In the Firm Preferences tab, your firm administrator or other staff member with security permission to make firm-wide setup decisions can select the firm’s preferences for approving and posting time and expense entries, billing, and receipt and adjustment entries. This tab also provides options for firm security and phone number format, and allows you to specify default dashboards and user preferences for new staff.

1. From the Setup menu, choose Firm.
2. In the Firm setup screen, click the Preferences tab.
3. Under Approval/Posting process, mark the appropriate checkboxes if your firm uses an approval process for the following activities.
   Using an approval process means that someone in the firm with the authority to review invoices, time and expenses, and A/R entries must approve these entries before they are posted. Unposted entries are not included in firm totals.
   • Time and expense entry
   • Billing
   • Receipt & adjustment entry
4. Under Security options, mark the Enable Firm Security checkbox to require passwords to open the firm database and require security privileges to access various areas of the application. If this checkbox is not marked, staff can log in without using a password and will have access to all parts of the application.
5. Allow Users to Remember Logons: When this checkbox is marked, the login dialog has a checkbox that you can mark to remember your login information and bypass the login dialog. You can still access the login dialog, if necessary, by choosing File > Open Firm.

   Note: This checkbox is marked by default.

6. Under Time and Expense Entry, mark the Require Projects on Time and Expense Entries field to make Project a required field during time and expense entry.

   Note: If a project does not exist or is completed, the project will not be required.

7. Under Contact setup options, choose the appropriate format as a default for the entry of telephone numbers.
8. Client setup options:
   • Automatically create portals in DT Client Portal for the Billing Contact of new Clients

     If your firm is licensed for the Client Management module and DT Firm Portal, you can mark this checkbox to have Practice CS create a new portal automatically for the billing contact associated with a new client when you add the new client in DT Practice.

   • Automatically create DT Client Portal portals for the Billing Contact of new Prospects

     If your firm is licensed for the Client Management module and DT Firm Portal, you can mark this checkbox to have DT Practice create a new portal automatically for the billing contact associated with a new prospect when you add the new prospect in DT Practice.

   • Automatically create DT Practice folders in DT FileCabinet for new Clients

     If your firm is licensed for DT FileCabinet, mark this checkbox and then select a path to your DT FileCabinet data from the Data Location drop-down list. When this checkbox is marked, DT Practice will automatically create a folder in DT FileCabinet when you add a new client (Setup > Clients).

9. Staff setup options:
   • Automatically create portals in DT Staff Portal for new Staff:

     If your firm is licensed for the Client Management module and DT Firm Portal, you can mark this checkbox to have DT Practice create a new portal in DT Staff Portal automatically each time you add a new staff member in DT Practice.

   • Default dashboard layouts for new Staff:

     You can assign default dashboard layouts to new staff members for each dashboard. Choosing a default layout can save time setting up new staff and ensure that staff have access to any dashboards that have been designed specifically for the firm.

   • Default User Preferences for new Staff:

     Choosing default user preferences can help speed up entering new staff in the application. If you want to specify default user preferences for new staff, click the More button to open the User Preferences dialog and select their preferences.

     Note: Staff with security privileges can later change their individual user preferences if they want. Staff can also revert to the firm-specified defaults any time by clicking the Reset to new Staff defaults for Firm link at the bottom of the User Preferences dialog (available from Setup > User Preferences).

Related topic: Firm setup overview

Was this article helpful?

Yes No

Submit