FEE EARNERS: A fee earner should review their TASK list at least every morning, and preferably periodically throughout the day, in order to check for updates and new instructions that may have been assigned to them by an administrator/paralegal.
All items on a diary list should be reviewed and updated daily. If a diary reminder for a specific task is not urgent and can be done another day, that item should be forwarded to the appropriate alternative date. It follows that, theoretically, a diary list should therefore not have case matters on there from a date earlier than the present day. In practice, updating items is often delayed by a couple of days, but there should certainly not be items older than one week on a diary list. If you find that your diary list is very behind and you are struggling to cope with the number of tasks each day, please consult with Keith straight away for advice and assistance on the management of your workload – it might be that some of your tasks can be shared with other team/staff members to help ease things for you. Do not simply allow things to become increasingly overdue – we are all a team and will help each other wherever possible.
ADMINISTRATORS/PARALEGALS have their own daily task list in Equinox. This task list will have a number of files with instructions for the administrator to generate standard letters or check on standard matters.
Please review your list at least every morning, and preferably periodically throughout the day, in order to check for updates and new instructions that may have been assigned to them by a fee earner. Any required letters can then be generated, the files updated accordingly and forwarded on as necessary according to the procedure for the particular case type concerned.
Forwarding tasks must never be done until all work for that stage in the procedure is completed. Once the relevant letter has been signed by a fee earner and everything related thereto is completed, then the record sheet of the file can be updated accordingly. If the file is diaried forward before the work is completed, there is a high risk that it will be forgotten about and never done. If a diary date says “1st follow up” and you are part way through generating it but do not finish it that day – enter next to the diary entry on the record sheet – “1st follow up DRAFT READY TO FINALISE” otherwise it looks like the letter in the document list has been sent. Also, please re-name the letter in the documents list “(date) DRAFT (name of letter)” so that it also prevents confusion as to whether letter has yet been sent or not.
If a diary date says something like “Instructions? 1st follow up (UKPA20)” this usually means we are waiting for a client to get back to us on something, perhaps in response to a quotation. Please check to see if instructions have been received, i.e. by checking in the document list for any correspondence from the client or a telephone conference with the client instructing us to proceed. If you find that instructions have come in, please notify/remind the fee earner and create a diary date for the fee earner along the lines of: “Instructions received – action required” and enter the current (present day) date. If we have not received any instructions from the client, follow the instructions in the second part of the diary date i.e. in the example above, you would then generate a 1st follow up letter UKPA20.
If ever you work on a file and you can see that the diary date needs updating but you don’t know what it needs to be, simply update the entry by typing “Work completed – please update” and move the date to the current day for the fee earner concerned. That will then come up on their diary list so that they can review it and update as necessary.
If a diary date says “Invoice paid? Send fees” these entries must be given the administrator’s attention straight away. When an application is filed, we are given a deadline to send the official fees. We will not send the official fees until the client has paid our invoice. Please check with accounts and/or the fee earner to see if we have received payment from the client. If we have, the relevant letter needs to be generated, for example to the UKIPO, with the fees. If our invoice has not been paid, please e-mail the fee earner straight away informing them and await instructions. The administrator may then be instructed to send a reminder to the client.
If the diary date says, “Publication details?” or “Search reports?” this simply requires you to check in the document list to see if they have arrived from the UKIPO. If they have not, it may be appropriate to forward the file by 4 weeks, with the same diary entry but please check with the fee earner first before doing so until you are sure of the procedure and timescales involved. If that entry comes up again, and we still haven’t received the relevant documentation, simply e-mail the fee earner to alert them to the delay and request their instructions on whether to forward the file again or whether action needs to be taken to chase the UKIPO for information.
If you are assigned a task on your diary list and you do not understand what to do etc. please just ask the fee earner for further clarification etc. Do not just ignore the task.
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Last Updated on 3 January 2025 by Keith