User preferences and program default settings may be configured from the Options screen under the Setup Menu.
Checking these options causes Advocate 2002 to use the Microsoft Jet database engine to compact the database records after use, removing wasted blank space left behind by deleted records.
Checkbox 1: Compact Advocate 2002 Program Database File Upon Exit - This choice will cause Advocate 2002 to automatically compact the Law Partner main database file when the program is exited.
Checkbox 2: Compact Case Database File After Use - This choice will cause Advocate 2002 to automatically compact the case database file when closing and saving changes to the case.
Password Setup: To setup a Advocate 2002 Password, press the Change Password button. If no password already exists, you will be prompted to enter a new password and then to confirm the password. If you are changing a password, you must first enter the original password. Once a password has been setup, the password prompt will appear when starting Law Partner. To remove a password, enter your original password then press the OK button to the right of the New Password and Confirm Password fields.
Password Entry Screen: Enter your password and press OK.
This allows the attorney to specify the most common Area of Practice and his/her name as the case's master attorney. These will appear automatically when setting up a case unless the setting is changed manually.
Checkbox: Start Work Timer Automatically When an Hourly Billed Case is Opened - This choice will cause Advocate 2002 to automatically start the work timer when a case with the Basis of Fee set to "Hourly" is opened for editing. To bypass this timer function on an hourly case, check the "Bypass Timer on Hourly Billed Case" checkbox found under the billing tab in the Case Details window for the case.
Billing Increments: While the work timer displays time spent on a task in minutes, billing is posted by billable hour increments. You may select for the timer to bill in 1/10th of an hour or 1/4 hour segments.
Checkbox: Show To-Do List automatically when a case is opened - This causes Advocate 2002 to display the case's to-do list automatically when a case is first opened. If you set this option to checked, the to-do list will recalculate the days remaining on each task scheduled. This is a good place to put any statutes of limitations which may expire in x-days as it will keep the countdown going.
Checkbox 1: Start Outlook Automatically When Advocate 2002 is Started. This option guarantees that Outlook runs when Advocate 2002 Runs. It is actually not necessary to set this unless you just want to. Law Partner automatically opens an instance of Outlook if one is not already running in cases where it needs to have Outlook running. If the Outlook Appointment Ticker is set to scroll appointments, Outlook is automatically started with Advocate 2002 if Outlook is not already running.
Checkbox 2: Always display tasks and calendar entries when created. If this setting is chosen, in instances where Outlook tasks and calendar entries are passed to Outlook directly from Advocate 2002, the tasks will be displayed allowing user editing. If unchecked, the task or appointment is created and saved to Outlook in the background and will appear in Outlook almost instantaneously.
The Outlook Appointment Ticker scrolls upto 30 days worth of appointment items at the bottom of the Advocate 2002 Main Screen.
Checkbox: Scroll Outlook Appointments Above Taskbar. If this option is chosen, Advocate 2002 places a ticker at the bottom of the main window and scrolls your appointments for x number of days (1-5) selectable below.
Ticker Color Preferences: Background and foreground colors for the Appointment Ticker may be selected from the color combo boxes. A preview window shows what the ticker will look like using the selected color scheme.
Ticker Speed Preference: The ticker speed may be controlled via the slider control.
Number of Days: You may select to scroll today plus up to 29 forward days in your Outlook appointment book.
Controls the appearance of the Advocate 2002 main window.
Checkbox 1: Show Advocate 2002 Program Toolbar. This displays the toolbar featuring the functions and tools used when a case is active and open.
Checkbox 2: Show Internet Explorer Address Bar. This displays the address bar which opens an Internet Explorer instance when a web URL is entered or selected from saved sessions.
Checkbox 3: Show Open Case Status Bar. This displays the name of the open case file in the status box at the bottom of the Law partner main window. Additionally, the task bar displays icons for the work timer (when it is inactive) and for the phone call timer so that it is easily accessible for use on incoming telephone calls.
Checkbox 4: Show Web Channels. This displays the Web Channels window with links to popular legal resources.
Controls the appearance of desktop background of the Advocate 2002 main window. The desktop may display a bitmapped graphic file (.bmp, .jpg, or .gif) in the background. Advocate 2002 tiles the image if it is not large enough to fill the screen area. The browse button allows you to explore your disk for images. A few backgrounds are shipped with Law Partner and many more are available in the Windows folder and available for download all around the Internet.
Below is an example desktop which is displaying a wallpaper file.
Controls the appearance of the Advocate 2002 main window by displaying the Outlook Appointment Calendar and Web Channels and allowing the customization of the calendar colors.
Checkbox 1: Outlook Appointment Calendar. This allows you to turn the calendar on and off. This may also be accessed from the main program window under "View." Selecting and unselecting the calendar in the View Menu checks and unchecks this box. An open calendar session may be closed by clicking the x box at the top right of the calendar.
Calendar Month Background Color Combo: Allows selection of the calendar month title background color.
Calendar Month Foreground Color Combo: Allows selection of the calendar month title font color.
Checkbox 2: Display Web Channels. Turns the web channel bar display on and off. The x box at the top right of the web channel bar also closes the web channel bar and turns this feature off. It may also be selected from the View Menu in the main program window.
The Invoice options include font selection and provides the option of printing a message at the bottom of your billings and to include a remittance voucher on Statements.
Controls the appearance of fonts on your printed invoices and statements. Two styles and sizes may be chosen, detail for the invoice/statement data areas and Firm Header for the Law Firm's name.
Remittance Address Information: The name of your firm is inserted automatically by your program license key. The address may be changed in the Firm Setup screen from the Setup Menu.
Footer: This is a message you want to appear at the bottom of your invoices. It may be a thank you or a reminder that you will apply finance charges to invoices not paid within terms.
Checkbox: Include Remittance Stub on Statements. This option prints a stub which is suitable for mailing back with payment. The remittance stub is formatted to fit in a windowed laser check size envelope. This may be placed inside an invoice size envelope along with your statement.