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CounselLink Answer Center for Law Firms

Using Documents

  • Updated

This article covers the following:

Adding a Document

You can add any supported document type directly from the Documents tab or the Document Overview page.

  1. Perform one of the following actions to access the Add Documents page:

    • Click the +Add Document button in the upper right corner of the Documents Search page.

      -- or --

    • Click the Add Document (plus sign) button. On the Document Overview page.

    The Add Documents page displays.

  2. Upload a document by one of the following methods:

    • Enter the link (URL) to the document(s) to be uploaded under the Upload Documents section.

      Enter the full link including the http:// or https://.

    • Drag and drop a file into the Drag and Drop section.
    • Click Choose a file to access the document directory / location.

  3. Under the Documents Details section, enter values in all applicable fields.

    Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

    Column Description
    Document Name*

    Type in a name for the document, which will appear in the Name column during document searches.

    If you are adding multiple files, this field is not available. You can specify each individual document's name at a later time as described in the next section.
    Document Type* Select the type of object the document will be attached to from the drop down. This selection will inform the options available in the 'Linked To' field.
    Linked To

    Find the object (invoice, matter, etc.) by clicking this field and searching for it in the window.
    Category* Choose the description that best matches the document.
    Owner* Your user name is populated automatically. Click the ... button to search for the name of the person who owns the document.
    Who can view this document?*

    Select a security option from the drop down list.

    This option is only available if your client has the new document security feature turned on. If it is, the 'Shared' and 'Access Level' fields will not display.
    Shared* Determine the type of users who can view the document. Selecting No restricts the document to only corporate client users. See the table below for more information.
    Access Level* Determine which users can view the document. See the table below for more information.
    Status

    Specify the state of the document.

    If a document's status is set to N/A, it's Status field will display "Document Not Applicable."
    Description Enter text about the document. This text, in its entirety, will appear in the search results list. Keep it as short and succinct as possible. A maximum of 255 characters is allowed.
    Keywords Enter single words that may be used to search for this document.

    Access level information:

    Shared Access Level Who Can See the Document?
    No Private

    Matter: All law firm document administrators in the matter contact office, and the document owner.

    Invoice: All law firm document administrators in the contact office of the invoice, and the document owner.
    No Public

    Matter: All law firm matter participants.

    Invoice: All law firm users who access invoices.
    Yes Public

    Matter: All corporate client users and law firm users who are participants or staff on the matter.

    Invoice: All law firm and corporate client users who access invoices.
    Yes Private Invoice: All law firm document administrators in the matter participant office of the invoice plus the document owner.
  4. Click Upload Document(s). The Document Overview page displays.

Checking In/Out Document

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The document check in and out feature allows you to ensure a document is not altered by another user while it is checked out by you.

This feature is only available for Advanced or Premier clients. You must be the document owner or have the Document Administrator role to check a document in or out. If a document is checked out, it cannot be edited or deleted by another user except the Document Administrator. Document Administrators have the right to override a lock on a document.

 

Users with the appropriate permissions are able to:

  • Lock a document from being edited by other organization users.
  • Remove an existing lock previously created.
  • View details for users who have locked a document.
  • Override an existing lock.
  1. Check in or out a document by one of two ways:

    • Select a document name under the Documents tab on the Matter Overview page, and click Check Out or Check In.

    • Click the Check Out or Check In icon on the Document Overview page.

  2. Optional: If checking a document back in, you can upload a new version.

    1. If needed, drag a new version of the document into the window or choose a file name from your computer.

    2. Select if you wish to release the lock on the document so others can edit.
    3. Click Save.

Document Comments

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Comments on a Document can be used to communicate with the other users that have access to it. Once you add a comment, you can edit or delete it as necessary.

Adding comments

  1. Click the Comments tab on the Document Overview page.

  2. Click the Add Comment button. The Add Comment window opens.

  3. Enter your comment in the comment box. Use the formatting options if necessary:
    • B: Bold the selected text.
    • I: Italicize the selected text.
    • U: Underline the selected text.
    • Tx: Remove all formatting from the selected text. This is helpful if you are pasting text into the comment from another source.

  4. If you wish to tag a user, enter an Ampersand (@) followed by three characters to identify and tag a user. You can tag multiple users in a comment. Click the name to add them.

    The tagged user will be sent an email notification with a link to the comment.

  5. Select an option in the Shared With field:
    • Everyone - Shared with client and law firm users who have access to the object it is linked to.
    • Client Only - Shared only with client users who have access to the object it is linked to.
  6. Click Save.

Editing Comments

  1. Place the cursor / hover over the comments to be edited and then click the Edit (pencil) icon located at the far right of the screen to display the Edit Comment window.

  2. Update / make changes to the comments as appropriate.
  3. Click Save to be returned to the Document Overview screen.
  4. Optional: Click the Scroll To Top (arrow) icon in the lower far right-hand corner of the screen to scroll to the top of the screen.

Deleting comments

  1. Place the cursor / hover over the Reply to be edited and then click the Delete (trash can) icon located at the far right of the screen to display the Delete Comment screen.
  2. Click Delete.

Editing a Document

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You can edit the details of a single document.

You must have the Document Administrator role or be the owner of a document to edit its details.

  1. Access the Documents/Edit Document page by one of two ways:

    • Select a document name from the Document Search page, and click Edit.

  1. Edit the document's details needed. See the Adding a Document section in this article for more information.
  2. Click Save Changes.

Deleting a Document

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You can delete a document if it is no longer needed. Once it is deleted, the document is removed from CounselLink permanently. You can delete a document from the Document Search page, the Document Overview page, or the Matter Overview page.

You can delete a document in two locations:

  • Select the check box that corresponds to the document you want to remove on the Document Search page, and click the Delete button.

  • Click the Delete button in the upper right corner of the Document Overview page.

With both methods, you will be asked to confirm the deletion. Click Yes, Delete.

Deleting a Document from the Matter Overview Page

  1. Click the Documents tab on the Matter Overview page.
  2. Place a check mark in the box next to the document to be deleted.

  3. Click the Delete button. The Confirm Delete window displays. The window confirms the number of documents you wish to delete.

  4. Click Delete. Documents that are unable to be deleted are listed with a reason.

Copying a Document

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You can create a copy of an existing document from the Documents Search page or from the Document Overview page.

You must be the document owner or have the Document Administrator role to copy an existing document. You can also copy multiple documents from the Documents Search page; see the section below for more details.

  1. Perform one of the following actions to access the Copy Document page:

    • Select a document on the Document Search page, and click Copy.

      -- or --

    • Click the Copy Document icon on the Document Overview page.

    The Copy Document page displays with the inherited settings from the original document.

  2. Enter a new name for the document in the Document Name field. By default, the string "Copy of" is added to the beginning of the existing name.
  3. Edit any other details as needed. See the Adding a Document section in this article for more information.
  4. Click Save Changes.

Copying Multiple Documents

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You can copy more than one document at the same time.

You must be the document owner or have the Document Administrator role to copy existing documents.

  1. Locate the documents on the Documents Search page or the Matter Overview page.
  2. Select the check box(es) to the left of the document name(s). The total number of selected documents appears at the top of the list.

  3. Click the Copy button. The Copy Documents window displays.

    If you do not have permission to copy a selected document, an alert message appears, and the individual document is automatically removed from the list. You can review the removed document by clicking the Show Details link to the right of the message.

  4. Fill in the fields as needed.

    Any details that are left blank are not changed in any of the selected documents. See the Adding a Document section in this article for more information.

  5. Click Save Changes.

Editing Multiple Document Details Simultaneously

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You can edit a subset of the document details for multiple documents at the same time.

The following details (none of which are required) can be edited using this option:

  • Owner
  • Category
  • Document Type
  • Linked To
  • Revision
  • Status
  • Description
  • Keywords
  1. Locate the documents on the Documents Search page or the Matter Overview page.
  2. Select the check box(es) to the left of the document name(s). The total number of selected documents appears at the top of the list.

  3. Click the Edit button. The Edit Documents window displays.

    If you do not have permission to edit a selected document, an alert message appears, and the individual document is automatically removed from the list. You can review the removed document by clicking the Show Details link to the right of the message.

  4. Edit the document's details as needed.
  5. Click Save Changes.