Managing staff and user permissions

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

Permissions in Smokeball are managed in two areas:

• The Smokeball Desktop App
• The Smokeball Web App

Before you begin: You must have Firm Owner permissions in order to view and edit User Permissions for all staff.

Permissions in the Smokeball Desktop App

Billing App

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

If you untick Billing App access for a staff member, you can still choose if that staff member can view and edit hourly rates and/or time entries for other staff members, as well as access to the billing widget in all matters.

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. However, clicking on any billing-related areas (such as trust account summary figures or billing dashboard items) will result in an insufficient permissions message:

Once you remove Billing App access, you can choose to further limit access to features in the Smokeball Web App by editing the permissions there.

Precedent Changes

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

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, the Archie matter widget, and all Archie settings.

Settings 

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:

Permissions in the Smokeball Web App

In the Web App, you can further customise permissions to access the following billing-related features:

• Invoicing
• Accounts
• Cost Recoveries
• Reports
• Billing Settings
• Clearance override (the ability to manually process payments and receipts)

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. On the Permissions tab, configure the level of access for the relevant staff member/s.
4. Select Save.

Invoices

For Invoice permissions, the access options are Full Access, Read Only and No Access:

Full Access: Users retain full ability to:

• Create, edit, finalise, and delete invoices
• Apply, edit, and reverse payments
• Manage payment plans
• Use all bulk and quick actions

Read Only: Users can view invoice information, but cannot create or modify invoices or payments.

• On the Finalised invoice screen, Read Only users can Email, Download, View Payment Detail and view history. They can also view the Entries and Payments tabs. All other buttons are visible but disabled (not clickable).
• On the Draft Invoice screen, Read Only users can only view the draft preview, close the invoice, or link the invoice to a matter. All other actions are disabled.
• On the Payment Details screen, the Delete and Reverse actions are removed.
• On the main Invoices screen, the Add Payment and Bulk Actions buttons are disabled. The Create Invoices and Trust to Office tabs are also disabled. On the Reminders tab, the Bulk Actions button is disabled.
• On Matter > Invoices, Create Invoice, Add Payment and Bulk Actions buttons are disabled.
• On Matter > Time & Fees and Matter > Cost Recoveries, Create Invoice is disabled.
• On Contact > Invoices, Create Invoice, Add Payment and Bulk Actions buttons are disabled.
• On Contact > Payment Plans, Add Payment, Edit Plan and Close Plan are disabled. Create New Plan is also disabled.
• The Payments option is not selectable under the Quick Add menu on the top-right corner of the Smokeball Web App.

No Access: Users cannot access invoices or related billing data, even if they see related tabs or links.

The following areas show the tab/section, but users with No Access cannot select or open them:

• Main Invoices screen
• Matter > Invoices
• Contact > Invoices
• Accounts > Invoice Ledger
• Accounts > Client Communications
• Matter > Transactions > Invoice Ledger
• Matter > Transactions > Client Communications
• Contacts > Ledger > Invoice Ledger
• Main Contacts screen > Payment Plans
• Contacts > Payment Plans
• Matter Overview
  • Invoicing tile is removed
  • Users will see the “surface” in some cases (e.g., tab labels) but will not be able to interact with them.

The following areas will display a "You do not have permission to access this area" message if the user tries to navigate to any invoice-related page from:

• Time & Fees (main page and via the matter)
• Cost Recoveries (main page and via the matter)
• Descriptions and ledger lines that link to Trust Account, Operating Account and the Credit Memo Ledger
• Split Billing invoices

Other restrictions include:

• Unbilled and Due columns are removed from the matter list.
• Unbilled, Unpaid and Overdue amounts are hidden from the balance summary at the top of matters.
• Unpaid and Overdue amounts are hidden from Contacts.

Accounts

For Accounts permissions, the access options are Full Access, Read Only and No Access:

Full Access: Users can view and edit all accounts information for all matters, without any restrictions.

Read Only: Users can view but not edit accounts information for all matters.

• The Accounts section on the left panel of the Smokeball Web App remains visible but is disabled.

  

• When opening the Transactions tab in a matter or contact, transactions remain viewable, but Reverse Transaction is unavailable.

  

• In the list of transactions for Trust Accounts and CMAs, the buttons to Deposit Funds, Create/Request Payment, Transfer Funds and Protect Funds are disabled.

  

• Printing receipts remains available.

No Access: Users are restricted from viewing accounts data for any matter.

• The Accounts section on the left panel of the Smokeball Web App is disabled.

• When opening the Transactions tab in a matter or contact, the Invoice Ledger will be shown when Invoice permissions allow.

  • If both Invoices and Accounts are set to No Access, the Transactions tab is disabled.

• Trust Account and Controlled Money Account-related sections are hidden from the Invoice section summary.

   

• If Smokeball Payments is active, the Manage Account button is removed from Payment Provider Settings.

Cost Recoveries

For Cost Recovery permissions, the access options are Full Access and Read Only:

Full Access: Users can add, edit and delete cost recoveries without any restrictions.

Read Only: Users can view existing cost recovery details, but not add or delete any cost recoveries.

On the Smokeball Web App, users with Cost Recovery Read Only permissions will experience the following:

• They cannot create a new cost recovery from the Create New (+) menu on the top-right corner of the screen.
• When accessing the Time/Fees section from the left panel, then navigating to Cost Recoveries:

  • Quick Add is disabled.

  • Cost Recovery details opens in read-only mode (fields cannot be edited).

  • Actions are disabled: New Cost Recovery Entry, Print Cheques, View Office Payments, Create Cheque

  • Print and CSV export remain available.

  • Filters remain available and functional.

• When accessing the Time/Fees tab in a matter, then navigating to Cost Recoveries:

  • Quick Add is disabled.

  • Cost Recovery details opens in read-only mode (fields cannot be edited).

  • Actions are disabled: New Cost Recovery Entry, Bulk Actions

  • Print and CSV export remain available.

• On the Draft Invoice screen:

  • Add Entry (Cost Recovery) is disabled.

  • In-line editing of existing cost recovery line items is disabled.

  • Cost Recovery item checkbox selection remains available.

On the Smokeball Desktop App, users with Cost Recovery Read Only permissions will experience the following:

• The ability to add a cost recovery, including Quick Add, is disabled on the Matter View and Time & Cost Recoveries tab

• Users can open existing cost recovery details, but the cost recovery window is read-only (fields cannot be edited).

Reports

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

Billing Settings

The Billing Settings permission enables or disables user from accessing Firm Settings on the Web App, regardless of their permissions on the Smokeball Desktop App.

Clearance Override

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.