lawyer so that the process of posting Time Entries and Exchanging information is a smooth one. Not having Amicus Attorney Timekeepers correctly mapped to their corresponding PCLaw Lawyers will inevitably result in problems when using the Link. Unlike most accounting Links, the PCLaw Link allows multiple Amicus Attorney Timekeepers to be mapped to a single PCLaw Lawyer. However, if you choose to use this model for configuring the Link, you will be prompted to select a Responsible Lawyer for each new Amicus Attorney File creating via the Link where that PCLaw Lawyer is the Responsible Lawyer on that Matter. An alternative to this model would be to designate the Amicus Attorney Team Members who are not PCLaw Lawyers as Non- Timekeepers in Amicus Attorney. They can still create Time Entries in Amicus Attorney and assign that Time Entry to the applicable Amicus Attorney Timekeeper who is mapped to the appropriate PCLaw Lawyer. To map your Amicus Attorney Timekeepers to PCLaw Lawyers: 1 From Amicus Administrator, select Configure > Time Sheets. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 9

10 2 Click on the Accounting System tab. 3 Highlight the first Amicus Attorney Timekeeper and click the Edit button. 4 In the Select Lawyer dialog, choose the corresponding PCLaw Lawyer and click OK. 5 Follow steps 3 4 for each Amicus Attorney Timekeeper that you wish to map to a corresponding PCLaw Lawyer. Once you have mapped all Amicus Attorney Timekeepers to their corresponding PCLaw Lawyers, it is very important that you verify your mapping. Please follow the instructions in the following section. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 10

11 Step 4: Verifying the Timekeeper Mapping To ensure that Amicus Attorney Timekeepers have been properly mapped as PCLaw Lawyers: 1 From the Time Sheets dialog, select Print to File. The Accounting Settings.txt dialog appears (in Notepad). 2 Select File > Print. 3 Using the printout compare the Amicus Attorney Lawyer IDs with PCLaw Lawyer Nicknames. Each Amicus Attorney Team Member must be aligned correctly with their corresponding PCLaw Lawyer Nicknames. Note: Amicus Attorney Lawyer IDs are mapped based on PCLaw Lawyer Nicknames (these may be numeric). Pre-Initialization Tasks Preventing Excluded Amicus Attorney Files from Resulting in Duplicates Files upon an Initial Exchange If you wish to keep a File in Amicus Attorney, but do not wish to post Time Entries for it nor Exchange it with PCLaw, you may exclude it from the Link. However, if you do exclude the File from the Link, or perhaps if the corresponding Matter in PCLaw is closed/archived, you must ensure that you close, archive, or disable the corresponding PCLaw Matter before you Exchange information. Otherwise, duplicate Files in Amicus Attorney may be created as a result. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 11

12 To exclude an Amicus Attorney File from the Link: 1 From the Amicus Attorney File that you wish to exclude, select Administration > Accounting. 2 From the Accounting File brad, activate the Exclude this File from the Accounting Link checkbox. 3 The following prompt appears informing you to ensure that the Team Administrator closes/archives the corresponding PCLaw Matter, otherwise duplicate Files will be created. 4 Click Yes to exclude the File from the Link. However, if you are not sure whether the corresponding PCLaw Matter has been closed/archived, please check with your Team Administrator. 5 If the corresponding PCLaw Matter has not been closed, archived, or disabled, consult the following sections for instructions. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 12

13 Closing/Archiving a PCLaw Matter Before following the instructions below for closing/archiving a Matter in PCLaw, it is recommended that you read the section, Closing Matters and Clients, in your PCLaw documentation. To close/archive a Matter in PCLaw: 1 Select File > Matter > Close Matter. 2 In the Close Matter dialog, enter the information pertaining to the Matter you wish to close/archive in the Matter, Client, and/or Lawyer fields. Note: You may search for the Matter, Client, or Lawyer information by double-clicking in the respective field and accessing the Matter Help dialog, Client Help dialog, or Lawyers and Rates dialog. 3 When you are certain that the Matter you open is the one you want to close/archive, click Archive. 4 The following prompt appears. Click Yes. Disabling a Matter in PCLaw Closing/archiving the Matter in PCLaw and having marked the corresponding File as Non-Billable and in Amicus Attorney will ensure that no duplicates will be created. For more information on working with closed Matters, consult your PCLaw documentation. Another method of ensuring that a duplicate File is not created in Amicus Attorney as a result of excluding a File from the Link in Amicus Attorney is disabling the Matter in PCLaw. To disable a Matter in PCLaw: 1 In PCLaw, select File > Matter > Open Matter. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 13

14 2 In the Select Matters to View dialog, enter the Matter you wish to open and click OK. 3 From the Open Matter dialog, Matter tab, click the Selections tab. 4 Activate the Disable updates with other software checkbox, and click OK. Disabling the Matter in PCLaw and having excluded the corresponding Amicus Attorney File from the Link in will ensure that no duplicates will be created when you Exchange information. Preventing PCLaw Closed/Archived Matters from being Re-activated/De-archived after an Initial Exchange To avoid having closed/archived Matters re-activated or de-archived in PCLaw after the initial Exchange of information with Amicus Attorney, all closed/archived Matters in PCLaw must be excluded from the Link in Amicus Attorney. Following the instructions below will prevent prompts from appearing for such Files during the initial Exchange. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 14

15 To prevent closed/archived Matters in PCLaw from being reactivated or de-archived: 1 From PCLaw, select Reports > Clients > List of Clients. 2 From the List of Clients dialog, activate the Archived Matters checkbox and the Printer checkbox. Note: Click the Printer button to view your Print Settings. Also, you may preview your list of archived Matters onscreen by activating the Screen checkbox. 3 Click OK to print your list of closed/archived Matters. 4 With your list of closed/archived Matters, open Amicus Attorney. 5 For every closed/archived Matter listed on the printout, open the corresponding File in Amicus Attorney. 6 From an Amicus Attorney Accounting brad of a File, ensure that the Exclude this File from Accounting Link checkbox has been activated. 7 Repeat this step for every PCLaw Matter on the list. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 15

16 Performing Backups in Amicus Attorney and PCLaw Before performing an initial Exchange of information, it is highly recommended that you back up your Amicus Attorney and PCLaw data. To perform a backup in Amicus Attorney: From Amicus Administrator, select Database > Backup from Amicus Administrator. To perform a backup in PCLaw: 1 Locate the Data folder. This is usually located where your PCLaw directory has been installed. 2 Once you locate your Data folder, copy and paste it to your desktop or to another location on your hard drive. Note: If you require more information on backing up the PCLaw database, consult your PCLaw documentation. Backing up your data in Amicus Attorney and PCLaw will ensure that you have a pre-linked database to restore in case of problems encountered while using the Link. It is highly recommended that you back up data prior to Exchanging information. For example, if information has been added to either program since your last backup was done and you wish to Exchange information, this last backup will not be sufficient as all information entered since that time will be lost if you need to restore your data. Unlocking Records Before Exchanging Information for the First Time Prior to Exchanging information for the first time between Amicus Attorney and PCLaw, it is recommended that you unlock any locked records, as they will affect the integrity of an information Exchange. Records can become locked because of incorrect logouts, power failures, or other activities that detrimentally affect the database. Before you unlock any locked records, from Amicus Administrator, select Users > User Management > Status. From the User Status window, ensure that all Team Members are logged out (Logged In = No) of their Amicus Attorney Team Member workstations and are running online (Offline = No). Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 16

17 To unlock records: 1 From Amicus Administrator, select Users > User Management > Status. 2 From the User Status window, select Users > Recovery Functions > Unlock All Data. A prompt appears reminding you that all Team Members must be logged out and informing you that the process of unlocking records may take a considerable amount of time. Note: The time it takes to back up the Amicus Attorney database is dependent upon such factors as the speed of your Central Processing Unit (CPU), the size of your database/the amount of data you have, and the way you access Amicus Administrator directly from the server or remotely). Performing a PCLaw Database Integrity Check in PCLaw Please ensure that no other users are in PCLaw while you perform a database integrity check. To perform a PCLaw database integrity check: 1 From PCLaw, select Tools > Verify Data Integrity. 2 Activate the checkboxes, as shown in the following dialog. The data that should be verified are: Static Data: Lawyers, Task Codes, Explanation Codes, etc. Matter/Client/Vendor/Address Time/Fee Entries Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 17

18 Once again, this may take some time depending on the amount of data in PCLaw. Also, please ensure no one else is accessing PCLaw during this process. Click OK. The process of verifying the integrity of your data may take some time. 3 Once the Data Verification is completely finished, exit from PCLaw. Note: If you receive any error messages, please Contact Alumni Technical Support at prior to performing an information Exchange with PCLaw. When a successful Data Integrity check has been done, the dialog shown below appears. You are now ready to Exchange information between Amicus Attorney and PCLaw. Exchanging Information between Amicus and PCLaw When you Exchange information for the first time (or Exchange information after resetting the Link), all Amicus Attorney Files and PCLaw Matters are aligned and all PCLaw Task Codes and Types of Law are brought into Amicus Attorney as Activity Codes and File Types, respectively. Subsequent Exchanges will align only those Files and Matters that have been added or changed since the last Exchange. For new Files created in Amicus Attorney, the Team Administrator may be prompted to assign Client IDs and Matter IDs. The default values for these IDs will be supplied according to the default numbering system in PCLaw. If the File has been created in Amicus Attorney, the Team Administrator will be prompted to accept or reject any Client IDs and Matter IDs previously configured. You can choose to accept these numbers and automatically accept Client IDs and Matter IDs based upon your configuration settings in Amicus Attorney. As mentioned above, an alignment of PCLaw Matters and Amicus Attorney Files takes place when you Exchange information. You can supply appropriate Client IDs and Matter IDs for each File you create and resolve any inconsistencies or duplications in the records Exchanged. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 18

19 Note: It is not necessary for Team Members to be logged out of Amicus during a subsequent Exchange if any relevant Files or Contacts are locked (in use), those particular records will be skipped at this time and dealt with on a later exchange. For recommendations on user access to PCLaw during an exchange, please consult your PCLaw documentation. To Exchange information in the Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link: 1 From Amicus Administrator, select PCLaw > Exchange Information. If this is not the first time you are Exchanging information, New and changed Files are sent first from Amicus Attorney to PCLaw as Matters; then new and changed Matters are sent from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney as Files. If this is the first time you are Exchanging information, the following prompt appears. 2 Click Yes if you wish to have PCLaw billing data overwrite your Amicus Attorney billing data. Click No if you wish to have Amicus Attorney billing data overwrite your PCLaw billing data. Whether you choose Yes or No in the above prompt will determine which billing data is more accurate and will depend upon where you initially set up your Files. For example, if you have been using PCLaw for some time, then you should choose Yes to overwrite your Amicus Attorney data. If PCLaw is empty, then choose No to have your Amicus Attorney data overwrite your PCLaw data. Note: You will not see this prompt again unless you reset the Link through the PCLaw Link Settings dialog. Therefore, it is very important that you make the right choice in this dialog. It is recommended that you have someone familiar with your data on hand during the Exchange. If PCLaw already has data, you might want to rely on using your PCLaw billing addresses. If PCLaw has no data, then you can safely choose to have Amicus Attorney data overwrite your PCLaw data. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 19

20 During an initial Exchange in which you have chosen to have Amicus Attorney overwrite your PCLaw data, or on any subsequent Exchange, a dialog such as the one below may appear. If the above dialog box appears, it means that a File has been created in Amicus Attorney that does not yet exist as a PCLaw Matter. The Matter and Client fields are those fields that exist in Amicus Attorney for that File. You can choose to accept the Next Suggested ID numbers for the Matter and Client by selecting OK. Or, you can edit the numbers to reflect your PCLaw numbering system. If you activate the Accept suggested Matter IDs for all Matters. Prompt for Clients checkbox, PCLaw will accept all the Client IDs and Matter IDs from Amicus Attorney. Activating this checkbox will ensure that no duplicates will be created, and you will only be prompted to enter a unique Matter ID. For information on other prompts that may appear during an Exchange, see Resolving Issues Affecting the Exchange on page 36. Field Mapping Amicus Activity Codes and PCLaw Task Codes Amicus Attorney PCLaw Task Code Activity Code Activity Name Task Name Activity Code Task Nickname Amicus Files and PCLaw Matters Amicus Attorney File Client ID Matter ID Full Matter Name Responsible Lawyer File Open Date File Type PCLaw Matter Client ID Matter ID Matter Description Responsible Lawyer Date Opened Type of Law Note 1 Team Member assignments on new Files created in Amicus during Exchange are determined by the Responsible Lawyer s preferences. Note 2 New Amicus Attorney Files created via the Link are given a Short File Name (up to 50 characters long) according to the following algorithm: Last Name, First Name Matter Description. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 20

21 Amicus Attorney Contact First Name / Last Name (No Company name) Last Name only (with or without Company Name) First Name / Last Name / Company Name Clients Amicus Attorney to PCLaw Amicus Attorney Client on File PCLaw 6 PCLaw 7 or higher Individual First Name / Last Name First Name / Last Name / Display as Person Individual Individual Last Name (Company name does not exchange) First Name / Last Name (Company name does not exchange) Company Name only Corporation Will not exchange error - Client info missing for Matter Business Phone Bus. Bus. Home Phone Home Home Business Fax Fax Business Fax Primary Address Client Address Client Address Firm Name (=AA Last Name) / Display as Corporation (Company Name does not exchange) First Name / Last Name / Display as Person (Company name does not exchange) Will not exchange error - Client info missing for Matter Clients PCLaw 6 to Amicus Attorney PCLaw 6 First Name / Last Name Last Name only Amicus Attorney First Name / Last Name Last Name Bus Business Phone Home Home Phone Fax Business Fax Client Address Home /Business Address * * Corporate v. Individual logic applied when creating new. Primary used for update purposes. Clients PCLaw 7 or higher to Amicus Attorney PCLaw 7 or higher PCLaw 7 or higher Amicus Attorney Client Status First Name / Last Name Person First Name / Last Name Last Name only Person Last Name (= PCLaw Last Name) Last Name (with Firm Name) Person Last Name (= PCLaw Last Name) (Firm Name does not exchange) Firm Name (with First and/or Last) Corporation Last Name (= PCLaw Firm Name) (First and Last do not exchange) Firm Name only Corporation Last Name (= PCLaw Firm Name) Bus Business Phone Home Home Phone Business Fax Individual Business Fax Client Address Individual Home Address * Client Address Corporation Business Address * *Amicus Primary used for update purposes to PCLaw Client information. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 21

22 About Amicus Files/Clients and PCLaw Matters/Clients Working with Files/Clients A File in Amicus Attorney is the equivalent of a Matter in PCLaw, and a Client on a File in Amicus Attorney is the equivalent of a Client on a Matter in PCLaw. These records are exchanged in both directions. Match Criteria: It is important to note that all Amicus Attorney Files/Clients are exchanged with PCLaw Matters/Clients on the basis of a match between Amicus Attorney Client IDs/Matter IDs and PCLaw Client IDs/Matter IDs. Matter IDs can be no longer than 12 alphanumeric characters in length, and Client IDs can be no longer than 6 alphanumeric characters in length. Exchange Direction: New Files created in Amicus Attorney are created as Matters in PCLaw upon an Exchange of information, and vice versa. An Exchange also handles updates to Files/Clients already Exchanged with Matters/Clients. Note that following the initial Exchange of information, any new and changed Files, along with the Client information, are always sent first from Amicus Attorney; then new and changed Matters/Clients are sent from PCLaw. For details on field mapping, see Field Mapping on page 20. Not all Amicus Attorney Files are Exchanged with PCLaw, as those Files for which time is not posted may be excluded from the Link, which necessitates the closing or archiving of PCLaw Matters. For details, see Preventing Excluded Amicus Attorney Files from Resulting in Duplicates Files upon an Initial Exchange on page 11. Record deletions are not supported in the Link. Deletions must be done manually in both applications. When you Exchange information for the first time, your Amicus Attorney Files will be updated to include a PCLaw Client Information field in place of the Other field on the Client & Matter brad. On existing Files, this field will be automatically populated with the Contact information for the Client assigned to the File. (If there is more than one Client assigned to the File, you will be prompted upon Exchanging information. For information, see Selecting a Client on a File to be Exchanged with PCLaw from Multiple Clients on page 38.) Assigning Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 22

23 a Client to a new File created in Amicus Attorney will also cause this field to be populated with Client information. This is the Client data that will be exchanged with your PCLaw Client information. The actual Amicus Attorney Contact card for this Client is not updated unless you choose to do so on an individual basis through the PCLaw Client Information dialog. For information, see Updating Client/Contact Information later in this section. To access the PCLaw Client Information dialog: 3 From the Amicus Attorney File, select the Client & Matter brad. 4 From the PCLaw Client Information field, click the Edit Client button. The PCLaw Client Information dialog appears. See the following topics for information on editing, selecting, creating, or updating a Client/Contact. 5 Any changes made to the PCLaw Client Information dialog will be reflected in the Address Information tab of corresponding PCLaw Matter/Client record the next time information is Exchanged. In the PCLaw Client Information dialog, Client information can be entered manually, or may be modified automatically: During Initialization for all new and existing Files. During an Exchange when new Files are sent over from PCLaw or existing Client information is updated. When new Files are opened in Amicus Attorney. In addition to editing the Client Information fields, from the Client Information dialog you may also: Select a different Client on the File to be exchanged with PCLaw Create a new Amicus Attorney Client/Contact based on the existing Client information Update the existing Amicus Attorney Client/Contact information. Selecting another Client/Contact If another Client is assigned to the same File, you may select that Client s information to replace the existing Client Information that is Exchanged with PCLaw. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 23

24 To select another Client/Contact on the File to be Exchanged with PCLaw: 1 From the PCLaw Client Information dialog, click the Select from List button. The Select a Contact dialog appears. 2 Choose the Client whose name and contact information you wish to Exchange with PCLaw, and click OK. 3 From the PCLaw Client Information dialog, click OK. The selected Contact information is assigned to the PCLaw Client Information field. The next time you Exchange information, the Client you have selected will replace the Client information in the corresponding PCLaw Matter/Client. Creating a New Amicus Attorney Contact based on the Client Information Because the Exchange of Client data only occurs between the Client Information field and PCLaw, you may wish to add the Client to the File, and create a new Amicus Attorney Contact (if required) from the Client Information dialog. To create a new Amicus Attorney Contact and assign the Contact as a Client on the File based on the information in the Client Information dialog: 1 Click the Create New Client button. The following occurs: Amicus Attorney runs a check to ensure that a duplicate Contact does not already exist. If one does exist, a prompt appears informing you that a Contact of that name exists, and you are asked whether you wish to update this Contact. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 24

25 All Team Members assigned to the File are automatically assigned to the Contact. The Contact is assigned to the Client Contact Group. Client is chosen as the File association (i.e., On this File this Person is a: Client ), and the Client is specified as a Corporation on the File. Because the Client is specified as a Corporation on the File, the Office card is set as the primary Contact card. 2 Click OK in the PCLaw Client Information dialog. Updating Client/Contact Information Any updates made to the Client Information dialog are not automatically reflected in the matching Amicus Attorney Contact record. To update your Client/Contact information in Amicus Attorney: 1 Click the Update Existing Client button. 2 You are prompted that this Contact exists and asked whether you wish to update this Contact. Click Yes. 3 Click OK in the PCLaw Client Information dialog. About Team Member Assignments When Exchanging information with PCLaw, Team Members are assigned to the following records in Amicus Attorney: New Files New Contact records for Clients on Files How Team Members are assigned to a new Amicus Attorney File created from an Exchange is dependent on the Responsible Lawyer assignment for that File: When you create a new Matter in PCLaw and Exchange information with Amicus Attorney, the Responsible Lawyer assigned to the Matter will become the Responsible Lawyer on the new File created in Amicus Attorney. Those whom the Amicus Attorney Responsible Lawyer has chosen to be assigned by default on new Files in his or her Preferences will determine the Team Members assigned to the new File. For example, if Heather Gavel has pre-assigned John Doe to be the default Team Member on new Files in her Preference settings, John Doe will be automatically assigned to all new Files created upon an Exchange for which Heather Gavel is the Responsible Lawyer. PCLaw Clients are the equivalent of Clients on Amicus Attorney Files. Therefore, when a File is created in Amicus Attorney upon Exchanging information with PCLaw, the Client on the Matter becomes the Client on the File in Amicus Attorney. Team Members on a File are automatically assigned to the Contact records for all parties on the File. For example, if the Team Member John Doe is assigned by default to a File that has Matthew Alladin added as a Client on the File, John Doe will be also be assigned to Matthew Alladin s Contact record. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 25

26 About Amicus File Types and PCLaw Types of Law Amicus Attorney File Types are equivalent to PCLaw Types of Law and are Exchanged in one direction: from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney. Match Criteria: Amicus Attorney File Type labels and the PCLaw Types of Law must be entered using the same case (e.g., CAPS, Title Case, lowercase, etc.) and spelling. As well, ensure that the spacing is consistent. Although the casing and spelling may be identical between a Type of Law and File Type, an extra space in either will result in a duplicate being created. If you have existing Files in Amicus Attorney, you need to manually synchronize this list in order to avoid problems before Exchanging information or posting Time Entries. To do this, print out a list of these Types from each application and compare them. Then add or edit the label names where necessary. Ensure that any File Types you have in Amicus Attorney are identical to the Types of Law you have in PCLaw (i.e., case sensitive, spelling) before information is Exchanged. For instance, if you have a File Type named Administrative Law that you use in Amicus Attorney, there must be a corresponding Type of Law named Administrative Law in PCLaw. If there is no such Type of Law, it must be added to the PCLaw Types of Law section prior to Exchanging information for the first time. Warning: It is important to remember that File Types in Amicus Attorney determine the custom fields that will be available on the File. Changing a File Type should be done with caution. Removing a File Type may result in data loss. If you are setting up Amicus Attorney for the first time and have no data in Amicus Attorney, you may remove File Types listed in Amicus Administrator (from the Configure > Files > File Types tab, highlight the File Type and click the Remove button) and have your PCLaw Types of Law imported into Amicus Attorney upon the next information Exchange. About Amicus Activity Codes and PCLaw Task Codes Amicus Attorney Activity Codes are equivalent to PCLaw Task Codes and are Exchanged in one direction: from PCLaw to Amicus Attorney. The Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link requires that all Activity Codes for Time Entries created in Amicus Attorney have valid corresponding PCLaw Task Codes. Otherwise, Time Entries will be rejected with the error message Invalid Task Code. It is recommended that Activity Codes/Task Codes be manually aligned before information is Exchanged. Match Criteria: The Name field in the Amicus Attorney Activity Codes Setup dialog must correspond with the Task Name Filed in the PCLaw Add Task Code dialog, and the Code field in the Amicus Attorney Activity Codes Setup dialog must correspond with the Nickname field in the PCLaw Add Task Code dialog. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 26

27 To ensure that your Amicus Attorney Activity Codes correspond with your PCLaw Task Codes, it is recommended that you print them out and compare them. You have three options for ensuring that Amicus Attorney Activity Codes and PCLaw Task Codes correspond with each other: Add any new Activity/Task Codes that exist in one program but not the other. Edit any Activity/Task Codes that exist in both programs but are different (e.g., spelled or cased differently). If you are setting up the Link for the first time and wish to use your PCLaw Task Codes as your Amicus Attorney Activity Codes, then delete all existing Amicus Attorney Activity Codes from Amicus Administrator (Configure > Time Sheets > Activity Codes tab). Provided that you choose to have PCLaw data overwrite your Amicus Attorney data upon Exchanging information, the Task Codes you have entered into PCLaw will be sent to Amicus Attorney and appear as Activity Codes for posting purposes upon the next Exchange of information. Warning: DO NOT delete your Amicus Attorney Activity Codes if you already have existing Time Entries in Amicus Attorney. If you delete Activity Codes from Amicus Attorney that are assigned to Time Entries, all Activity Codes will be stripped from these Time Entries. You can post Time Entries with an Activity Code of None, as long as you have assigned a default Task Code in PCLaw. For information on assigning default Task Codes in PCLaw, see Posting Time Entries with an Activity Code of None on page 33. (Not applicable in versions prior to Amicus Attorney version ) Note on Activity Groups: Because Activity Groups do not exist in PCLaw, all new Activity Codes brought over to Amicus Attorney from PCLaw on an Exchange are placed by default in the Groups, PCLaw1, PCLaw 2, PCLaw3, etc. There are 10 such PCLaw Activity Groups in Amicus Attorney. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 27

28 About Task-Based Billing The Accounting brad page of each File in Amicus Attorney has a checkbox that must be activated in order for UTBMS Task-Based Billing Codes to be made available for selection in the Time Entries. If Task-Based Billing has been enabled for a File, the Amicus Attorney Time Entry Details dialog will allow you to select both a Task and an Activity. In the Time Entry dialog the UTBMS Task drop-down will include both task-based billing Tasks and regular Activities, while the UTBMS Activity drop-down will include the UTBMS Activities. Amicus task-based billing Task Codes are equivalent to PCLaw Task Codes that are assigned to a Type of Law. They are exchanged in one direction: From PCLaw to Amicus Attorney. These are editable in Amicus. Deletions are not supported. Amicus task-based Activity Codes are equivalent to PCLaw Explanation Codes that are flagged to be used with task-based billing and with time. They are exchanged in one direction: From PCLaw to Amicus Attorney. As these Codes are not editable in Amicus, deletions from PCLaw are also supported. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 28

29 Amicus ships with the standard UTBMS Codes (Uniform Task-Based Management System). These codes were co-developed in 1995 by the American Bar Association and PriceWaterhouseCooper in an effort to standardize billing procedures and practices by America's law firms. For information on enabling Task-Based Billing in PCLaw, consult your PCLaw documentation. For more information on Time Entries, see About Time Entries on page 30. About Billing Rates Billing Categories and User/Lawyer Rates are not Exchanged between Amicus Attorney and PCLaw. When you post a Time Entry, the value of the Billing Rate (e.g., $200.00) is sent with the Time Entry. It is therefore important that you ensure that the values of Amicus Attorney User Rates are correct. It is recommended that the two applications match for consistency. To check the alignment of your Amicus Attorney User Rates and your PCLaw Lawyer Rates: To verify that your Amicus Attorney User Rates are consistent with your PCLaw Rates: 1 From PCLaw, select Options > Lawyers and Rates. 2 Select a Lawyer and click Print. 3 Repeat step 2 for every PCLaw Lawyer listed. 4 In Amicus Administrator, select Configure > Time Sheets > User Rates tab. From the Timekeeper drop-down menu, select a Timekeeper and verify that the User Rates listed match the Rates for the corresponding Lawyer in PCLaw. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 29

30 5 Repeat Step 4 for every Timekeeper/Lawyer listed. About Time Entries Time Entries in Amicus Attorney are exchanged with PCLaw in one direction: from Amicus Attorney to PCLaw. Time Entries may be sent via the Centralized Posting method through Amicus Administrator, or via the Direct Posting method from the Time Sheets module on a Team Member workstation. Both models will maintain the law firm workflow within which lawyers are accustomed to working. They allow the lawyer to be confident that the Time Entries will not be billed until they are finalized. Both Billing Rates and Activities are exchanged in one direction from Amicus Attorney to PCLaw. This ensures that the proper Rate is applied to Time Entries posted to PCLaw from Amicus Attorney under various scenarios: Non-billable Time Entries can be created in Amicus Attorney and sent to PCLaw provided that you mark the Amicus Attorney File as Non- Billable and indicate that you wish to Exchange it with PCLaw. The Time Entry is created with Non-Billable already selected in the dropdown and the duration is Exchanged. If the Timekeeper s Billing Rate is a Contingency Rate, then a Rate of $0.00 is sent with the Time Entry to PCLaw. If the Amicus Attorney Time Entry s Billing Rate is designated to have a Flat Rate or Other Rate, the Rate Value you specify (e.g., $200.00) in the Amicus Attorney Time Entry appears in PCLaw according to the duration (e.g., $ x 2 hours = $400.00). The two methods for posting Time Entries are explained below. Centralized Posting The process of posting Time Entries only when you are Exchanging information is also referred to as Centralized Posting and is the recommended method. The reason this method is preferred by most users is that you only need to install PCLaw (and the Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link if you are using a version of PCLaw prior to 5.50c) on the computer that runs Amicus Administrator. If you select this option, you must remember that Time Entries will only be sent to PCLaw when you Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 30

31 Exchange information from Amicus Administrator (PCLaw > Exchange Information). Direct Posting The process of allowing Timekeepers to post Time Entries directly to PCLaw from their Team Member workstations is referred to as Direct Posting. The advantage of using this method is that an Exchange of information need not be performed for the purposes of posting Time Entries. The disadvantages of this option are: All users must post directly. If a Timekeeper wishes to use this method, PCLaw must be installed and accessible at each Team Member workstation that will be posting Time Entries to PCLaw (this includes workstations of non-timekeepers who post Time Entries on the behalf of Timekeepers). Posting will fail if a user attempts to post on a File that has been created in Amicus Attorney but not yet created PCLaw because the Team Administrator has not yet performed an Exchange. The user may post later, when the File has been created in PCLaw after the Exchange. Users cannot post when offline. In addition, if you are using a version of PCLaw prior to 5.50c, the Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link must also be installed at every Team Member workstation. Although selecting your posting method is done as part of the Link setup procedure (see Step 2: Configuring your Team Settings on page 7), you can go back to your Team Settings and change your method of posting Time Entries without having to re-initialize the Link. To select your Time Entry posting method, select the Centralized Posting or Direct Posting option in the PCLAW Link Settings dialog. For details, see the following section. Working with Time Entries In order to post Time Entries to PCLaw successfully, each Amicus Attorney File must have a corresponding PCLaw Matter and an Exchange of information must have already been performed. The following information must be manually set before an Exchange of information is made: The Amicus Attorney File Type must have a corresponding PCLaw Type of Law that is valid. The Amicus Attorney Activity Code must have a corresponding PCLaw Task Code, OR a default Task Code must be configured in PCLaw to accept an Amicus Attorney Activity Code of None. Team Members may post Time Entries to PCLaw from their Amicus Attorney Office through the Time Sheets module, provided: The Team Administrator has set up the Link. They have PCLaw installed on their workstations. Timekeepers have been properly mapped as PCLaw Lawyers and their Amicus Attorney Lawyer IDs correspond with their PCLaw Lawyer Nicknames. Non-Timekeepers cannot post Time Entries from their own Office. However, any Team Member with the correct password may open a Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 31

32 Timekeeper s Office in Amicus Attorney and create or post a Time Entry for that Timekeeper. Direct posting from the Team Member workstation, as it is commonly referred to, has some restrictions see the preceding section. Creating and Posting a Time Entry in Amicus Attorney To create a Time Entry in Amicus Attorney: 1 From the Time Sheets module in Amicus Attorney, click New. 2 From the Identify File dialog appears on top of the Time Entry Details dialog, select the File for which you would like to create a Time Entry and click OK. 3 Once you have identified the File, specified the Date, set the Billing Rate, selected the Activity Code, filled in the Activity Description, and specified the amount of time spent either by entering the time manually or from using the Timer, click OK. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 32

33 4 The Time Entry appears in the Time Sheets module, Unposted tab. Click the Post button to post the Time Entry to PCLaw. Note: For more information on working with Time Entries, see the Amicus Attorney Help. Posting Time Entries with an Activity Code of None If you wish to post Time Entries with an Activity Code of None provided there is a corresponding Default Task Code set up within PCLaw that has the initials, BW, for Billable Work. Note: The following setting is global and will affect all Matters in PCLaw. Please carefully review your PCLaw documentation before proceeding. To set a Default Task Code in PCLaw: 1 Back up your data in PCLaw. 2 In PCLaw, select File > Matter > Global Change. 3 In the Select Matters to View dialog, click OK. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 33

34 4 A prompt appears stating that you must choose the fields for all selected Matters and then enter the new values. Click OK. 5 In the Matters Global Change dialog that appears, activate the Default Task Code checkbox and type in BW for Billable Work in the blank field, and click Apply. 6 You will be prompted to confirm your choice to change the selected fields for all Matters that you have chosen. Click Yes. When you are ready to post Time Entries to PCLaw, you may post them with an Activity Code of None. Some Considerations when Posting Time Entries Selected Time Entries are sent to PCLaw when you select the Time Entry or Entries and click the Post button in the Amicus Attorney Time Sheets window. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 34

35 When you fill in the details of a Time Entry, the File for which the Time Entry is being posted must correspond to a valid Matter number in PCLaw. For the File and Matter to correspond, an Exchange of information must have been performed in order to synchronize information between the two programs. Otherwise, the Time Entry will be rejected and an Invalid File error message will appear. Once again, please ensure that the Activity Code in the Time Entry has a corresponding PCLaw Task Code that is valid. From the Time Entry Details dialog, select Activity Code. From the dropdown list, you will see PCLaw submenus. These submenus contain the Task Codes needed to post successfully to PCLaw. If you post with an Activity Code, which is NOT a valid PCLaw Task Code, you will receive an error message upon posting such as Invalid Task Code. If this occurs, open the Time Entry and select a valid PCLaw Task Code. If you choose not to assign an Activity Code in Amicus Attorney, you must assign a default Task Code to the corresponding Matter in PCLaw or set a default Task Code of BW. For more information on assigning and setting PCLaw Task Codes, consult your PCLaw documentation. If the Time Entry does not contain a valid PCLaw Task Code to correspond with the Amicus Attorney Activity Code, the following window will appear: Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 35

36 You may resolve this rejected Time Entry by choosing a valid PCLaw Task Code that corresponds with the Amicus Attorney Activity Code (or leaving the Activity Code set to None ) and double-clicking the Time Entry to make a correction. Note on Task-Based Billing: The Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link supports the use of Task-Based Billing (UTBMS) Codes. For information on activating Task-Based Billing in Amicus Attorney, see About Task-Based Billing on page 28. Troubleshooting Resetting the Link The following sections provide information on issues you may have to resolve while working with the Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link. Warning: It is highly recommended that resetting the Link be done only with the assistance of Alumni Technical Support at or Gavel & Gown Technical Support at The Reset Link process checks for duplicate Matter ID numbers in Amicus Attorney. If any are found, a window appears informing you which Files contain duplicates. Also, the Matter ID for the most recent File created will be blanked out and you will be prompted to enter a correct Matter ID upon Exchanging information. Resetting the Link will also check for Matter IDs in all Files excluded from the Link and blank them. Prior to resetting the Link, it is recommended that you keep a record of your Matter IDs. Only under the following conditions should a Reset of the Link be performed: A) If you had to recover your Amicus Attorney database or PCLaw database, or B) If you have restored a backup in Amicus Attorney. Also, before you reset the Amicus Attorney PCLaw Link, it is very important that you first back up both databases. Resolving Issues Affecting the Exchange The following information details various issues that can affect the Exchange, and provides solutions on how to resolve them. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 36

37 Resolving Aborted or Skipped Matters If you choose to skip or abort Matters during an information Exchange, you will receive an error message at the end of the Exchange informing you that not all Matters have been synchronized with PCLaw. These Matters could not be synchronized with PCLaw because they likely contain invalid or incomplete information. Solution: From Amicus Administrator, perform another information Exchange by selecting PCLaw > Exchange Information and resolve all issues that are described in the prompts you encounter. No Address Information for a Client Occasionally, the following prompt may appear while Exchanging information: This means that there is no Client address for the Client assigned to this Matter. The Clients who appear listed in this window are on the File in Amicus Attorney. To assign Client address information: 1 From the File in Amicus Attorney, click on the Edit button for the Client in the Contact card area. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 37

38 2 Assign an address to the Client s Home, Office, or Other card. 3 Exit from the Amicus Attorney Team Member Office. 4 From Amicus Administrator, re-attempt the Exchange. Selecting a Client on a File to be Exchanged with PCLaw from Multiple Clients While Exchanging information, a prompt such as the one below may appear. This means that more than one Client has been assigned to the File, and that no Client has been assigned to the PCLaw Client Information field in Client & Matter brad on the Amicus Attorney File. To assign a specific Client to a File: 1 From the File in Amicus Attorney, click the Edit button for the Client in the Contact card. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 38

39 2 From the PCLaw Client Information dialog, click the Select from List button. 3 Select a Client on the File that you wish to Exchange with the corresponding PCLaw Matter and click OK. 4 Exit from Amicus Attorney. 5 From Amicus Administrator, perform another information Exchange by selecting PCLaw > Exchange Information. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 39

40 Files in Use During an Exchange of information, a window may appear stating that Files are currently in use. This means that the records are locked and cannot be Exchanged. These messages are no cause for concern, as these records will be sent on the next Exchange (provided they are not in use). No Last Name In both Amicus Attorney and PCLaw, a Last Name field must be specified for the billing Client. PCLaw will not allow you to create a Matter if the Last Name field is empty. Before clicking OK, you have to enter a Last Name field. This information is necessary to streamline the Exchange process. Likewise, if you are Exchanging a File that has been created in Amicus Attorney with no last name, you will be prompted to enter one. Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 40

41 Should the above PCLaw dialog appear, enter the last name and click OK. The Exchange will continue. Note: The speed of Exchanging information depends on such factors as whether or not you are running Amicus Administrator locally or remotely, what other activity is occurring on your hard drive, how many Matters and Files need to be aligned, etc. It is not unusual for the first Exchange of information to take an hour or more. If the Exchange is successful, and you encounter no errors during the process, the following prompt appears: Contacting Technical Support If you need to Technical Support, please have on hand the following information: The exact error message you received, and what you were doing when you received it. The version of PCLaw you are using. The version of Amicus Attorney you are using. The version of the Amicus Attorney-PCLaw Link you are using. Gavel & Gown Technical Support can be reached toll free at (800) For further information, contact Gavel & Gown Software Inc. Phone: Fax: Copyright 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. All rights reserved. AMICUS and AMICUS ATTORNEY are registered trademarks of Gavel & Gown Software Inc. All other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owner. Gavel & Gown Software Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks other than its own. June 2011 Amicus Attorney: Using the PCLaw Link 2011 Gavel & Gown Software Inc. 41