Firm Management - Technical Specification

Law firm and attorney management system

Purpose

The Firm Management module manages law firms and attorneys who represent patients in medical-legal cases. Each legal case must be associated with a firm and assigned attorney. The system tracks firm details, attorney credentials, case assignments, and handles the relationship between firms and their cases for billing, reporting, and settlement distribution purposes.

Key Concepts

Term	Definition
Law Firm	Legal practice representing patients in personal injury cases
Attorney	Licensed legal professional assigned to cases
Paralegal	Legal assistant supporting attorney case management
Bar Number	State bar license number for attorneys
Retainer Agreement	Contract between firm and patient
Case Assignment	Linking cases to specific attorneys
Referral	Cases referred between firms
Co-Counsel	Multiple firms working on same case
Attorney Lien	Legal claim on settlement for fees
Settlement Distribution	Payment allocation from case settlement

User Roles

Role	Description	Permissions
Firm Administrator	Manages firm and attorney data	Full CRUD
Case Manager	Assigns cases to attorneys	Read, Update assignments
Attorney	Views and manages own cases	Read own cases, Update limited
Paralegal	Supports case management	Read, Update case notes
Financial Analyst	Reviews firm billing	Read, Reports
System Administrator	System configuration	All permissions

Field Documentation - Firm Entity

Field Name	Type	Required	Description	Validation Rules	Related Entity
ID	String	Yes	Unique firm identifier	Auto-generated CUID	Primary Key
Firm Name	String	Yes	Legal name of firm	Max 200 chars, unique	-
Firm Type	String	Yes	Type of legal practice	Enum: Personal Injury, Workers Comp, Medical Malpractice, General	-
Tax ID	String	Yes	Federal EIN	Format: XX-XXXXXXX, unique	-
State Bar Number	String	No	Firm's state bar registration	Alphanumeric	-
Primary Address	String	Yes	Main office address	Valid street address	-
City	String	Yes	City	Max 100 chars	-
State	String	Yes	State	2-letter state code	-
Zip Code	String	Yes	ZIP code	5 or 9 digits	-
Mailing Address	String	No	Mailing address if different	Valid street address	-
Mailing City	String	No	Mailing city	Max 100 chars	-
Mailing State	String	No	Mailing state	2-letter state code	-
Mailing Zip	String	No	Mailing ZIP	5 or 9 digits	-
Phone	String	Yes	Main office phone	10 digits	-
Fax	String	No	Fax number	10 digits	-
Email	String	Yes	Primary firm email	Valid email format	-
Website	String	No	Firm website	Valid URL	-
Managing Partner	String	No	Managing partner name	Max 200 chars	-
Primary Contact	String	Yes	Main contact person	Max 200 chars	-
Contact Title	String	No	Contact person's title	Max 100 chars	-
Contact Phone	String	Yes	Contact direct phone	10 digits	-
Contact Email	String	Yes	Contact email	Valid email format	-
Billing Contact	String	No	Billing department contact	Max 200 chars	-
Billing Email	String	No	Billing department email	Valid email format	-
Standard Fee Percentage	Decimal	Yes	Default attorney fee %	Between 0-50	-
Referral Fee Percentage	Decimal	No	Fee for referred cases	Between 0-50	-
Retainer Agreement Template	Document	No	Standard retainer	PDF format	Document
Firm Status	String	Yes	Current status	Enum: Active, Inactive, Suspended	-
Status Reason	String	No	Reason for status	Required if not Active	-
Contract Start Date	DateTime	Yes	Relationship start	Cannot be future	-
Contract End Date	DateTime	No	Relationship end	After start date	-
Preferred Communication	String	Yes	Communication preference	Enum: Email, Phone, Fax, Portal	-
Portal Access	Boolean	Yes	Has portal access	Default false	-
Notes	Text	No	Internal notes	Max 5000 chars	-
Created At	DateTime	Yes	Creation timestamp	Auto-generated	-
Updated At	DateTime	Yes	Update timestamp	Auto-updated	-
Created By	User	Yes	Creating user	Valid user ID	User
Updated By	User	Yes	Updating user	Valid user ID	User
Attorneys	Attorney[]	No	Firm attorneys	-	Attorney (1:Many)
Legal Cases	LegalCase[]	No	Firm's cases	-	LegalCase (1:Many)
Documents	Document[]	No	Firm documents	-	Document (1:Many)

Field Documentation - Attorney Entity

Field Name	Type	Required	Description	Validation Rules	Related Entity
ID	String	Yes	Unique attorney ID	Auto-generated	Primary Key
Firm	Firm	Yes	Associated law firm	Must be active firm	Firm
First Name	String	Yes	Attorney first name	Max 100 chars	-
Middle Name	String	No	Middle name/initial	Max 100 chars	-
Last Name	String	Yes	Attorney last name	Max 100 chars	-
Bar Number	String	Yes	State bar number	Unique, alphanumeric	-
Bar State	String	Yes	Bar admission state	2-letter state code	-
Bar Admission Date	DateTime	Yes	Date admitted to bar	Past date required	-
Bar Status	String	Yes	Bar standing	Enum: Active, Inactive, Suspended, Retired	-
Additional Bar States	String	No	Other state admissions	Comma-separated states	-
Email	String	Yes	Attorney email	Valid email, unique	-
Direct Phone	String	Yes	Direct phone line	10 digits	-
Mobile Phone	String	No	Cell phone	10 digits	-
Attorney Type	String	Yes	Role type	Enum: Partner, Associate, Of Counsel, Contract	-
Specializations	String	No	Practice areas	Comma-separated list	-
Case Load Limit	Integer	No	Max active cases	Positive integer	-
Current Case Count	Integer	Yes	Active cases count	Calculated field	-
Attorney Status	String	Yes	Current status	Enum: Active, Inactive, On Leave	-
Portal Access	Boolean	Yes	Can access portal	Default true	-
Digital Signature	Document	No	Signature file	PNG/JPG format	Document
Created At	DateTime	Yes	Creation timestamp	Auto-generated	-
Updated At	DateTime	Yes	Update timestamp	Auto-updated	-
Legal Cases	LegalCase[]	No	Assigned cases	-	LegalCase (1:Many)

Workflows

Firm Onboarding Workflow

1. Initial Setup

   • Collect firm information
   • Verify Tax ID
   • Check state bar registration
   • Set initial status

2. Attorney Registration

   • Add attorney profiles
   • Verify bar numbers
   • Set case load limits
   • Configure portal access

3. Document Collection

   • Retainer agreement template
   • Fee agreements
   • Firm authorization forms
   • Insurance verification

4. System Configuration

   • Set fee percentages
   • Configure billing preferences
   • Enable portal access
   • Set communication preferences

5. Activation

   • Final review
   • Activate firm status
   • Enable case assignments
   • Send welcome packet

Case Assignment Workflow

1. New Case Intake

   • Patient retains firm
   • Select primary attorney
   • Check case load capacity
   • Create retainer agreement

2. Attorney Assignment

   • Verify attorney availability
   • Check specialization match
   • Assign to attorney
   • Set paralegal if needed

3. Case Transfer

   • Document transfer reason
   • Select new attorney
   • Transfer case ownership
   • Update case records
   • Notify relevant parties

Settlement Distribution Workflow

1. Settlement Receipt

   • Receive settlement amount
   • Calculate attorney fees
   • Calculate referral fees
   • Determine medical liens

2. Distribution Calculation

   • Apply fee percentage
   • Deduct costs
   • Calculate patient portion
   • Generate distribution sheet

3. Payment Processing

   • Process attorney payment
   • Pay referral fees
   • Satisfy medical liens
   • Disburse patient funds

Business Rules

Firm Rules

• Tax ID must be unique
• At least one active attorney required
• Fee percentage cannot exceed 50%
• Firm must be active for new cases
• Cannot delete firm with active cases

Attorney Rules

• Bar number must be valid and unique
• Attorney must be in good standing
• Case load cannot exceed limit
• Must be associated with active firm
• Bar status verified annually

Assignment Rules

• Case requires active attorney
• Attorney must have capacity
• Specialization should match case type
• Conflicts of interest check required
• Transfer requires documentation

Fee Rules

• Standard fee applies unless overridden
• Referral fees require agreement
• Total fees cannot exceed legal limits
• Fee changes require case update
• Settlement requires fee disclosure

Integrations

System	Integration Type	Purpose
Legal Case Management	Direct Database	Case assignments
Patient Management	Direct Database	Retainer agreements
Financial System	Direct Database	Settlement distribution
Document Management	File System	Legal documents
State Bar API	External API	Attorney verification
Portal System	Web Service	Attorney/firm access
Email System	SMTP	Communications

Common Issues

Issue	Description	Resolution
Invalid Bar Number	Bar number not recognized	Verify with state bar
Case Overload	Attorney exceeds capacity	Reassign cases
Inactive Attorney	Attorney no longer practicing	Transfer all cases
Fee Disputes	Disagreement on fees	Review fee agreement
Portal Access Issues	Cannot access system	Reset credentials

Screenshots Needed

• Firm Registration Form
• Attorney Profile Management
• Case Assignment Interface
• Fee Configuration Screen
• Settlement Calculator
• Firm Dashboard
• Attorney Case List
• Bar Verification Tool
• Document Templates
• Communication Preferences

Performance Considerations

• Attorney search optimization
• Case load calculation caching
• Real-time availability checking
• Settlement calculation speed
• Document template loading

Security Considerations

• Attorney-client privilege protection
• Portal access controls
• Document encryption
• Audit trail for assignments
• Fee information protection

Notes

• Integration with state bar APIs varies by state
• Attorney verification required annually
• Settlement distributions are audited
• Portal access requires two-factor authentication