As a User and Group Administrator or User and Group Manager (See Users and Roles), you can manage assistant settings for timekeepers. You can assign more than one assistant to a timekeeper. Likewise, an assistant can assist multiple timekeepers. Users who are assistants cannot have assistants of their own. Likewise, users who have assistants cannot be assistants to other users. It implies that a user can either be an assistant or have assistants.

NOTE:

Assistants are automatically added as with Support Staff role. For more information on the Support Staff role, see Users and Roles.

For all business rules governing the assistant settings, see Rules Governing Assistant Settings.

  1. Select Users / Roles in the left navigation pane.
    The Users page with the list of users / groups appears. The user list comprises the entire staff of the firm.

  2. Select the row of the user for whom you want to update assistant settings.
    The <User name> - Details page appears.

    NOTE:

    If the user is an assistant to another user (timekeeper), the Timekeepers tab is displayed.
    If the user is a timekeeper—that is, if they have assistants—the Assistants tab is displayed.

  3. Select the Assistants or Timekeepers tab, as available. 
    The Assistants or Timekeepers tab appears.

    • On the Assistants tab, the list of that user's assistants is displayed.
    • On the Timekeepers tab, the list of timekeepers being assisted by that user is displayed. 

    NOTE:

    If the user is neither an assistant nor has assistants assigned, then, by default, the Assistants tab is displayed. You can filter the list of users by the name, job title and / or practice area.

  4. If you are on the Assistants tab, then you can add assistants to the user (timekeeper). Select Add Assistants.
    The Add Assistants dialog box appears. 
  5. Select the relevant check boxes to add assistants to the user (timekeeper).
  6. Select OK.
    The assistants are added. 

NOTE:

To remove any user as an assistant, select the check box(es) next to the relevant users and click Remove Selected.

Alternatively, click the x icon on the row of the assistant you want to remove.

NOTE:

If you are on any assistant's user tab, you can see the list of users (timekeepers) the assistant is associated with. You cannot add timekeepers to the assistant. However, you can remove an associated timekeeper from the list. The user (assistant) ceases to be an assistant to the timekeeper.

To remove any user as timekeeper, select the check box(es) next to the relevant users and click Remove Selected.

Alternatively,

Select in the row of the timekeeper you want to remove, and select Remove.

Rules Governing Assistant Settings

  1. A user can be assigned as an assistant to more than one timekeeper.
  2. A timekeeper can have more than one assistant.
  3. An assistant cannot have assistants.
  4. A timekeeper, who has assistants assigned, cannot be an assistant to another user.
  5. The global system setting 'Ensure Assistants Automatically Follow Their Timekeepers' defines whether the per-asset setting 'Ensure Assistants Automatically Follow Their Timekeepers' on Staffing and Conflicted Users tabs, is enabled or disabled by default for new assets. For more information about this setting, see Settings>General.
  6. If an assistant is assigned to a client / matter of his / her own accord, then the association to any timekeeper is removed. Even if the timekeeper is removed from the client / matter, the assistant continues to remain on the client / matter. 

  7. If the assistant has been assigned the 'floating user' role, and is an assistant to more than one timekeeper who is on an opposing team set, then the assistant remains part of both the teams' staffing, as Support Staff, and is not excluded from either of them.

    NOTE:

    For more information on the Support Staff role, see Users and Roles.

  8. Included systems cannot be individually defined for assistants; assistants will have access to the included systems of their timekeeper(s).

  9. Rules specifically relating to timekeepers following on asset Staffing:
    1. If the (per-asset) setting 'Ensure Assistants Automatically Follow Their Timekeepers' is enabled for asset Staffing, then assistants are automatically added to the staffing of that asset, as Support Staff, where the users (timekeepers) to whom they are assigned to are part of the asset team. Such associations are distinctly indicated. When the main user (timekeeper) is removed from the asset, the assistant also loses access to that asset.
    2. When (per-asset) setting 'Ensure Assistants Automatically Follow Their Timekeepers' is applied to a case's Staffing, it is also applied to (staffing subsequently added to) matters within that case.
    3. When (per-asset) setting 'Ensure Assistants Automatically Follow Their Timekeepers' is applied to a collection's Staffing, it is only applied to staffing subsequently added directly to the collection; it is not applied to (staffing subsequently added to) the matters within that collection.
    4. When (per-asset) setting 'Ensure Assistants Automatically Follow Their Timekeepers' is applied or disapplied to asset Staffing, it does not take action on existing timekeepers on that asset. The setting is applied only on any relevant staffing changes after the setting is applied or disapplied.
  10. Rules specifically relating to timekeepers following Conflicted Users:
    1. If the (per-asset) setting 'Ensure Assistants Automatically Follow Their Timekeepers' is enabled for asset Conflicted Users, then assistants are automatically added to the conflicted users list of that asset, when the users (timekeepers) to whom they are assigned to are conflicted users on the asset.
    2. When (per-asset) setting 'Ensure Assistants Automatically Follow Their Timekeepers' is applied to a case's Conflicted Users, it is also applied to (users subsequently added to) matters within that case.
    3. When (per-asset) setting 'Ensure Assistants Automatically Follow Their Timekeepers' is applied or disapplied to asset Conflicted Users, it does not take action on existing timekeepers on that asset. The setting is applied only on any conflict-related changes made after the setting is applied or disapplied.
    4. If a user is an assistant to more than one timekeeper, say two timekeepers, and both the timekeepers are on the conflicted user list of an asset, then - and assuming assistant following is enabled on the Conflicted Users tab - the assistant continues to be on the conflicted user list of the asset until both of the timekeepers are removed from the conflicted users list. However, if the assistant is added to the conflicted users list of their own accord, then the association with the timekeepers is removed and they continue to remain on the conflicted users list, even if both timekeepers are removed from the conflicted users list.