Ethical Walls

The Orion Ethical Wall feature allows you to “shield” certain Orion Users from seeing Matters in Client-Matter Look-Up and the associated details about the Matter in many areas of the program. Ethical Wall settings are pulled from the Matter record but default settings may be set up at the Client Level. A Client and/or Matter record must be valid (Intake Completed) before Ethical Wall settings can be applied - these settings are not available in the Intake process.

Setting up an Ethical Wall is very easy. If you would like all Matters of a Client to be shielded from one or more users, open the Client record and choose Tools, Edit Ethical Wall. You will be provided with a list of all Users in Orion. Place a checkmark next to those Users who should be shielded from the Matters of the Client (Users who will be allowed to view the Matter(s) should NOT be checked).

In the screen above, we have selected Barb Brookfield and Barbara Dunston - these two users will be unable to see the Matters and associated data to which these settings are applied. Once you have checked all those that should be shielded, close the window and click SAVE AND CLOSE on the Client record. Orion will ask if you would like to apply these settings to all Matters. Choose Yes or No. Once you have the Client record set up for an Ethical Wall, it will automatically be applied to any new Matter set up under the Client. Note that the Ethical Wall settings on the Client record are for Matter default purposes only and do NOT shield the selected Users from seeing the Client record in Contacts or File Maintenance Manager.

If you only want one Matter of a Client set up for an Ethical Wall, it is best to apply the settings directly to the individual Matter record instead of the Client record. Open the Matter record, choose Tools, Edit Ethical Wall and the screen above will display. Mark the Users to be shielded and save the Matter record.

You may also copy Ethical Wall Settings from/to another Matter by choosing Tools, Copy Ethical Wall. If you need to apply Ethical Wall settings to multiple Matters that are across different Clients and/or do not represent all Matters of a Client, you may highlight the Matters (either in File Maintenance Manager, Matters Grid or the File Maintenance Matter Manager), right click, choose Edit Selected and enter your settings after choosing Edit Ethical Wall.

Managers/Features That Honor the Ethical Wall Settings

1. Matter Look-Up throughout the program
2. Contacts - Matters Grid
3. Time Manager and Fee Entry
4. Matter Status
5. Payment Calendar (Daily Totals include all Matters but those where there are an Ethical Wall applied cannot be seen in the grid).
6. Prebill Manager, Prebill Printing, Bill Preparation
7. Billing Manager, Generating Invoices, Reprints, Posting/Unposting
8. AR Manager
9. File Maintenance Manager
10. Expense Manager

Reports that Honor the Ethical Walls

    Transaction Listings

1. Fee Listing
2. Expense Listing
3. Client-Matter Status Report

    Client-Matter Reports

1. Aged AR Report
2. Aged Work in Process
3. Client-Matter AR Ledger
4. Inactive Matters Report
5. Invoice Listing
6. Retainer and Trust Balances
7. Statement of Account

You may also review a video on Ethical Walls