LegalSuite Instant Messenger

(Revised 20 March 2009)

 

LegalSuite has recently upgraded the messaging system in the program.  We have incorporated a new system called LegalSuite Instant Messenger, which will automatically check for messages from L@W at regular intervals of your choosing, and will notify you by means of a pop-up message when new messages arrive.  You can also randomly check for messages coming in via L@W.

 

The LegalSuite Instant Messenger can also be used to send pop-up messages to other Employees in LegalSuite, and also has the facility to exit users from the program for the purposes of updating and maintenance.

 

 

Installing the LegalSuite Instant Messenger:

 

The LegalSuite Instant Messenger requires Microsoft .Netframework (version 2.0 or older) to be installed prior to the software successfully running. Should your machine not have Microsoft .Netframework already installed, when you try and run the LegalSuite Instant Messenger for the first time the system will notice this and an automatic installation of Microsoft .Netframework will begin (this will happen only once).

 

The rest of this application will automatically be installed with a LegalSuite program update, and no additional installation(s) is required.

 

 

Locating the LegalSuite Instant Messenger:

 

To start the LegalSuite Instant Messenger all you would need to do is to click on the  icon.

 

Once installed and running, the LegalSuite Instant Messenger is located on the right-hand side of your task bar, near the Windows clock, and is depicted by the  icon, as follows:

 

Figure #1: Locating the LegalSuite Instant Messenger on the task bar.

 

 

[NOTE: once the application is running EVEN if LegalSuite is closed the application will continue to run – if your machine reboots the software will AUTOMATICALLY restart]

 

Using the LegalSuite Instant Messenger:

 

In order to access the LegalSuite Instant Messenger, simply right-click on the  icon on the task bar.  The following pop-up will appear:

 

Figure #2: The LegalSuite Instant Messenger pop-up.

 

 

LegalSuite Instant Messenger Options:

 

Various functions can be performed using the LegalSuite Instant Messenger.  The following is a brief description of each of the options:

 

Select…

To…

…  send an instant pop-up message to other Employees in LegalSuite.

…  to select your message settings for both pop-up Instant Messages and Electronic Messages (from L@W).

…  exit all users from the program and shut down LegalSuite, either with a 40 second warning, or immediately.

…  check instantly for Electronic Messages received from L@W in between timed checks.

…  exit the LegalSuite Instant Messenger.

Figure #3: A brief description of the LegalSuite Instant Messenger functions.

 

 

LegalSuite Instant Messenger options explained:

 

The following is a more detailed explanation of each of the above options, and how to make your selection under each.

 

Send Message:

 

This option allows you to send messages to other users who are set up as Employees in LegalSuite.

 

·                Click on “Send Message”, and the following screen will appear:

 

Figure #4: Sending a message screen in LegalSuite Instant Messenger.

 

·                Click on the drop-down arrow next to the “Send To” field to access the list of other Employees in LegalSuite.  You can select an individual Employee, multiple employees’ or “Everyone”, which will send your message to all Employees in LegalSuite.

 

·                Type the message you wish to send in the “Message” field, as follows:

 

Figure #5: Completing the message screen.

 

·                Click on the  button or press ALT + S on your keyboard to send the message, or on the  button to cancel the message.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SENDING A MESSAGE LINKED TO A PARTICULAR MATTER IN LEGALSUITE

 

Should you wish to allocate a matter to any message then you would need to do the following:

 

 

You can choose to allocate a Matter by clicking on the  button. A drop down list will appear where you can select a matter to be allocated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Choose select and the highlighted matter will be assigned to the message to be sent as shown below:

 

 

 

 

A File Note will automatically be created in LegalSuite (with a copy of the message sent).

 

Receiving a message sent via the LegalSuite Instant Messenger:

 

·                Messages sent via the LegalSuite Instant Messenger to any Employee in LegalSuite will appear as a pop-up box above the task bar (near the clock), as follows:

 

Figure #6: Pop-up notification of a new message.

 

·                Click either on the blue “Message:” hyperlink or on the  icon on the task bar to view the message box, which will display the name of the Sender, the relating Matter (if there is one selected) as well as the date and time the message was sent, as follows:

 

Figure #7: A received message in the LegalSuite Instant Messenger.

 

·                Click on the  button to reply to the Sender of the message, or on the  button to close the message box.

 

NOTE: The pop-up notification in Figure #6 above will disappear after a few seconds.  If new messages are waiting to be read, the  icon on your task bar will change to , and will remain that way until the all messages have been read.

You can click on this icon to open any unread messages.

 

 

Settings:

 

The settings under this option allow you to choose how often LegalSuite checks for both Instant Messages (received from other Employees in LegalSuite) and Electronic Messages (sent via L@W).

 

·                Click on “Settings”, and on the “Instant Messages tab, as follows:

 

Figure #8: The Instant Messages settings option in LegalSuite Instant Messenger.

 

·                Click on the drop-down arrow at the “Check for Instant Messages every ? seconds” field, and select from “30”, “60” or “120” intervals.

 

·                Click on the drop-down arrow at the “Unread messages expire after ? days” field, and select from “2”, “5” or “Never”.

 

·                Click on the “Electronic Messages” tab, as follows:

 

Figure #9: The Electronic Messages settings option in LegalSuite Instant Messenger.

 

·                Click on the drop-down arrow at the “Branch” field, and select your relevant branch.

 

·                Click on the “Check for Electronic Messages every ? minutes” field, and select from “2”, “5”, “10”, “30”, “60” or “Never” intervals.

 

·                Click on the  button to save your settings or on the  button to cancel.

 

NOTE: You will only need to select your Settings once, and save same.  It is advisable to do this as soon as the LegalSuite Instant Messaging is installed.

 

 

Shut Down LegalSuite:

 

PLEASE NOTE that this function is to be used for the purposes of updating and maintaining LegalSuite, or on specific instructions from LegalSuite technical staff.

 

·                Click on “Shut Down LegalSuite”.  The following will appear:

 

Figure #10: LegalSuite shut down options.

 

 

Warn before shutting down:

 

·                Click on the “Warn before shutting down” option to send a 40 second warning to other users logged into LegalSuite that the program will shut down.  The following pop-up box will appear above the task bar (near the clock):

 

Figure #11: Pop-up notification of a 40 second shut down warning message.

 

·                Click either on the blue Message: hyperlink or on the  icon on the task bar to view the shut down message, which will display the name of the Sender, as well as the date and time the message was sent, as follows:

 

Figure #12: 40 second shut down warning message.

 

NOTE: The pop-up notification in Figure #11 above will disappear after a few seconds.  If new messages are waiting to be read, the  icon on your task bar will change to , and will remain that way until the all messages have been read.

You can click on this icon to open any unread messages.

 

 

Shut down immediately:

 

·                Click on the “Shut Down Immediately” option to shut down LegalSuite immediately, without sending a warning to other users.  The following pop-up box will appear above the task bar (near the clock):

 

Figure #13: Pop-up notification of an immediate shut down message.

 

·                Click either on the on the blue Message: hyperlink or on the  icon on the task bar to view the shut down message, which will display the name of the Sender, as well as the date and time the message was sent, as follows:

 

Figure #14: Immediate shut down message.

 

·               The LegalSuite program will close down approximately 30 seconds after clicking on “Shut Down Immediately”.

 

NOTE: The pop-up notification in Figure #13 above will disappear after a few seconds.  If new messages are waiting to be read, the  icon on your task bar will change to , and will remain that way until the all messages have been read.

You can click on this icon to open any unread messages.

 

 

Check for Electronic Messages:

 

This option allows you to check for incoming Electronic Messages at any time.

 

Click on “Check for Electronic Messages” at any time by right clicking on the  icon on your toolbar and choosing this option from the list as shown below:

 

 

If you do not have a Branch selected the following message will appear:

 

 

To select a branch, choose YES and the following screen will appear:

 

 

Select the ElectronicMessages tab and select the relevant branch that you wish to import messages for, from the dropdown list available.

 

NOTE:

 

 

If you have messages from L@W waiting for you then the following pop-up will appear:

 

Figure #15: Pop-up message advising of any messages from L@W.

 

·                Go into the LAW Instructions tab on the LegalSuite Desktop and import the message in the usual way.

 

 

Exit:

 

When you try and exit LegalSuite the following message will appear:

 

 

This is just warning you that if you choose to shutdown the Messenger then you will no longer receive messages and will need to manually restart it.

 

Should you need to restart the Instant Messenger you can either start it as shown in “LOCATNIG THE INSTANT MESSENGING” or you would need to restart your machine (LegalSuite Instant Messenger restarts with your machine automatically)

 

This option will close the LegalSuite Instant Messaging. NOTE that the LegalSuite Instant Messenger will start up each time you start up your machine, and will appear on your task bar as .

---oooOooo---