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Copyright and Trademark Notice:
© Copyright 2016. This manual prepared and distributed by Borek Consulting Group, Accellis Technology Group. All Rights Reserved. Amicus and Amicus Attorney are registered trademarks of Gavel & Gown Software Inc.
Amicus Attorney® Premium 2016 Cheat Sheet
Created by:
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Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1
Amicus At-A-Glance ............................................................................................................... 1 Home Screen ........................................................................................................................ 2
Amicus Modules .................................................................................................................... 3 Files..................................................................................................................................... 4 File Facts.............................................................................................................................. 5
Calendar .............................................................................................................................. 6 Event ................................................................................................................................... 7
To-Dos (Tasks) ..................................................................................................................... 8 People ................................................................................................................................. 9 Time Entry ........................................................................................................................... 10
Phone Call ............................................................................................................................ 11 Communication Center .......................................................................................................... 12
Keyboard Shortcuts ............................................................................................................... 13
INTRODUCTION
Amicus Attorney® is a Practice Management system designed to organize your practice, streamline processes, and improve efficiency. When data is shared amongst users in your firm in a consistent format
and with easy accessibility, your firm will realize an increase in accuracy and profitability. This cheat sheet is designed to give new users a fundamental understanding of the basic and most
commonly used features of this very powerful program. There are many advanced topics that are not discussed in this cheat sheet including Amicus Anywhere, managing documents, document templates,
custom pages, custom records and more. To inquire about training on one of these advanced topics, or any topic covered by this manual, please contact us to schedule a personalized training session.
AMICUS AT-A-GLANCE
Unlike Microsoft Outlook® or other contact management systems, Amicus Attorney uses a file centric approach to managing your data. Amicus gives you the ability to quickly locate any information you
need by organizing and storing all information relevant to a file - including contacts, emails, notes, documents, appointments and tasks - in a single source shared by all members of your firm.
Advanced Features
Keep in mind, this guide is designed to explain the basics of Amicus Attorney and to kick start your use of
the software. Additional advanced features of the program should be reviewed with a consultant to make sure the settings and usage are designed for your office.
Merge Templates Custom Pages
Outlook Syncs
Precedents Custom Records
Billing
To inquire about training on one of these advanced topics, or any topic covered by this manual, please contact us to schedule a personalized training session.
Who We Are
Shari Borek President Borek Consulting Group 1930 N 55 Avenue, Hollywood, FL 33021 954.963.7621 [email protected] www.borekconsulting.com
Borek Consulting Group assists law firms and other consulting businesses maximize their revenue with
effective practice management tools, including time tracking and billing solutions. As President of Borek Consulting Group, Shari helps clients determine the appropriate application for their needs and use their
practice management software effectively. Shari is a Certified Independent Consultant for Amicus Attorney®, Clio®, Timeslips®, Credenza®, QuickBooks® and Worldox®.
Colleen D. Heine Senior Software Consultant
Accellis Technology Group 9000 Sweet Valley Drive, Ste 4, Cleveland OH, 44125 216.662.3200 x114 [email protected] www.accellis.com
Accellis Technology Group provides IT solutions to streamline the flow of information, improve productivity,
and maximize security in law firms and professional organizations. As the Senior Software Consultant, Colleen helps law firms across the country improve workflow and practice management. Colleen is a Certified Independent Consultant for Amicus Attorney®, Time Matters®, Clio®, Amicus Cloud and Worldox®.
FileCalendar
Event
To-Do People
Time Entry
Phone Call
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KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Underutilized tools within the program include the use of HotKeys or those keyboard shortcuts that
help you move quickly throughout the program. Firms familiar with the program may recognize a few off this master list of key combinations to make your Amicus office even more efficient.
Command Description
CTRL+N Create New
CTRL+F Quickfind
CTRL+D Generate A Document
CTRL+T Insert Timestamp
CTRL+R Copy Address
CTRL+SHIFT+S Search
CTRL+SHIFT+D Date Calculator
CTRL+SHIFT+Z Go To Billing (a PE billing user must!)
CTRL+SHIFT+P New Phone Call
CTRL+SHIFT+M New Message
CTRL+SHIFT+A New Email
CTRL+SHIFT+Y New Time Entry
CTRL+SHIFT+T New Timer
CTRL+SHIFT+E New Event
CTRL+SHIFT+K New Sticky
CTRL+SHIFT+N New Contact
CTRL+SHIFT+F New File
CTRL+Z Undo
CTRL+X Cut
CTRL+C Copy
CTRL+V Paste
CTRL+A Select All
HOME SCREEN
The Home Screen, or the office module, is essentially your home base. Your name appears on the name
plate. From the Office view, you can perform such functions as opening another firm members’ office, opening the tutorial office or using the interactive Home Screen tiles as shortcuts to other areas in the program. You also set all of your user preferences from the Office.
A Control Panel
Use this section to switch between the Amicus Office and Premium Billing
(if included). User preferences and merge templates along with the Help Center are available. Each Module will have its own control panel
options.
B Administration Only Amicus firm administrators will have access to this section to control
security, add users or update firm settings.
C Navigation Pane Allows you to quickly navigate to different modules of Amicus.
D Home Screen Interactive home screen will display shortcuts in tile form. You are 1 click
away from your timesheet or calendar.
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AMICUS MODULES
Amicus Attorney is designed as a series of modules that store firm information. Each module is
associated with an icon that you will see consistently throughout the program. The modules are described below.
Office
Click here to be taken back to the Home Screen. Setting Preferences, using
the Help Center or opening another office are available in the Office module. A tutorial office is also available for exploration.
Dailies Use Dailies to receive an overview of your day in Amicus including reminders, upcoming deadlines, and firm news or create a custom
dashboard for quick data entry.
Favorites Mark files, contacts or much more as a favorite for easy access in the Favorites module.
Files Files section acts like the firm file cabinet and is where you can work with the Amicus cases.
Calendar Open Calendar to review upcoming appointments for both you and others in your firm.
Tasks The Tasks section is for quickly add or marking complete To Dos.
People View the firm rolodex or contact list to maintain contact details for clients, companies or the firm directory.
Time Sheets Manage billable and non-billable time in the timesheet module.
Notes Start note records and associate them with files or contacts here.
Communications The Communication module or Comm. Center is designed to manage incoming and outgoing communications including phone, email and messages.
Documents View documents saved to the Amicus database and search for existing documents or add new document records.
Library Track research materials and share with other firm members from websites or online research services.
COMMUNICATION CENTER
All of the communications (phone calls, phone messages, and emails) will be displayed on the
communications page or Communications Center. You can easily associate a record to the Amicus file or mark outstanding items as dealt with. Amicus allows you to keep track all of the phone calls, emails, and phone messages sent/received from you and any other Firm Member.
1 Calls, Messages,
Emails
Use the checkboxes to filter the type of communication records to
include in your outstanding list.
= Phone Call
= Phone Message
2 Filter Options Filtering between date ranges, based on the contact or the Amicus file are options for searching communication records.
3 Add New The new button will create new messages, calls or emails from the Comm Center.
4 Email Record Outlook integration for incoming emails is available
5 Phone Record Incoming and outgoing phone calls can be tracked and saved to the Amicus file.
6 Phone Message Phone messages can be saved for colleagues and when urgent will appear in a red font.
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PHONE CALL
Amicus allows you to track phone calls directly from the Communications Center or anywhere you see
the telephone symbol. By adding a phone call record, the automatic timer will begin giving you a realistic time spent on a call and the ability to do a time entry right from the call record. Call history including firm member communications can also be viewed easily.
1 Firm Member Firm member that is making the call (can be From or To, depending on
whether the call is incoming/outgoing)
2 Contact (s) Contact(s) that are assigned to the phone call. This field can also be typed
in manually if the contact does not exist in Amicus.
3 File(s) File(s) that are assigned to the phone call. Phone calls will appear in the
Communications area of File Facts.
4 Date Date of phone call. This can be backdated if needed
5 Timer/
Time Spent
The timer will begin automatically when creating the phone note, and can
be adjusted manually if needed.
6 Call Status Track the status of the call: Spoke, Left Message, Voice Mail, Conference
Call, Busy, No Answer.
7 Description Notes from the call. Can optionally include these notes in time entry
created from the call.
8 Phone Number
Phone number of call – if contact is selected, will show all available
numbers. If contact is typed in manually, will be blank and can be typed in manually.
9 Call History Shows various historical phone calls, from the file selected, with the contact selected, or on a specific date.
10 Time Entry Create a time entry based on the phone notes and information.
11 Follow up Create a follow up task with information from the phone call. Will
automatically include the notes from the call.
12 Message Create a message for another team member which includes notes from
the call.
FILES
The Files module is your electronic file cabinet. When you open the Files module, you will be presented
with a file index containing all of your files. Instead of pulling a paper file from the file cabinet, you open your Amicus files by double clicking on the file name.
1 People on
the File
By default, the contacts on the file outside the firm will appear. The two
additional options include the firm members or all parties assigned to the file.
2 File Facts Various items that are linked to the file, including events, communications, chronology, etc. See additional details on next page.
3
File Index/
Client Portal
The index button allows you to quickly display the next or previous file by using the arrows. The portal and restrict buttons control sharing files via the
client portal or limiting access to the file.
4 People Assigned To File
Each contact related to the Amicus file will be listed along with their role on the file.
5 Contact
Card
This is the person’s business card showing their address, phone number, email address and includes shortcuts to add a phone call or start an email to
the contact.
6 Summary The file summary is the high level overview of the file and should be added during the file intake. Limit this to a few brief paragraphs for other colleagues to learn a description of the file.
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FILE FACTS
The file facts menu is included on every file displaying on the left hand pane to list all related records. This area is designed for easy navigation of the file including the original intake details. All file details
are automatically collected in the file facts.
Summary Notepad that allows for short description of file or relevant data
Status Report Notepad that allows you to keep record of critical status points for the file
Notes
Main Note: Notepad for general notes
My Note: Notes that you created on the file All File Notes: All team member notes on the file
Related Files Link to other Amicus files in the database
Events List of events (To Dos and Appointments) on the file. Can view All File
Events, or your own To dos and Appointments.
Time Spent List of Time and Expenses on the File. Can also view My Time Spent and
All Time Spent
Communications List of phone calls, emails, and messages on the File. Can also view own
calls, messages, or emails
Documents List of folders and/or files linked to the File. May also link to Worldox.
Research List of Library Pages and Queries specific to the File
Chronology List of all events, time entries, communications, notes and documents on the file. Can be saved in various formats and/or searched
Custom Pages Custom information assigned to File Type (may include text boxes, numeric information, drop-down lists, dates, etc). Can be searched, and
used with generating documents
Custom Records Custom information assigned to File Type with multiple rows. Examples
may include medical records, etc.
Shared with Clients
Information that has been shared with client in Client Portal. Requires active Amicus Advantage Plan.
Admin Includes administrative and accounting information such as Full Client Name, Primary Client, rates, billing status, links to accounting programs,
Responsible Attorney, Dates Opened, File Types
TIME ENTRY
The Time Sheets module provides you with a place to capture the time you spend on particular files so you can easily send those time entries to your firm’s accounting program. Since you will be working in Amicus
all throughout the day, being able to enter your time directly into Amicus increases the likelihood that the billable event will get recorded and properly billed to a client.
1 Timekeeper Timekeeper can be changed to another timekeeper, if needed.
2 File File Selected
3 Date Date will default to Today, unless created from another record (i.e. if
created from Calendar entry, will be date of calendar item).
4 A/R & WIP Work in Progress and Accounts Receivable for file (only shown if
Amicus Premium Billing is enabled)
5 Billing Rate Billing Rate for the particular entry - will default to the billing rate for
the file.
6 Activity Code Activity Code - within preferences, user can designate most commonly used billing codes. Some billing systems require a specific billing code.
7 Activity Description Activity description which will appear on the invoice. Depending on the method of creating the time entry, may be filled in automatically.
8 Billing Behavior This will only be present if Amicus Premium Billing is enabled.
9 Time Spent Total Time Spent. Can be used in conjunction with Timer.
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PEOPLE
The People module is essentially your firm rolodex or global contact list. This index should contain information regarding every person or company with whom your firm has worked with. This includes
clients, lawyers, witnesses, judges, etc. In Amicus Attorney, contacts can be related to their place of business or other contacts such as a relative.
1 Related Records View records related to the primary client including file list, contact group membership, events, etc.
2 QuickEdit Add communication or address information for a person by printing or pasting text into the QuickEdit box.
3 Contact Card
Contact cards display the basic contact details for individuals or businesses and the primary contact method is the main display.
Alternative phone numbers or addresses can be seen using the black arrow dropdown.
4 Reminder Set a reminder on contacts for follow-up communications by adding a date reminder.
5 Display Window The display window will list related records and in this case is displaying the contact’s main note.
CALENDAR
Each user in Amicus has their own, individual calendar. With one mouse click, however, you can see the
calendar for others in your firm. Your To Do list is also displayed from this module. The calendar can be viewed in a day, week, month, year, or range view. You can also add custom calendar views or add new events from the calendar.
1 Group Calendar Allows you to quickly view other team members’ calendars
2 Custom Calendar Profile Create custom calendar views for departments, date ranges, specific team members, etc.
3 Mini Calendar View
Quickly Navigate to other dates on calendar. Items in Red have either To Do or Appointments.
4
Appointments Appointments should be linked to Files and/or People. They can be color coded by category
5 Tasks
Tasks for the day will appear on the right side of the calendar, as well as in the Tasks Module. This list can also be
toggled to show the Communications, Appointments, or Time Entries for the day.
6 Calendar Views Toggle between Day/Week/Range/Month/Year or List View
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EVENT
1 Title Descriptive title of appointment
2 Do Button When paired with “Assistance Setup”, can be used to create a phone
note, visit a website, create an email, and other tasks
3 Date Date appointment will appear on the calendar
4 Category Defines the type of event (list can be customized by administrator);
Events can be color coded and reports created based on type of event
5 File Assigned Links the appointment to the specific file(s); Event will appear in file
event list and chronology
6 Team Members Team Members assigned to this event; will appear on their personal calendar
7 Contacts Contact(s) assigned to this event; will appear in the contact event list
8 Reminders Set up to three reminders (via e-mail or sticky) prior to the event.
9 Repeat Repeat event based on specific interval (daily, weekly, monthly, etc)
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Main Note Additional descriptions/notes for events. This will also appear in the Outlook notes if user is synchronizing calendar.
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History Automatic audit trail for changes made to the event (i.e. date change, category or title changed, etc)
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Status Bar Allows for additional functions such as creating time entry, restricting access, checking availability for other users, etc.
TO-DOS (TASKS)
Your Amicus calendar contains your To Do (task) list. The Amicus To Do list is much like an old fashioned list written on paper. An item stays on your list until you mark it done. Similar to the shared
calendar appointments, firms can share or delegate tasks to one another. If you have a To Do on your list today and you mark it done, it will no longer show up on tomorrow’s list.
1 Date The initial date that the task will appear on the Calendar / Task list
2 Milestone Designation for Tasks that do not automatically move forward (often used for
Statute of Limitations)
3 Deadline The deadline of the task. Tasks with deadlines will have a “countdown” of days left until due. The task will also show on the deadline date.
4 Priority Designation of priority level (Top, High, Average, Low, Soon, Someday). Task Items can be sorted by priority
5 Done Marking this checkbox sets the task status to Done. Will remain in the
calendar and chronology, but no longer move forward
6 Progressive Priority
After specified number of days on task list, priority level will increase
7 Completion Status
Optional method to track completion status of event.
