Managing staff and user permissions

Ensure sensitive data is entrusted to the right users by setting up different access levels for staff members.

User Permissions you can edit in the Desktop App

View and edit restrictions can be set for:

• Individual matters
• All Billing features in the Smokeball Web App
• Hourly Rates and Time Entries of each staff member
  • This option is only available if Billing App access is disabled.
  • Note: Disbursements will still be visible to all staff even if access to time entries is restricted. 
• Billing reports
• Trust accounts
• Precedents in the Precedent Library
• The Archie tab in a matter

Billing App Permissions

The Billing App column allows you to grant or remove access to view billing features available in the Smokeball Web App.

Once you remove Billing App access, you can choose to limit access to one or more of the following features:

• Invoices
• Trust Accounts and Reconciliation
• Billing Reports
• Time & Fee entries

Users without access to the Billing App can still log in to the web app and access productivity features such as matters, contacts, tasks, calendars and messages.

Precedent Permissions

The Precedent Changes column allows you to edit access to the Precedent Library. Edit restrictions include:

• Adding, renaming, and deleting a Precedent, Folder, or Precedent Profile
• Importing, replacing, converting, or changing a version of a Precedent
• Creating a copy of a Precedent or Folder
• Modifying and moving a Precedent or Folder
• Creating shortcuts of a Precedent or Folder
• Accepting and rejecting published Precedent changes
• Restoring Deleted Precedents, Folders, or Precedent Profiles

Archie Permissions

The Archie column manages access to Smokeball's AI Legal assistant Archie for the specific user, namely the Archie tab in a lead or matter file and all Archie settings.

Settings Permissions

The Settings column allows you to restrict non-Firm Owner users from making changes in Smokeball Settings that affect the whole firm.

When this permission level is applied, the only areas the staff member can access in Smokeball Settings are:

• Their Staff Card in the Staff & Users tab
• The Outlook and Notifications tab

In addition, the staff member can only access billing-related settings in the Firm Settings of the Smokeball Web App:

Edit User Permissions in the Smokeball Desktop App

1. Select the Settings (gear) icon in Smokeball to access Smokeball Settings.
2. Select Staff & Users from the left menu and then select the Permissions button.
   • Note: Permissions can only be accessed by Firm Owners.
     
3. Select a user from the left-hand Name column to access their permissions.
4. Under each column, tick the level of access for each section that the user should have.
   
   
   
   You must untick the Billing App permission to restrict Hourly Rate, Time Entry and Billing widget permissions.
5. Select Save & Close at the bottom right-hand corner to apply your changes. 

User Permissions you can edit in the Web App

In the Web App, you can further customise permissions in regard to accessing accounts, reporting information and ability to manually process payments and receipts.

If Global Accounts is unchecked, the staff member will no longer have access to the Accounts section and financial summaries in the Invoices section of the web app.

If Reports is unchecked, the staff member will no longer have access to the entire Reports section.

The Clearance Override column allows you to designate certain non-Firm-Owner users to manually mark a pending invoice payment or trust receipt as processed, bypassing your firm's set Clearance Days. 

Note: Firm Owner designated staff members will have access to all Web App permissions.

Edit User Permissions in the Smokeball Web App

To access web app permissions:

1. Select the Settings (gear) icon and click on Firm Settings.
   
2. Select Staff & Users on the left panel. This section is only available to Firm Owners.
3. Select Permissions. 
4. Check or uncheck the Global Accounts/Reports features for each staff member, depending on their access needs.
   
5. Select Save.