With address relationships, you link addresses in timeSensor LEGAL, for example, a contact person with a company or an opponent with a case. Well-maintained relationships control the invoice recipient, the addressing of templates, and the conflict check. This FAQ answers the most frequently asked questions about this.

Basics

What is an address relationship?

An address relationship describes the relationship between one address and another, such as "company – contact person", "client – opponent", or "client – payer". It is stored at the dossier (address) level or at the level of an individual case.

What are address relationships used for?

• Invoicing: An address connected as a payer is automatically suggested as the invoice recipient.
• Templates: Via the ID of a relationship, a template can specifically pull the recipient from this relationship.
• Conflict check: Relationships with conflict involvement are considered when checking for conflicts of interest.
• Data integration: Mandates, drafts, and documents of a related contact can be carried along in the main dossier.

Where can I find the available relationships?

Under Settings... > Core Data > Relationships. There you see all relationships that timeSensor LEGAL delivers by default. You can adjust, delete, or create relationships.

How is a relationship structured?

Each relationship has two sides:

What options does a relationship have?

• Integrate Data: Mandates, drafts, and documents of the related contact are carried along in the main contact's dossier (e.g., in the relationship "related contact").
• Invoice Takeover: The related person can be stored as the invoice recipient.
• Involvement in conflict of interest: Determines whether and how the related contact is checked in the conflict check, e.g., as a co-client or as an opponent. Only if this option is set correctly does the conflict check trigger.

What is the purpose of the number (ID) of a relationship?

Each relationship has a unique ID, visible at the bottom of the record (e.g., 1300). You can store this ID in a template expression. The template then always pulls the address from exactly this relationship, for example, always the responsible court.

Connect addresses on the dossier level

When do I connect on the dossier level?

If the relationship applies to all cases of this address, such as a central contact person of a company or a payer for all invoices.

How do I create a new contact person for a company?

1. Open the Contacts section and select the company (legal entity). Contacts and select the company (legal entity).
2. Click on the Plus Symbol.
3. Confirm the question whether you want to add new staff in the quick entry dialog. Quick Entry Dialog want to add.
4. Record up to five people simultaneously and directly select the relationship, e.g., contact person.

Select only the right side of the relationship (the role of the new person). The left, capitalized side refers to the already selected company.

How do I connect an already recorded address?

1. Open the dossier of the main contact.
2. Click the small Plus. The selector window opens.
3. Search for the desired address, e.g., by the first characters of the name.
4. Drag the address via Drag & Drop into the dossier. The connection dialog opens.
5. Select the role on the right, e.g., contact person. The left side adjusts automatically.
6. Confirm with OK and close the selector window.

Alternatively, you can use Connect at the bottom of the selector window. Then make sure not to choose the top option Take over with address. This transfers the person's address to the dossier, for example, a contact's home address to the company. Connect use. Then make sure not to choose the top option Take over with address to select. This transfers the person's address to the dossier, for example, a contact's home address to the company.

What does a payer do?

If an address is connected as a payer on the dossier level, it is automatically suggested as the invoice recipient during billing instead of the address stored in the master sheet. When creating the invoice, you can still select a different recipient, such as the dossier itself or a related contact.

How do I change the category of a related contact?

You change the category (relationship) of a related contact directly in the list of connections without deleting the connection. For example, this corrects a contact mistakenly connected as an opponent.

Step by step

1. Open the dossier of the main contact or the affected case if the connection is stored on the case level.
2. In the area of related contacts, find the entry whose category you want to change.
3. Click on the column Relationship.
4. Select the new relationship, e.g., payer instead of contact person.
5. Save the record.

What changes as a result?

The new category immediately affects all functions based on relationships:

• If an address becomes a payer, timeSensor LEGAL suggests it as the invoice recipient in the next billing.
• Templates that address via a relationship ID now pull the address with the new relationship.
• The conflict check considers the conflict involvement of the new relationship.

What should I pay attention to?

timeSensor LEGAL cannot detect whether a person is actually a managing director, contact person, or payer. Therefore, regularly check whether relationships are correct and stored at the right level, even if colleagues have created them.

Can I also adjust the category itself?

Yes. You edit the definition of a category under Settings... > Core Data > Relationships:

1. Open the desired relationship by double-clicking.
2. Adjust Name 1, Name 2, or the options Integrate Data, Invoice Takeover and Involvement in conflict of interest.
3. Confirm the change.

You can also delete unnecessary relationships there or create new relationships. Note: If the ID of a relationship is used in templates, changes to this relationship also affect those templates.

Connect addresses on the case level

When do I connect on the case level instead of the dossier level?

An opponent always belongs on the case level. On the dossier level, it would also appear in cases where it is not actually an opponent.

How do I connect an opponent to a case?

1. Open the case in the client's address.
2. Drag the opponent's address from the selector window into the case.
3. In the connection dialog, select Opponent. timeSensor LEGAL already suggests the most likely relationship.
4. If necessary, connect the opponent's lawyer in the same way.
5. Save the records.

Where can I see all parties involved in a case?

In the Case Folder (via Find Case Folder). On the right, you see all related contacts on both levels: payer and contact person from the dossier as well as opponent and opponent's lawyer from the case.

How do I address a related contact directly?

Select the person in the case folder, e.g., the opponent's lawyer, and click Draft. The draft is automatically addressed to this person. Alternatively, you store the relationship ID in the template's expression. Then the person with this relationship is always selected as the addressee.

Can I group related contacts?

Yes. By right-clicking on an entry, you can indent it to the right indent, for example, the opponent's lawyer under the opponent. This works similarly to parent and sub-cases and creates an overview for clients with many cases and parties.

What does a related contact do?

The relationship "related contact" has the option Integrate Data active. Mandates, drafts, and documents of the related contact therefore also appear in the client's dossier. Simultaneously, it is involved as a co-client in the conflict check.

Further Help

I can't find the conflict check in my installation. Why?

The conflict check is an add-on. If you want to use it, please contact our sales team.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

Contact our support hotline. Upon request, we can arrange a workshop in which we tailor address relationships to the needs of your firm.