Time Capture

Matter time that stays attached to the file

Time Capture is built for legal teams that need a clear record of work against each matter, not loose notes scattered across inboxes and shared drives. Activity can be logged by matter, client, practitioner, task type and date, so the record follows the work from the first draft to the last follow-up. That matters in busy Sandton and Johannesburg offices where several people may touch the same file before close of play.

The module supports structured entries for billable work, non-billable admin, document drafting, review, calls, internal discussion and follow-up tasks. You can keep entries brief or detailed, depending on the firm’s billing style and reporting needs. For teams that work across litigation, commercial files, family matters or collections, the same capture rules can be applied across all matters, which keeps reporting cleaner.

• Log time by matter, task category and fee earner.
• Capture manual entries after the fact or as work progresses.
• Link notes to draft work, court prep and client updates.
• Keep activity visible for ops teams and matter managers.

Options for smaller teams and heavier matter loads

Law firms do not all run the same way, so Time Capture is set up with practical options rather than one fixed format. Smaller practices often want a straightforward entry screen with a few standard categories and simple matter lookup. Larger firms usually want more control over task codes, permissions and reporting lines, especially when different departments need separate views of the same file set.

Typical setup choices include:

• Quick entry mode: faster logging for busy users who need to record work between calls, drafting and meetings.
• Detailed capture mode: additional fields for task code, phase, matter stage and internal comments.
• Role-based access: different visibility for attorneys, paralegals, support staff and admins.
• Report views: daily, weekly or matter-based summaries for billing and operations.

The product can be configured for firms with a few users or a broader team spread across Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban and Bloemfontein. If your practice handles heavy document work or has several matter owners on one file, the capture rules can be tightened so entries stay consistent.

Where time capture fits into real legal workflows

Time Capture suits firms that need better visibility over effort, whether the work is for billing, internal review or simply keeping a matter on track. It is useful where deadlines, follow-up tasks and document assembly all sit close together, because the time record can reflect the actual shape of the day rather than a rough memory at month end.

It works well for:

• Litigation teams managing correspondence, drafting and court prep.
• Commercial teams handling contract changes, review cycles and client calls.
• Paralegal teams tracking admin steps, filing work and evidence sorting.
• Operations teams monitoring workload spread across practice groups.

For firms using matter management and document assembly tools already, time capture gives another layer of control. You can see where work is building up, which files need attention, and where extra follow-up is drifting beyond the original plan. In practices with POPIA concerns and broader confidentiality controls, keeping time records tied to permissions and matter access helps limit unnecessary visibility.

Setup needs for a clean rollout

Implementation is usually handled alongside your existing matter setup, user roles and template structure. The fit depends on how your firm groups matters, which staff members need capture rights and whether you want the time module linked to billing fields or only to internal reporting. For firms that already use structured matter pipelines, the setup is quicker because the matter labels and user groups are already settled.

What is usually confirmed during setup:

• Matter numbering and client naming rules.
• Who can create, edit or approve entries.
• Which task codes and activity types should appear.
• Whether entries must link to deadlines or follow-up tasks.
• Any reporting splits by branch, department or fee earner.

The module is cloud based and hosted securely, with access controls shaped around the firm’s internal policy. For offices in Sandton or Rosebank with hybrid teams, that helps everyone work from the same source without hunting through separate spreadsheets. If a firm wants data migration from older logs, the import structure can be mapped so historic records keep their matter references intact.

Practical care for the time record

Time Capture needs steady habits more than dramatic intervention. The best results come when staff log work close to the task and use the same labels each time. A short entry with the right matter reference is usually better than a long note written days later from memory. That keeps the records useful when billing, reporting or checking matter progress.

Simple care practices include:

• Review task categories so staff are not choosing between near-duplicate labels.
• Keep user permissions current when staff move roles or branches.
• Check incomplete entries before month end or matter review.
• Archive old matter sets in line with the firm’s retention rules.

Security also matters here, because time records can reveal client names, case patterns and internal workflow detail. Access should stay limited to the right people, and any exported reports should be handled under the firm’s usual confidentiality controls. For teams in coastal offices or humid storage environments, the main concern is not the physical file but the discipline of keeping the digital record clean and properly governed.

Details to confirm before the module is added

Before Time Capture is configured, it helps to confirm the working shape of the module so the entries match how your firm actually operates. Small choices at the start prevent confusion later, especially where multiple users, branch offices and matter types are involved.

Please confirm:

• How many users need capture access now, and how that may change.
• Whether the firm wants billable and non-billable work separated.
• Which matter stages or task groups must appear in the entry list.
• Whether approvals are needed before reporting or export.
• What level of detail should appear in team summaries.

For firms in Centurion, Pretoria and Bloemfontein, branch-specific reporting can also be useful where teams work under different operational leads. The product can be aligned to those reporting lines so the time data is easier to read and easier to use in day-to-day management. If the firm needs support with templates, workflows or secure hosting at the same time, those pieces can be planned together so the matter record, document work and time record sit in one working pattern.