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Hearings

Missing a hearing date is among the worst mistakes a firm can make. Hearings are tracked as their own records for that reason.

Court date tracking

Hearings in the left sidebar, under Case Management. The module tracks every court date, hearing, tribunal session and legal proceeding the firm is involved in. Hearings are organised into three views — All, Upcoming and Past — with Upcoming as the default, because that is the one that matters on a Monday morning. Every hearing carries its court, its related matter and its date, and shows up in the calendar of the team that has to appear.

The Hearings screen in eFirm on its Upcoming view, listing court dates with their tribunal, related matter, date and time, and status.
  1. Missing a hearing date is among the worst mistakes a firm can make. Hearings are tracked as their own records for that reason.
  2. Three views, with Upcoming as the default, because that is the one that matters on a Monday morning.
  3. Every hearing carries its court, its related matter, and its date, and shows up in the calendar of the team that has to appear.
  4. An adjourned hearing is not deleted. It keeps its original date and the reason, and the new sitting is created against the same matter, so the case timeline stays intact.

Creating a hearing

Hearing form fields
FieldRequiredDescription
TitleYesDescriptive name for the hearing.
Case NumberNoCourt case reference number.
Hearing Date and TimeYesWhen the hearing takes place.
Court / TribunalYesFrom the admin-configured court options.
JudgeNoPresiding judge.
Related MatterYesThe matter this hearing belongs to.
Assigned LawyerYesWho will appear in court.
Hearing TypeNoFrom the admin-configured hearing types.
Hearing ResultNoOutcome after the hearing — Adjourned, Decided, Settled and so on.
DescriptionNoDetails about the hearing.
Opposing PartyNoThe opposing party.
Participation ClientsNoAll clients attending or participating.
NotesNoInternal notes and preparation reminders.
AttachmentsNoSupporting documents.

Adjournments and rescheduling

An adjourned hearing is not deleted. It keeps its original date and the reason, and the new sitting is created against the same matter, so the case timeline stays intact.

Hearing adjourned by the court

A hearing scheduled for 15 April has been adjourned by the court to 8 May. Open the original hearing, set Hearing Result to "Adjourned", add the reason in Notes, and save. Then create a new hearing linked to the same matter with the rescheduled date.

The case timeline is complete: the original hearing shows as adjourned with its reason, and the new hearing shows the rescheduled date. Both remain linked to the matter.

How hearings connect

Connected toHow it works
MattersEvery hearing belongs to a matter, and is visible in that matter's Hearings tab.
CalendarAutomatic reminders and Outlook sync, with configurable notification days.
TasksCreate preparation tasks linked to the hearing — "File motion by 10 April".
ContactsJudges and opposing counsel are linked for reference.
ExpensesCourt fees can be logged as expenses linked to the matter.
Time EntriesPreparation and appearance time logged via the timer.

The Hearings module carries View, Create, Edit, Delete and Export permissions, granted per role in Roles & Permissions. Hearing IDs auto-generate from a starting number set on the workspace.

Where to go next

See the engagement the hearing hangs off in Legal Matters, the firm-wide view of every court date in Calendar, and preparation work in Tasks.

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