Within your system, you should have a list of templates. These will be the standard letters and documents that you use. These will be organized into “Template Types” which are simply groups of styles. Typical template types may include Executry, Guardianship, Sale, Purchase etc (see separate section on how to add new Template Types)

To run a simple letter, do the following:-

1. Find the Client via the CRM Clients button
2. Select the Client and click on Matters
3. Double-click to select the relevant Matter.
4. Click the “Word” button
5. Click “Select Template”

You can then search through your styles or drop down the “Template Type” box to filter the styles for that specific work type.

1. When you have found the style you wish to run, “Double-Click” to select it.
2. Select “Produce Document”

The document/letter will now merge in any data and produce the document for you. It can then be edited if required, printed and saved. The letter will be saved within events as at “Today’s” date.

Hint: If the letter you are running is a “Shell Letter”, remember to update the summary to give it a good description. Just change the summary and click update events. This will give your letter a better description and make it easier to find.

If you have created a letters or document out with the system you may wish to “Import” this into events. The same process can be used if you currently scan to a “scans” folder and then want to add the scan to the list of events.

Importing an Attachment into Events

Go into the Relevant Client and Matter

Click on Events

Click on “New”

In the Summary field, enter a description of the document/letter or scan that you are about to import. (e.g. Scan of Mr. Smith’s Will, Scanned Offer from Jones & Co, General Notes from Meeting)

Click on the “Attachments” tab

Click on “Import”

You will see a message confirming this action – click OK to Proceed

You can then navigate to the folder where your file or scan has been saved. Once you have navigated to a folder it will remember that for the next time.

Double-click on the file that you wish to add and click “Save”

The attachment will be copied (not moved) into the system and can now be opened from within Events.

Hint – If you have more than one document, letter or scan that you want attached to the same Event, you can select multiple files by using Ctrl+Click. This will allow you to highlight various files and add them all as attachments to your new Event.

All Letters and Documents produced from the system will be saved within the Events tab. Any attachments within emails will also be saved here.

There are 2 main ways to open the event. Remember the event could be a word document, pdf, jpeg etc.

Select the Client and Matter and go to the Events Tab.

Right-Click on the event you wish to open and select “Open Attachment”

OR

Double click on the Event and select “Open” from the top toolbar.

If there are multiple events on the attachment it will show you these and you can select the one you wish to open.

Sometimes you will find that you may not know the client name or wish to quickly search on the matter description. Searching on this can help you quickly access the matter.

1. Click on CRM Matters
2. The search defaults to Matter Description

If the word you search for is anywhere in the matter description then it will display it

 In the search box you can try some of the following:-

(These are examples)

• Dispute – This would find matters like “Dispute with Acme Builders”, “Dispute with Jones & Co”
• Executry – “Executry of the late Joe Smith”, “ Fred Bloggs Executry”
• Ayr – “ Sale of 1 High Street, Ayr”, “Purchase of 4 New Terrace, Ayr”

Hint – You can also the # key and do more advanced searches.

For example: Sale#Kilmarnock – will display all matters with the words Sale AND Kilmarnock in the matter description

As well as clients and matters, your database can be used to store contacts. Contacts can be other firms of solicitors, lenders, factors, surveyors, expert witnesses etc. By adding them to the database you (and all other users) will be able to search for them easily without having to google them every time. As well as getting access quicker you can also use this information to populate into letters when corresponding to the contact. Basically, once you add the contact you should never need type that name and address ever again.

When Adding a contact, you DO NOT use the Client creation Wizard. This option will try and generate a matter and account codes which are not needed for contacts.

Start in CRM Clients and do a quick search for the contact you wish to add. We recommend doing this first as there is a good chance that it may already have been added to the database already. You will probably find that most “local” contacts are the first to be added.

If the contact is not already on the database, do the following:-

Click on “New” and select the Entity Type. For most contacts this will probably be “Company”

Add the name, telephone and postcode as you would when creating a client.

Add in the name, address, telephone, salutation, fax, email details for your contact. Most of the time you will be doing this from the contact’s letterhead. Most letterheads have these details on them. If you normally write to DX addresses, add this instead of the postal address.

When adding a contact, there is no need to enter the analysis values (partner, Source of Business etc) – simply click Save once you have filled in the first screen.

You may get a warning when saving advising that you have not filled in the analysis values – If you do, just ignore it.

You should now be able to search for this contact within the database AND add as a Linked Company to matters.

If there are certain jobs/matters that you are currently dealing with or accessing on a regular basis, the best way to get access to them is to add them to your Favourites list. This allows you to quickly retrieve a list of the matters you are working on. This is one of the best time-savers for secretaries and fee earners.

Adding to your Favourites list

Search for the relevant Client and click on “Matters”

When the list of Matters is on screen,

Right-Click on the Matter you wish to add and do “Add to Favourites”

Repeat this process for each Matter you are currently working on.

Retrieving your Favourites

Click on CRM Matters

Click the “Favourites” button and your list of matters will appear. You can then select (double-click) the matter and get immediate access.

Removing from your Favourites List

Once you have finished dealing with a Matter you may wish to remove it from your list.

Right-Click on the Matter you wish to remove and do “Remove from Favourites”

Hint – The Most Recently used button on the matter screen is also useful as it records and lets you quickly access the last 10-15 matters that you were working on. Favourites allows you store as many matters as you like and if you are a fee earner, you could possibly mark all your current files and bring them back to the screen with a single click.

The easiest way to record Telephone calls, meeting notes and general file notes is by adding them as Events. Within Events you can scroll through your notes and print them if required.

Go to the Relevant Client and Matter

Click on the “Events” button

Click on “New”

Add a Summary for your Event eg. Telephone Call to Client, Meeting Notes, Filenote etc

You can add standard summaries here to save you typing standard headings each time

Fill in the Event Type and Sub Type boxes (if these are set up for your company)

In the “Notes” box type the details of your call, meeting etc.

Once you have finished

Click on “Save”

If you wish to Print your note

Click on the “Print” tab that appeared after you hit save and send it to your printer. You also have an option to “Print Preview”.

The most common standard values for attaching MLID info will already be on the system (Passport, Driving License, etc.) If you wish to add your own, try the following. This will require access to the “Setup” option on the main toolbar. Not everyone will have access to this.

From the main Denovo toolbar

Setup a Practice Analysis

In the Find box enter IDTP and click the Code button

Double Click on the “Form of ID Provided Line”

You will then see the existing PRIMARY Values

Click on New

Enter a Lookup Code and Description

The Code is usually a couple of letters) eg you may use ID

Description – Enter International ID Card (This is the wording you will see on the list)

If you want to customise the 2 lines under your new entry, copy the following 2 lines to the Notes section and customise them (i.e. change the “Passport Number” and “Nationality” to your chosen values. (These fields are not compulsory so just leave notes blank of you don’t want/need them)

field1= [Passport No.]

field2=[Nationality]

Click on Save and then Exit – The value should now be available in the PRIMARY ID Section.

For the SECONDARY section the instructions above are the same BUT use IDTS as the Code.

For the EXEMPT section the instructions above are the same, BUT use IDTX as the Code