When we run our Conflict of Interest search, certain words are being excluded. How can we correct this?
The Exclude List is a list of words that are excluded from the Conflict of Interest, Contact Search, and Document Search. You can remove words from this list in order to include them.
To remove words from the Exclude List
- From the Search menu, select Search Settings.
- On the Exclude List tab, select the word you want to remove and click the Delete Word button. Repeat for each word you want to remove from the Exclude List.
- Click OK.
Once changes are made to the Exclude List, you will be prompted to rebuild the search indexes for the change to go into effect.
If you need to find data in PracticeMaster based on just a word or phrase, we have you covered! There are several ways to search in PracticeMaster to find what you need.
Search Box
The search box, which is available on the List tab for all files, the Matter 
Manager, and the Graphical Calendar, can be used to quickly search for all records that contain a specific string of text in any of the fields included in the currently selected column layout. You can optionally search for different text in multiple fields at one time. You can enter text directly in the Search List field, or click the button to show a list of fields for more specific searching. If the desired field is not shown, click the Fields button for a list of all fields in the current column layout.
Conflict of Interest
PracticeMaster’s Conflict of Interest Search (Search | Conflict of Interest 
Search) provides robust searching capabilities including whole word or partial word searching and word order, phonetic searching, and record drill-down capabilities on reports.
Files searched in PracticeMaster include the Client file, Contact file, fee transactions, cost transactions, Calendar, Journal (including email records, call logs, research tasks, and phone timer records), Document Management (including linked documents), and Area of Practice files. If PracticeMaster is integrated with Tabs3, all fields in PracticeMaster that exist in both programs (such as Miscellaneous Lines in the client file), will contain information from Tabs3 in addition to existing information in PracticeMaster.
Note: A field must be marked as Include in Conflict Search in File Maintenance (Maintenance | File Maintenance) in order to be included in the Conflict of Interest Search.
Document Search
The Document Search program (Search | Document Search) is a powerful
program used to search the contents of Document Management documents, email attachments, and linked documents associated with PracticeMaster records. Although the Conflict of Interest also searches documents, the Document Search provides additional options to narrow your search to specific clients, document types, and/or users.
Searching capabilities include whole word or partial word searching; phonetic, stemming, and fuzzy searching; and record drill-down capabilities on reports.
Contact Search
The Contact Search (Search | Contact Search) helps you quickly find a 
single contact so that you can drill down to a phone number or other information for the contact. This search only looks for hits in Contact fields. Searching capabilities include partial word searching, phonetic searching, and record drill-down capabilities on reports.
Note: A field must be marked as Include in Contact Search in File Maintenance (Maintenance | File Maintenance) in order to be included in the Contact Search.
Find and Replace
On any List tab, the Find and Replace program (Edit | Find and Replace) 
can be used to find one or more records containing specific text, and optionally replace the text with a new value. You can search the current list or just highlighted records, all fields or specific fields.
Find and Replace is a quick and easy alternative to updating multiple records with the same information one by one.
Data can always be found using the various search options in PracticeMaster. Learn more about the various PracticeMaster search features in the PracticeMaster Search Guide.
In a law firm, there can be an overwhelming amount of information to manage – matter information, contact information, upcoming meetings, research, emails, and documents galore. But there is hope! PracticeMaster can help make you more organized than you’ve ever been before. PracticeMaster provides the tools you need to manage it all.
Calendar – View not just your calendar, but your firm’s calendar. View appointments for a specific client or matter, an employee, or view appointments based on any information in the calendar record such as dates, calendar codes, and location.
Contacts – Don’t just search your list of contacts; see all contacts for any matter at a glance, and every matter in which a particular contact is associated.
Document Management – Specify how you want to name and file your documents, and then let PracticeMaster do it for you! Optionally use Fujitsu® ScanSnap™ to scan and import documents. Quickly see all documents for a case, or different versions of the same kind of documents across all your cases.
Matter Manager – Tie everything for a matter together in one place: calendar records, contacts, email, meeting notes, documents, billing summary, and more!
Conflict of Interest – Maintain ethical walls by searching files, documents, email attachments, and contacts for key words. Optionally limit results to certain files, and more.
Timers – Use timers to track your time, phone tasks, and research. Switch between timers as needed, and then process timer records into fees!
Filtering – Add filters to your files so that you can easily see only those records that you want to see.
QuickViews – QuickViews combine a filter, column layout, and sort option into a tab at the top of the List tab of any file, which allows you to quickly switch your view depending on the records you are working with. Add Smart tabs to provide an additional level of record sorting.
Integration – Integrate calendar records and contacts with Outlook. Install the PracticeMaster toolbar in Outlook®, Internet Explorer, Microsoft® Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®, Adobe® Reader or Acrobat®, and WordPerfect® to save documents and research to PracticeMaster, or to create journal entries, calendar entries, or fees from within the other software. Integration with CalendarRules™, NetDocuments®, and more is also available!
Areas of Practice – Areas of Practice provide a way to save separate information for different types of matters, without having the clutter of everything all in one file or set of files.
Report Writer – Create custom reports using the fields in PracticeMaster.
WorkFlows – Help automate your workload by creating WorkFlows to automatically start tasks or notify other users based on specified events.
Document Assembly – Help automate form letters by creating document templates that pull information from any file in PracticeMaster. Once created, simply select the client and the template, and it does the rest.
For a complete list of PracticeMaster features, refer to Knowledge Base Article R11548, “PracticeMaster Feature Comparison.” For more information about PracticeMaster features or to purchase a license of PracticeMaster, contact your consultant, or contact our Sales Department at (402) 419-2200.
When running the Conflict of Interest Check in Tabs3, one of our users sees “Insufficient Timekeeper Rights” in the Field column. What causes this?
In System Configuration, you can assign timekeepers to a User ID, thus restricting access to information for other timekeepers in Tabs3 Billing, PracticeMaster, and Tabs3 Connect. The “Insufficient Timekeeper Rights” message indicates that there is a result associated with a timekeeper for which the user does not have access rights. The result will be listed because it matched the search criteria, but the user cannot see any additional information unless they are assigned that timekeeper.
If this user needs to have rights to additional timekeepers, a user with Manager access rights must make the change.
To assign timekeepers to a user
- From the System Configuration File menu, point to Open and select Users.
- Select the desired User ID.
- Select the Assign Tabs3/PracticeMaster Timekeepers check box, if not already selected.
- Select each timekeeper to which the user should have access.
- Press Ctrl+S.
Alternatively, if timekeeper restrictions are not needed, you can clear the Assign Tabs3/PracticeMaster Timekeepers check box.
Rebuilding our Conflict of Interest takes a while to complete. Is there any way to automate this process or run while other people are in the system?
PracticeMaster has the ability to automate some functions through startup options, and rebuilding the Conflict of Interest (COI) is one of them. Additionally, when run as a startup option, the rebuild can be run even when other users are in the software. Windows Task Scheduler can be automatically set up to run this function at a certain time. When running the COI via Windows Task Scheduler, we recommend creating a new access profile that only has access to the COI, and then creating a new user to which this access profile is assigned. This is because using this method requires that a password not be set for the User ID, which can cause security issues. Only allowing the user to access the specific function can reduce risk.
Once a user has been created, and the appropriate access profile assigned to it, you can create a special shortcut on your desktop that can be run via Windows Task Scheduler, or on demand by simply double clicking the shortcut.
To create a special desktop icon
- Right-click the desktop icon you currently use to start PracticeMaster and select Copy.
- Right-click an empty space on the desktop and select Paste Shortcut.
- Right-click the new icon and select Rename.
- Enter a name for the icon that will let you know its purpose (e.g.: “Rebuild PM COI”) and press Enter.
- Right-click the new icon and select Properties.
- Modify the Target field to include the desired startup options. In this example we will run the rebuild at 8:00 PM with the User ID AUTO. Our programs are located in “C:\TABS3” on the server, and “C:\PROGRAM FILES\TABS3″ on a workstation by default. Therefore, on a workstation our Target will be:”C:\PROGRAM FILES\TABS3\CM.EXE” AUTO /CONFLICT /T 8:00PM
- Click OK.
Additional information, including steps to create a new user and access profile, can be found in R11034, “Automating Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Maintenance Tasks.”
When running the PracticeMaster Conflict of Interest Search, sometimes I get a hit on a fee or cost, but it displays “This is a secure record” instead of the results. I checked one of the transactions, and the associated client is not a secure client. Why is this happening?
Aside from the fee or cost belonging to a secure client, this message is also displayed when the user running the report is assigned specific timekeepers, and the particular fee or cost is for a timekeeper to which the user is not assigned.
When a user is assigned specific timekeepers, they can only view records for the timekeepers that they are assigned. If a user is needing to run the Conflict of Interest Search or other firm wide reports for additional timekeepers, a user with Manager Access Rights can change their assigned timekeepers in System Configuration.
To change assigned timekeepers
- From the System Configuration File menu, point to Open and select Users.
- Select the desired User ID.
- Below the Assign Tabs3/PracticeMaster Timekeepers check box, select any timekeepers the user needs to be able to run conflict searches or reports for. Clear the Assign Tabs3/PracticeMaster Timekeepers check box to give the user access to all timekeepers.
- Press Ctrl+S.
For more information on how assigning Tabs3 Timekeepers affects report generation and other tasks, refer to Knowledge Base Article R11328, “Assigning Tabs3/PracticeMaster Timekeepers.”
We created a custom field in the Client file, but it isn’t included in the Conflict of Interest Search. Is there any way to include this new field?
Whether or not a field is included in a Conflict of Interest search is determined via File Maintenance.
To include a field on the Conflict of Interest
- From the Maintenance menu, select File Maintenance.
- Under System Files, select Client and click OK.
- From the Field tab:
- In the Field IDs section, select the desired field.
- In the Custom Properties section, select the Include in Conflict Search check box.
- Click Done.
Determining conflicts in a firm is important. PracticeMaster helps make it easy.
PracticeMaster’s Conflict Search is a powerful tool that can be used to find all occurrences of specified text to help determine if any conflicts are present. Fully indexed files are used, providing lightning-fast search times.
The Conflict of Interest Search video provides information on how to access the Conflict of Interest, examples of a simple search as well as a more complex search, and shows the benefits of the drill-down feature in the Preview window.
By allowing you to search all of your records in seconds and helping you maximize your productivity, the Conflict of Interest Search is one of the ways in which PracticeMaster saves you time. Make sure you’re taking full advantage of this great feature.
Watch this three-minute video here:
Training Videos can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at Tabs3.com/videos. You can also access Training Videos while in the software by selecting Help | Documentation and then clicking the See also link for Tabs3 and PracticeMaster Training Videos.
If you need to find data in PracticeMaster based on just a word or phrase, we have you covered! There are several ways to search in PracticeMaster to find what you need.
Search Box
The search box, which is available on the List tab for 
all files, the Matter Manager, and the Graphical Calendar, can be used to quickly search for all records that contain a specific string of text in any of the fields included in the currently selected column layout. You can optionally search for different text in multiple fields at one time. You can enter text directly in the Search List field, or click the 
button to show a list of fields for more specific searching. If the desired field is not shown, click the Fields button for a list of all fields in the current column layout.
Conflict of Interest
PracticeMaster’s Conflict of Interest Search (Search | Conflict of Interest Search) provides
robust searching capabilities including whole word or partial word searching and word order, phonetic searching, and record drill-down capabilities on reports.
Files searched in PracticeMaster include the Client file, Contact file, fee transactions, cost transactions, Calendar, Journal, Document Management, and Area of Practice files, which include e-mail records, call logs, research tasks, and phone timer records. If PracticeMaster is integrated with Tabs3, all fields in PracticeMaster that exist in both programs (such as Miscellaneous Lines in the client file), will contain information from Tabs3 in addition to existing information in PracticeMaster.
Note: A field must be marked as Include in Conflict Search in File Maintenance (Maintenance | File Maintenance) in order to be included in the Conflict of Interest Search.
Document Search
The Document Search program (Search | Document Search) is a powerful program used to 
search the contents of Document Management documents, e-mail attachments, and linked documents associated with PracticeMaster records.
Searching capabilities including whole word or partial word searching; phonetic, stemming, and fuzzy searching; and record drill-down capabilities on reports. Additionally, you can narrow your search to specific dates, clients, document types, and/or users.
Contact Search
The Contact Search (Search | Contact Search) lets you quickly find a single contact so that 
you can drill down to a phone number or other information for the contact. Searching capabilities including partial word searching, phonetic searching, and record drill-down capabilities on reports.
Note: A field must be marked as Include in Contact Search in File Maintenance (Maintenance | File Maintenance) in order to be included in the Contact Search.
Find and Replace
On any List tab, the Find and Replace program (Edit | Find and Replace) can be used to 
find one or more records containing specific text, and optionally replace the text with a new value. You can search the current list or just highlighted records, all fields or specific fields.
Find and Replace is a quick and easy alternative to updating multiple records with the same information one by one.
Data can always be found using the various search options in PracticeMaster. Learn more about the various PracticeMaster search features in the PracticeMaster Search Guide.
When PracticeMaster performs a conflict of interest search, contact search, or document search, it searches the applicable index files for valid matches. Search Settings (Search | Search Settings) provide the ability to specify how and if indexes are updated, to rebuild indexes, and to specify words to be excluded from a search.
When accessing Search Settings, there are three tabs: Index Properties, Rebuild Index, and Exclude List.
Note: Search Settings are an Exclusive Function, which means that all active tasks by any user must be closed before Search Settings can be accessed.
Index Properties
To be included in a search, a field/file must be “indexed.” On the Index Properties tab, you have the option of selecting how to handle updating the Conflict/Contact Index, E-mail Attachments Index, and the Linked Documents Index.
- Selecting Automatic will update the index whenever records are added or changed.
- Selecting Manual will only update the index when the Rebuild Index program is run.
- Selecting Disable will disable search capabilities for that index.
The accuracy of PracticeMaster’s search programs is dependent on the accuracy of the index files. We recommend using the Automatic setting to help ensure you have the most accurate index files, and therefore the most accurate search results.
Note: Changes made to a linked document are not automatically incorporated into the Linked Documents Index, even if it is set to Automatic. To incorporate changes to linked documents, you can update the index by manually rebuilding the Linked Documents Index, or by using a special startup option to manually rebuild the linked documents index file after hours (recommended). Alternatively, any changes made to the document management record itself, such as a change to a field, will automatically update the index.
When selecting Manual, it is recommended that you schedule times to rebuild the indexes.
Rebuild Index
Rebuilding an index updates Manual indexes, optimizes Automatic indexes, and optionally removes deleted records from the indexes. If you want to rebuild indexes, select the desired indexes and click the Rebuild Now button.
Although rebuilding the Conflict/Contact Index requires Exclusive access to the software in order to run, the E-mail Attachments and Linked Documents indexes can be rebuilt while users are working via a startup option. For more information on rebuilding indexes via a startup option, see Knowledge Base Article R11659, “Rebuilding the PracticeMaster Search Index Files.”
Exclude List
The Exclude List tab provides a list of words that are excluded from all searches. For example, if the words a, of, and the are in the Exclude List, running a search with those words in it will display a message that the words will be excluded from the search. This list can be edited via the Add Word and Delete Word buttons.
Make sure to take a moment and review your Search Settings to ensure your conflict of interest, contact, and document searches are optimized for your firm.
Microsoft® Outlook® can help manage your e-mail, your contacts, and your calendar records, but PracticeMaster manages your entire practice – for your entire firm.
PracticeMaster provides more complete client information – Outlook provides contact fields for personal information, but PracticeMaster automatically provides client and contact fields pertinent to the needs of a law firm, such as opposing attorney, judge, jurisdiction information, and more. Furthermore, PracticeMaster is easily customizable while customizing Outlook can be expensive.
PracticeMaster maintains complete matter information – Outlook provides client, contact, and calendar organization. PracticeMaster provides all this, plus more. All matter information can be saved in PracticeMaster. Save client and research notes, manage your firm’s documents, add fees and costs, and more. Use the Outlook Toolbar plug-in to journal e-mails and attachments to PracticeMaster to complete your case management.
PracticeMaster users can have access to all client and matter information – Outlook requires Microsoft Exchange to share users’ contacts and calendars. Not so with PracticeMaster. Not only are clients, contacts, and calendars available to all users in PracticeMaster, but all matter information can be quickly and easily accessed by those who need it now, including e-mails and attachments that have been journaled by any user.
Clients can optionally be marked as secure so that only the assigned users can access their information. If a user does not have access to a secure client, the client does not appear on any reports that the user runs, and that user cannot add or access records that are associated with the client.
PracticeMaster provides conflict searching for all files – When searching in Outlook, only information on your computer is found. Once all case information is saved to PracticeMaster, use the Conflict of Interest Search to find anything in any file in PracticeMaster and find it fast. Search for words, phrases, partial words, and even phonetically. Clients, contacts, calendar records, linked documents, journaled e-mails, attachments, and all other files for all users can be searched from one window to provide a comprehensive list of hits.
PracticeMaster converts activities into fees – Outlook e-mails can be added to PracticeMaster as records as well as be used to create journals, calendar records, and fees. This provides the ability to easily bill your client for appointments and other events, as well as time spent on e-mails, research, and more.
PracticeMaster provides automation – Recurring entries can be created in Outlook; however, not only can you create recurring entries in PracticeMaster, but PracticeMaster can also automatically create a series of appointments and tasks that you can reuse over and over via the Calendar Plan Templates program. When generating a Calendar Plan from a Calendar Plan Template, a plan name and a start date must be specified. This date is then used to calculate the dates for dependent events and tasks. Once the Calendar Plan is generated, the Calendar Plan can either be accepted or rejected in its entirety. If accepted, all of the generated calendar records will be added to the Calendar file. With calendar plans, if a beginning date gets changed, all dependent events and tasks can automatically be adjusted. For example, if the date of a trial is rescheduled, all dependent items can optionally be rescheduled at one time.
Outlook and Word can integrate through “mail merge” functionality, which uses standard fields in Outlook to create a letter. However, PracticeMaster’s Word Document Assembly has the ability to create documents based on any field in PracticeMaster, including non-standard fields that you have added. Specially coded document templates in Word can be used to merge information from your PracticeMaster data files to create draft documents. If the information required is not in the data files, document assembly will pause allowing you to enter the required information. This information is then saved to the document and written to the PracticeMaster data files.
PracticeMaster also provides the ability to set up WorkFlows. WorkFlows are macros that help you automate common tasks. WorkFlows allow you to automatically start tasks on demand or when certain events occur in PracticeMaster. For example, you might use a WorkFlow to create a new Calendar record based on changes made in the Client file, or to have a new fee agreement created using Document Assembly when creating a new Client record.
Tabs3 Connect provides access to complete case information away from the office – You can access Outlook on your Smartphone or other device while away from the office, but you can’t access all of your client’s files. Tabs3 Connect, a Platinum feature, lets you securely view all client, contact, and matter information on the go. You can even add fees and costs when you need to, instead of making a note to add them later.
If you’ve been thinking you don’t need PracticeMaster because you have Outlook, take another look. Thousands of law firms use PracticeMaster and Outlook side-by-side and reap the many, many benefits of using both software products at the same time.
You already know how important it is to check for conflicts of interest in your practice. You are probably already using PracticeMaster’s Conflict of Interest Search, but are you taking full advantage of all of the features?
Conflicts of interest can greatly impact how a firm can operate; therefore, it is important that firms implement specific guidelines regarding when conflict checking must be performed. At the minimum, a conflict search is typically run before taking on a new client or matter, and when a new attorney, paralegal, or other employee joins the firm.
Take the time to review Knowledge Base Article R11445, “Using the PracticeMaster Conflict of Interest Search.” This article provides information on what conflicts and conflict searches are, how to run a conflict search, what the different fields on the Conflict of Interest Search window are, how to customize what shows on the Conflict Report, how to create and search a database of prior conflicts, tips and examples, frequently asked questions, and troubleshooting.
Make sure you don’t miss a conflict. Having firm members review conflict of interest guidelines on a regular basis, including how to use PracticeMaster’s Conflict of Interest Search, helps maintain your firm’s impartiality on every matter.
Our Knowledge Base can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at support.Tabs3.com. You can also access our Knowledge Base while in the software by selecting Help | Internet Resources | Knowledge Base.