In this article, you will learn how to invite new users to your LeanLaw account, manage their roles and permissions, and remove them if necessary. This is crucial whether you're setting up LeanLaw for the first time or adding new users as your firm grows.
Note: To carry out these steps, you must have access to the "Firm Setup" section of Settings. If you don't, you will need to ask the Firm Manager or a Principal user to perform these actions.
Inviting New Users
Inviting new members to join your LeanLaw account is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to get started.
1. Open Settings
Click the gear icon ⚙️ on the top right of any page in LeanLaw to open your Firm Settings page.
2. Open Users
From the Firm Settings page, click Users on the left side menu to open the User settings page. It might be necessary to scroll down the list, as it is towards the bottom.
3. Click Invite User
On the User Settings page, click the green Invite User button. This will open the Invite User form, where you can enter the user details.
4. Add user information and send an invite
Fill out each of the listed fields as needed. At a minimum, you need to provide an Email, First and Last name, and Role before the user can be invited. The email address you enter will be where the user receives their confirmation.
Please note that if you leave the Standard Rate blank, it will default to $0.00.
If you do not wish for it to be $0.00, you must enter a rate.
After entering the necessary details, click Add User and Send Invite to finalize your invite. Once the user is successfully invited, your subscription will automatically adjust to accommodate them.
For Monthly subscribers, the change takes effect on your next billing cycle, while Annual subscribers will see an additional charge for the prorated difference between the date of invitation and the renewal date.
Note: If you need to change the email of an invited user or if a new user didn't receive the email invitation, check with our Support team. They'll be able to get the invite resent or the email address updated.
Here's an explanation of each field in the Invite User form:
Email: The user's email address. They'll receive the invite at this address and will use it to set up their account.
First/Last Name: The name associated with time entries, fees, expenses, etc. Users can change their name once they're on board.
Name/Initials for Invoicing: The name/initials that identify the associated attorney on an invoice. If you don't want to use this feature, you can disable it.
Initials for LEDES: The can be used to override the name/initials for invoicing as specified above for LEDES invoices. This will go in the TIMEKEEPER_ID field. Disregard if your firm doesn't use LEDES.
Invoice Class: If your firm uses class tracking, you can set the invoice class for the user here.
Distribution Category: If this user needs a different distribution category than your firm's default, it can be set here.
Role: The user's role in the firm. This translates directly to their Role in LeanLaw. Check out this guide for a full breakdown of each role.
Access to Firm Setup: This checkbox allows a user to access the admin settings for the firm, including QuickBooks integration, invoice presentation, and user permissions.
Include on all matters: Enable this to give a user access to all Matters within the firm. It's recommended for Principals, Operators, and Accountants.
Standard Rate: The default rate for time entered into LeanLaw. If no rate is entered, it defaults to $0.
For Accounting Partners, the process is the same as inviting a new user, except instead of clicking “Invite User,” you click “Add Accounting Partner.” Accounting partners are not direct members of the firm, and they are exempt from payment.
Note: Accountants, by default, have access to all permissions except Self Time Entry.
Removing Users
If a user leaves the firm, or if a new user is accidentally invited with the wrong email address, you might need to remove them from your LeanLaw account.
1. Open Settings
Click the gear icon ⚙️ on the top right of any page in LeanLaw to open your Firm Settings page.
2. Open Users
From the Firm Settings page, click Users on the left side menu to open the User Settings page. It might be necessary to scroll down the list, as it is towards the bottom.
3. Click the user and Disable or Remove
If a user has not tracked any items, they can be removed.
If they have tracked items, they can only be disabled. The user's activity (time entries, expenses, or similar) will remain in the system. They will not be able to log in, and new time entries cannot be created for them, but they will still appear in certain reports.
By inviting, managing, and removing users properly in LeanLaw, you can ensure the software fits your firm's unique needs and grows with it. It also helps enhance data security and streamline tasks.
If you're an accountant looking to get an exempt account in your client's firm, check out this article.