Training 112: Case Management Board

Case Management Board in Prima.Law

The Case Management Board in Prima.Law is a powerful tool that provides visibility into the overall workload of your firm. By offering real-time insights into case progress, assignments, and statuses, the board allows you to manage your practice efficiently and effectively. Here’s how to make the most of this essential feature.

Benefits of the Case Management Board

  • Workload Visibility: See the progress of all cases across your firm at a glance.
  • Customizable Views: Create custom filters and views to focus on specific cases or team members.
  • Streamlined Management: Identify bottlenecks, track assignments, and balance workloads.

Navigating the Case Management Board

  1. Columns Overview:
    • Contact Name: Links to the client’s profile.
    • Case Name: Links to the case details.
    • Case Type: Identifies the type of case (e.g., I-130).
    • Primary Attorney and Paralegal: Shows assigned staff.
    • Status: Tracks the current stage of the case (e.g., “Not Assigned,” “On Hold,” “Case Production”).
    • Meta Status: Indicates who the case is waiting on (e.g., Client, Attorney, Law Office, Government, or Court).
    • Other Fields: Includes creation date, due date, priority, tags, and more for detailed tracking.
  2. Grouping and Filtering:
    • Use Group By to organize cases by fields like status or meta status.
    • Apply Filters to narrow down cases by criteria such as case type, assigned staff, or open/closed status.

Using Filters and Groups

  1. Group Cases by Meta Status:
    • Go to Group By and select “Meta Status.”
    • See cases grouped by whether they’re waiting on the client, attorney, staff, or government.
    • Click on a group to view specific cases.
  2. Filter Cases:
    • Example: To view all open I-130 cases:
      • Apply a filter: “Case Type contains I-130” and “Open/Closed equals Open.”
      • Combine filters for more refined searches, such as filtering by paralegal or attorney.
  3. Save Custom Views:
    • Create a custom view for specific case types or staff workloads.
    • Example: Filter all open cases assigned to a specific paralegal and save the view for quick access.

How to Add a Custom Meta Status in the Case Management Board

Prima.Law includes a set of default Statuses and Meta Statuses (such as Waiting on Client, Waiting on Attorney, Waiting on Government, etc.) to help firms track case progress. However, every firm’s workflow is unique — which is why you can easily create your own custom Statuses and Meta Statuses.

To create a new Meta Status:

  1. Navigate to your Case Management Board.
  2. Find the Status or Meta Status column.
  3. Click on any existing status in the list.
  4. Scroll to the bottom of the dropdown menu and select + Add Meta Status.
  5. In the pop-up window, type your desired Status Name (for example, Waiting for USCIS or Waiting for DOL).
  6. Choose a background color and text color to customize how the status will appear on the board.
  7. Click Save to apply your new Meta Status.

Your newly created Meta Status will now appear in the dropdown list for all users in your firm, allowing you to categorize and manage cases with greater precision.

Tip:

You can create as many custom statuses as you need to reflect your firm’s internal process. If your firm uses specialized workflows, this flexibility helps ensure your Case Management Board stays fully aligned with how your team operates.

Managing Workloads

  1. Identify Bottlenecks:
    • Use grouping and filtering to see where cases are stalled.
    • Example: Group by meta status to identify cases “Waiting on Client” or “Waiting on Attorney.”
  2. Reassign Cases:
    • If a staff member is overloaded, reassign cases to balance the workload.
    • Example: Filter cases by paralegal and reassign as needed.
  3. Track Deadlines and Tasks:
    • Review columns for due dates, last contact dates, and last tasks to ensure cases are on track.

Creating Reports

  1. Generate Reports by Grouping:
    • Group cases by status or meta status to create reports for team meetings.
    • Example: Identify all cases “Waiting on Client” to follow up on pending tasks.
  2. Export Data:
    • Download filtered case lists for offline review or sharing with staff.
    • Use filters like “Case Type contains I-130” to generate targeted reports.

Pro Tips

  1. Maximize Your Workspace:
    • Hide menus or zoom out to view more cases at once.
    • Use wide monitors for an expanded view of the board.
  2. Empower Your Staff:
    • Train staff to create custom views of their assigned cases.
    • Encourage proactive workload management by enabling them to see other staff members’ cases.
  3. Use Tags for Organization:
    • Tag cases by referral source, VIP status, or other categories for easy identification.

Examples of Use Cases

  1. For Attorneys:
    • View overall firm progress.
    • Track open cases and identify areas needing attention.
  2. For Paralegals:
    • Create views of all assigned cases.
    • Use grouping to identify tasks requiring immediate action.
  3. For Case Managers:
    • Balance workloads across staff.
    • Generate daily or weekly reports to track firm productivity.

Summary

The Case Management Board in Prima.Law provides a bird’s-eye view of your firm’s operations. By combining filters, groups, and saved views, you can efficiently manage cases, balance workloads, and ensure nothing slips through the cracks. Start using this powerful tool today to take control of your firm’s case management and improve overall efficiency!

Last updated byDavid