Time Matters Q and A

/

As a Time Matters consultant, I have been asked a wide range of questions about how to use and customize Time Matters software.

This article collects an assortment of Time Matters tips, ranging from simply helpful to extremely advanced.

Time Matters law practice management software has been around a long time, but it is still unmatched in its capability to automate a law practice. There are newer, easier practice management applications in the cloud, but none of them can match the breadth and depth of Time Matters' capabilities.

Time Matters is a great fit for a lawyer who wants to squeeze the busywork out of the practice of law. With an up front investment of time, a law practice can become much more profitable. Less time spent on administration translates to more billable time. Automating the process of handling matters and creating of documents makes fixed-fee matters and contingent fee cases many times more profitable.

Do you have a favorite Time Matters software tip, answer or solution? Please Send me an email... or give me a call at 800.575.0007.

-- Wells Anderson, CEO, Active Practice

Time Matters Questions and Answers

Time Matters Date Field - Last Modified

Q: We have a Time Matters date field in the Matter Form which tracks when the file was last modified in Time Matters. I'm looking for a way to have a Time Matters Quick Tab that will show matters not modified in the last 90 days.

A: Got it! Customize a spare Time Matters field as a Calculated field. Choose Result Format as Date. In the formula's first row, select your Time Matters date field that tracks when Matter was last modified. Second row, the plus sign. Third row, choose Number and enter 90. In the Quick Tab, use an Advanced Search. Select: the Calculated field, Date In Range, All to Date. -- Adding the 90 days pushes the date value of the recently modified Matters' calc'd field beyond Today, so they don't show in a list with an All to Date filter applied to the calc'd date.

Open Multiple Time Matters Databases

Q: How do I open multiple Time Matters database at the same time?

A: If you have two separate Time Matters databases on your server, you can have them open together by making a change to the Windows Registry.

See: the LexisNexis Time Matters Support Article

Open Windows Search under the Start menu.
Type CMD (do not press Enter).
Right-click on CMD as it appears in the search (at top) and select Run as Administrator.
Paste or type the following into the window:

reg add "HKCU\Software\LexisNexis\Time Matters\QC" /v ALLOWMANY /t REG_SZ /d YES

Where XX is your version of Time Matters. For Time Matters 14 or higher, omit the space and XX.
Press Enter.

Displaying Archived Records on a Time Matters Form

Q: How to I display Archived Records on the tabs of a Time Matters Form?

A: There is a checkbox that determines whether Archived Records appear a Matter Form's lists of Time Matters Notes, Documents, Emails, etc. That checkbox is well hidden and can be set individually for each user of Time Matters.

When archiving a Matter, the person doing the archiving can choose whether or not to archive Time Matters Related Records at the same time. So some archived Matters have their related records archived and other Matters might not.

Each Time Matters user has the option to show or not show archived related records on the sublists of the Matter records. If one user has the option enabled and another user does not, their views of related records for the same Matter may differ from each other depending on whether some of the Matter's related records are archived.

Each Time Matters user can show or hide archived records on the Matter Forms tabs for Time Matters Notes, Documents, etc. The setting is found here:

  1. Open a Matter in Time Matters.
  2. Click on a tab (Notes or Documents or ...)
  3. In roughly the center of the window, click on the Properties icon located above the sublist of records. The icon is a small form with a hand on its top edge.
  4. Click on the List tab.
  5. Check or uncheck the box: Show Archived Records on List

The effect of this setting on other tabs on the Matter Form (Notes, Documents, etc.) depends on a Time Matters Program Level Setting:
- Main Menu | File | Setup | General | Program Level | Forms
- At the bottom is an option for Setting the "Automatic Relations" option on a Form Tab.

I recommend selecting: Apply to all Form Tabs on the current Main Record type.

When you apply any Time Matters settings in Step 5, above, to any tab on the Matter Form, the same Time Matters settings will apply to the other tabs on the Matter Form for that user. If you want to apply the same Time Matters settings to all users, you need to use the Copy function in User Level Setup and copy the Form and Sublist Settings. Be careful with that Time Matters feature! You could add or overwrite other Time Matters settings beyond those mentioned here. The safest approach is to login as each user and change settings using the Properties button.

Time Matters Exchange Synchronization Password Change

Q: The Calendar in my smartphone is not updating with events from Time Matters? What's wrong?

A: It may be that you have changed your Windows password but not updated the password in Time Matters. Try these steps.

  1. Open Time Matters on your computer.
  2. In the top menu bar click on Mail.
  3. Choose: Exchange Password Change. That choice appears after you change your Windows password and disappears after you have changed your password in Time Matters your Windows (or Office 365) password.
  4. Enter your new password. Note: The Test button may be unresponsive
  5. Click OK.

Customize a Time Matters Field

Q: How do I customize the properties of a field in Time Matters?

A: The safest way is through the Time Matters Main Menu. Customizing fields by right-clicking them can cause results you may not want if you are using Time Matters Form Styles.

To Customize a Time Matters Field:

  1. Time Matters Main Menu | File | Setup | Templates | Form Styles
  2. Select Matter (or Contact or other Form) at the top
  3. Select your Form Style
  4. Find a Time Matters field you want to customize.
  5. Right-click the field.
  6. Enter a label, tool tip and field name
  7. Choose a field type
  8. OK
  9. Save and Close
  10. Close

Time Matters / Billing Matters Accounts Receivable Report

Q: How to I get an Accounts Receivable or Aging report from Time Matters / Billing Matters?

A: Follow these steps:

Time Matters Main Menu | Reports | Standard Reports | Billing Tab
Format Tab: Aged Accounts Receivable Summary
Options Tab: Sort by Matter

This Time Matters / Billing Matters report shows how much is due from clients, with 30/60/90/120 day aging and total balance. I recommend saving this to PDF at least once per month.

Total Fees Billed Report in Time Matters / Billing Matters

Q: How do I get a Time Matters / Billing Matters report showing total fees billed last month?

A: To get a total of fees billed last month:

Time Matters Main Menu | Reports | Standard Reports

Format tab: Profitability
Filter tab: Last Month
Options tab: Staff

This Time Matters / Billing Matters report shows Fees and Hours. Fees Worked include No Charge items. Billed Value includes only fees actually billed to clients.

Fees Received Report

Q: How do I know how much I took in in fees last month?

A: This Time Matters / Billing Matters report shows what you received in fees last month. It is based on Payments you have recorded from clients in Time Matters / Billing Matters.

Time Matters Main Menu | Reports | Standard Reports
Transactions Tab
Format: Fee Allocation
Options: Matter or Staff (both are good reports)

Time Matters / Billing Matters Spelling Dictionary

Q: Where is the list of customized words used by the Time Matters Spelling Dictionary?

A: Time Matters / Billing Matters Spell Check can spare you from embarrassment and inspire more confidence in your clients by eliminating typos.

It may be used to check the spelling of all Billing records when creating Invoices. The Spell Check option is selected by default on the Options tab of the Create Bills window. You may also check spelling in any field in Time Matters by pressing Ctrl-K or selecting Edit | Spell Check.

The Time Matters user spelling dictionary file is located here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\LexisNexis\Time Matters\links\spelling
or here:
C:\Program Files\LexisNexis\Time Matters\links\spelling

Note: There may be a version number directly after "Time Matters" in the above paths if you have used Time Matters 12 or earlier.

The file is named: userdic.tlx

Typically you add words to the dictionary whenever Spell Check stops on a word you want to keep in the dictionary. But if you have a word list already, you may add the words to userdic.tlx using Windows Notepad or another text editor. Each word should appear on a separate line followed by a tab character and the letter i.

Do you have a favorite Time Matters tip, answer or solution? Please Send me an email... or give me a call at 800.575.0007.

Shortcuts for Firing Triggers

Q: What's a shortcut for firing a Time Matters Trigger?

A: You can add a Trigger button on to Form toolbar, but there are other Time Matters shortcuts.

You can:

  • Go the the Time Matters menu on a Form: Menu | Edit | Triggers
  • Press Alt-E R
  • Press Ctrl-G on a Form or Ctrl-Shift-G on a List

To add the Trigger button, if you have sufficient rights, go to Time Matters Main Menu | Edit | Options | Toolbar and double-click on Trigger.

Create a File of All Emails on a Matter

To create a file of all the Time Matters e-mails on a Matter:

  1. Go to: Time Matters Main Menu | Mail | Email List
  2. In the Time Matters Main Menu, click: Search | Matter Reference
  3. Select the Matter and click the box: Tag All Records found in search.
  4. Press OK
  5. Click the Printer icon just above the Time Matters Email list, 4th or 5th from the end.
  6. Select: Standard Email. Click the Options tab and check: Page break between records
  7. Press: Preview
  8. Click the right side of the Save button. Choose: Print to PDF
  9. Pick a folder and type a filename. Done!


-- Wells Anderson, CEO, Active Practice