Getting Started
An administrator's first-run checklist: enable the module, build its tables, grant access by role, check the reference catalog, and (optionally) load the demo dataset to explore.
1 · Enable the module
- The
module_law_officesetting ships enabled by the core seed migration. Confirm it under Settings → Manage Modules → Law Office (category Operations). - Run the module migrations so the 21
law_*tables exist on every database:
On a multi-tenant install this applies the per-modulephp erpat migrate:modulesmigrations_law_officeset to the main database and every active tenant. - Reload the dashboard — a Law Office group appears in the left menu with Command Center, Intakes, Matters, Parties, Docket, Reports and Settings.
2 · Grant permissions (Roles editor)
The module declares 25 permission keys, grouped under “Law Office: …” categories. A practical starting split:
| Role | Grant |
|---|---|
| Managing partner | Everything, including law_office_intakes_decide, law_office_conflicts_decide, law_office_deadlines_verify, law_office_restricted_view, law_office_reports. |
| Handling lawyer | law_office, parties/matters + CRUD, law_office_docket + law_office_docket_manage, law_office_deadlines_verify, tasks + documents manage. |
| Paralegal / staff | law_office, parties + create/update, intakes + create/update, law_office_conflicts (run searches), docket manage, tasks + documents manage. No verify, decide, or restricted-view. |
| Firm administrator | law_office + law_office_settings (+ reports if desired). |
law_office_deadlines_verify (a deadline becomes
firm-trusted), law_office_conflicts_decide (a conflict is dispositioned), and
law_office_restricted_view (sees restricted matters firm-wide). Grant them to named lawyers only.
3 · Review the reference catalog
The migrations seed a Philippine starter catalog: 10 practice areas (Litigation, Corporate & Commercial, Labor, Family, Criminal, Taxation, IP, Property, Immigration, Special Projects) and 22 matter types (Civil Case, Special Proceeding, Appeal, NLRC Labor Case, Annulment, Ejectment, Tax/CTA Case, Notarial Services, …). Litigation-type matters automatically expose court/branch/docket fields. Curate the lists under Law Office → Settings.
4 · Check the module settings
| Setting | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Matter reference format | MAT-{YYYY}-{####} | Pattern for auto-issued matter references. |
| Intake reference format | INT-{YYYY}-{####} | Pattern for intake references. |
| Deadline reminder ladder | 10,5,3,1,0 | Days-before-due offsets on which the daily sweep reminds the assignee (0 = due day; overdue is flagged separately). |
5 · Load the demo dataset (optional, reversible)
php erpat db:seed LawOfficeDemo # load (idempotent — safe to re-run)
php erpat db:seed LawOfficeDemo --dry-run # preview
php erpat db:seed LawOfficeDemo --remove # soft-delete every demo rowThe demo seeds 8 parties (with aliases), 6 matters (one restricted), a hearing, a verified and a draft deadline, a task, a metadata-only document, and two intakes — one carrying a recorded conflict search whose hit was cleared with a waiver. It is also available from the Bulk Database Seeder modal.
6 · First real walk-through
- Register a party (Parties → Add) — the module derives the normalized conflict-search key and phonetic code automatically.
- Open an intake (Intakes → Add) and add the prospective client and known adverse parties to its party list.
- Run the conflict search from the intake's Conflict Check tab, review the hits, and record a disposition with a written rationale.
- Accept the intake — a matter opens, matched parties carry over, and the intake links to it permanently.
- Docket a hearing and draft a deadline, then have a permitted lawyer verify the deadline citing its source document.
The full daily procedures live in Operations.