Matter management

The ability to centrally manage your matters is the “lifeblood” of your practice. Patafile stores your matter information in a central location, and provide the ability to customize the fields and content of the matter information being stored based on the information relevant to any matter type. The ability to access all relevant matter information by the click of a button is what makes patafile so crucial to any successful practice.

Get rid of filing cabinets, clutter, and missing files when you store case and matter files in a centralized, online environment. Stop hunting for information by attaching notes, documents, tasks, calendars, and contacts directly to a matter paperlessly.

Real time location of files (‘patafile’- Swahili for get the file)

Locating files in most lawfirms is a nightmare courtesy of the sheer number and physicality of files.At Patafile we appreciate that most lawfirms are still deeply rooted in paper and still heavily reliant on physical files. So while extending the flexibility to go paperless we also aid Lawfirms locate their physical files in real time. Using powerful features to track the chain of custody of various physical files team members are able to get information on file movement and the current location of the physical file.

Calendaring and docketing management

Virtually everyone will agree that law firms are fraught with the need to capture dates, deadlines, and tasks; this is true regardless of the firm’s practice area. Patafile Practice management software enables the end user to capture relevant dates and relate them to a matter. User-defined or pre-defined rules can be enabled so that reminders can alert those affected that a deadline or event is approaching. Because the software is a shared database, one or any number of individuals can be put on alert about the approaching date. Further, if tasks are not marked as “done,” the date will continue to provide an alert to the users assigned that the task is past due and also alert them as to the number of days past due. In addition users can add their private events to the calendar so that they can be more informed while planning for the firms matters.

Client and general contact management

Another powerful feature of Patafile Practice management software is the ability to capture all sorts of relevant information regarding clients whether they are individuals or entities that may or may not be associated with a matter. As with the matter screen, the client management screens are customizable so that the information captured about the individual or entity can be made relevant to the entry being made. By way of example, if you were capturing contact information about a client you might want to capture his address his contacts and the kind of business he or she is in or if it a person who served as an expert witness on a case, you might want to capture information on the type of expert witness this person was, if he or she was a credible expert, what his or her hourly rate was, and so on. These abilities, as well as the ability to link these contacts to a matter or numerous matters, help a firm make informed decisions about how best to serve their clients.

Conflict checking

Most law firms do not have a comprehensive automated system for checking conflicts. Best practices mandate that lawfirms should conduct due diligence before taking a new matter. Having a list of clients and advocates enables the software to flag potential cases of conflict of interest arising from dual cross representation in conflicting cases.

File & Document management

Finding files and documents can waste many hours with unbillable time. When using document management functions built into Patafile software, users are afforded powerful search engine functionalities for them to search for matter information using a myriad of filters eg case name, case number, client, practice type etc. The usefulness of this feature cannot be overstated.

Research management

Capturing, sharing, saving, and repurposing research is yet another helpful feature of Patafile software. Lawyers have traditionally conducted research in “silos,” resulting in a continual need to reinvent the wheel because others in the firm cannot communicate, share, and build on past research. With patafile, research can be saved, searched, and updated by firm members. Also it offers an opportunity for team members to collaborate on a matter and weigh in and or share their perspective at any stage and on any aspect of the matter. Such contribution is priceless in arriving at properly researched legal work.

Task Management

Shape the department’s focus by assigning the priority for each task. Dashboard capabilities allow staff and managers to get more done in less time by seeing at a glance what needs to be done.