The Landmark Legal system consists of several modules which address the needs of professional organisations providing time-based consulting services. Fully integrated to Landmark Financial modules, the strength of the Legal System lies in the full accountability of both company and client funds with full audit controls and cross-system tracking. Automatic client invoicing facilities ensure that all time spent and costs incurred are fully recovered or written off, providing the internal controls necessary to maximise billings. In-depth analysis of business trends and profitability within and across departments and divisions is available using statistics on hours, billings and costs, allowing management decisions to be based on business history.
Time Costing is designed for the management of client accounts by professional groups providing time-based services. Work in progress performed for a client on specific matters is dissected into timed services at scale or non-scale rates, disbursements and sundry cost recovery eg phone, fax, FID, BAD etc. All activities are recorded as billable or nonbillable with full facilities for write-offs, write-ups and billings in advance. Automatic billing using defined parameters and optional trust fund reservation where appropriate provides internal control of the invoicing function. Time Costing history may be analysed by client, activity and consultant in any combination, enabling management decisions on areas of profitability and growth.
Client matters are recorded and analysed in Matter Management, where a detailed breakdown is available of each activity performed by consultants, including disbursement and sundry cost history. A user-defined database for each matter is provided, allowing the information held by matter to be tailored to suit. Each matter is defined according to scales rates used, automatic billing parameters, trust account details and work in progress dissected into hours and value for costs, write-offs, write-ups, reversals, expenses paid, invoices, and receipts. Outstanding work in progress inquiries and reports allow monitoring of client accounts down to matter level.
Maintaining the integrity of client funds within trust accounts is made simple with full bank reconciliation facilities, client statement printing and approved cashbook reporting provided. All trust fund movements are tracked by matter with prevention of overdraft situations using clearance dates for withdrawal of funds. To simplify processing and speed recovery of expenses, trust account funds may be automatically drawn for payment of approved client invoices and mortgage repayments creating cheques and journals ready for authorisation. Controlled Money and Litigation Loan accounts are optional and statutory deposit requirements are handled if required.
Where professional client fund management incorporates mortgage investments, the Mortgage Register provides full control of the lending and borrowing of funds including loan and interest repayments. Loans may be for interest only, or principal and interest, with simple or compound interest calculated using straight line or diminishing methods. Repayments due are automatically prepared for borrowers and funds received are automatically distributed to lenders after administration fees are recovered. Late payments may incur penalties which will be automatically calculated and reported. Contributory mortgages are also handled and all funds are processed through trust accounts with full control of cleared funds only.
The Deed Register provides control of documents by client, ensuring that important documents are properly recorded and linked to the appropriate owner. Deed packets which may contain multiple deeds are held by client and indexed by matter or mortgage to which they belong. Facilities for recording all movements of deeds is provided to allow tracking of removals and returns by date and person. Search keys are available to link documents by user-defined criteria, speeding access to specific documents when required.
