Audit Trails

Change history that reads like a firm record

Audit Trails keeps a dated log of activity across templates, matter fields, status updates and related document actions. Each entry shows the user, the time stamp, the item affected and the type of change, so teams can trace what happened without pulling apart shared folders or asking around the office.

For firms handling affidavits, letters, notices, bundles and review notes, that record matters when a draft moves between attorneys, paralegals and support staff. It also helps with internal checks where a matter has a deadline, a version dispute or a question about who approved the last edit.

What the trail records in daily use

The module is built for legal document assembly and matter management, so the audit trail follows the work people actually do in a South African practice. It captures changes in a way that is useful for supervision, quality control and evidence handling, not just for system reporting.

• Template edits, field changes and saved versions
• Matter status moves, assignee changes and deadline updates
• Document creation, replacement, archiving and review actions
• Permissions changes and access related events
• Evidence uploads, file naming updates and queue activity

Sizes and options for different firm structures

Audit Trails can be set up for a small practice with a few users, or for a larger office with multiple departments and several matter types. Some teams only need a clear log for key templates and case status changes, while others want fuller coverage across document assembly, review queues and evidence imports.

Options can be aligned to the way a firm works in Sandton, Rosebank or Centurion, or across offices in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Bloemfontein. Access levels can be matched to partner review, practice manager oversight and team member editing rights, so the record stays useful without becoming noisy.

• Single office or multi office configuration
• Basic activity logging or broader change tracking
• Role based access for attorneys, paralegals and ops teams
• Filtered views by matter, user, template or date range

Where it fits in a legal workflow

This module suits firms that need steadier control over draft history, matter movement and evidence handling. It works well where several people touch the same file, or where a matter can move through opening, drafting, review, service and closing without everyone using the same workstation.

It is also useful for teams that manage deadlines and carry a heavy paper trail. A clear log helps when there is a query on a changed field, a missing attachment or a status that moved before a document was finalised. In practice, that can save a lot of digging through our contact form threads and folder names that no longer match the latest file.

Fitting and setup inside the platform

Audit Trails is configured during platform setup and linked to the parts of the system the firm wants recorded. That may include template builds, matter pipelines, permissions setup and secure hosting settings, depending on how broad the record needs to be. The work is done inside the software environment, with rules set for what gets logged and who can see which history.

Typical implementation points include user roles, matter categories, document types and retention settings. For firms handling sensitive information, POPIA minded controls are usually part of the conversation, along with access limits and secure storage practices. If the audit trail must support compliance reporting or internal supervision, that needs to be mapped out before go live.

• Permission mapping for each user group
• Logging rules for templates, matters and documents
• Review views for partners or operations leads
• Secure hosting and retention settings

Care, review and the details to confirm

Audit Trails works best when the records are reviewed as part of normal firm housekeeping. Teams should check that matter types are being logged correctly, that user roles still match staff changes, and that template history is not cluttered with actions nobody needs to see. If a firm changes its workflow, the logging rules should move with it.

When ordering, confirm the matter categories, the document classes, the users who need access and the level of detail required for each log entry. It also helps to confirm whether the firm wants exports for internal review, whether archived matters must remain searchable, and whether evidence related actions need a separate trail. That information keeps the setup aligned with the way the office actually works, not an assumed process.