Closing Matters in Orion
This is now changed with Orion. Moving forward, closing client matters will be a two-part process, and the two processes don’t have to be handled at the same time
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Step 1: Accounting/Conflicts—we can now start closing matters in Orion (by inserting a closed date when you tell accounting that a matter is completed). Further, we no longer have to wait for all Accounts Receivable to be paid or written off. Getting your matters timely closed in Orion will assist in fewer prebills being run, as well as identifying the closed date of those matters when they appear in subsequent conflict checks.
If the work on the matter is completed, you can put a note on the e-prebill, or you can email Accountsreceivable@vogellaw.com with matter name (and number) to be closed. No separate file closure sheet is needed for this. Accounting will enter the closed date as soon as time allows (and it is accounting’s busy season already). Likewise, if you need your active matter list to catch up on closures, please send the request to Accountsreceivable@vogellaw.com, and they will send you a list so that you can review for matters ready to be closed and you can advise accounting as to matters to close.
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Step 2: Records Management (i.e., physical and electronic file review and retention/destruction for closed matters). We are not ready to implement this second step in 2024. This will be a different process than before. As soon as we are able in 2025, we will have an updated process in place for the attorney review, retention and eventual destruction of closed client matters. This process is not ready because we need to start addressing not only physical file review/retention as we have done in the past, but review and disposition of electronic files as well—our data storage costs are growing rapidly. All of this entails implementing records management tools in both Orion and NetDocuments that need to be set up, and putting in place (and training on) the steps that attorneys and staff will need to follow moving forward.
Again though, records management is now separate from closing matters for accounting and conflicts purposes in Orion, so please close matters when the work is complete under Step 1. We will be able to run reports later that track all matters that have been closed in Orion (something we were not able to do in Rainmaker) so that they can be adequately dealt with once we are ready to implement the new records management under Step 2.