Step by step
Decide the firm's approvals
What waits for a partner at a law firm, from conflict waivers to payments out of client money, and how to decide it in Approvals.
At a law firm, much of the work needs a second person before it goes ahead: a conflict waived, a matter opened, a fee note sent, money paid out of the client account. Whatever needs a partner waits in Approvals, on a computer or a phone. In the demo, Tom Otieno (partner) approves a search fee Cynthia Achieng paid for a purchase.
Open Approvals
Tap Approvals, near the top of the menu: “Requests waiting for a decision, and everything else waiting for your review. You see what your role can act on, at your offices.” Waiting for a decision counts what you can decide.
Read the request
Each request shows its kind, such as Expense or Payment out of client money, who asked and when, and a summary that names the matter by its number, for example EXP-000119: an expense on matter PRJ-000017, KES 520.00.
Tap Open to see the rest
Open takes you to where the request is kept. A payment out of client money, for example, opens in Client money with the request open, its evidence and its steps. Decide there, or come back.
Tap Approve
Kila shows the summary again. Add a Note if it helps: it is “Kept with the decision in the audit log.” Tap Approve. Kila says Approved.
Check All decisions
All decisions keeps each request with its state, who decided it and when, and the note, such as Tom Otieno decided 30 Oct 2026, 23:16: Search fee for the purchase file.
What waits for a partner
Link to this section: What waits for a partnerEach kind comes from a step of the firm’s work:
| In Approvals | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Conflict to waive, Ethical wall to approve | Decide a conflict review |
| High-risk client to accept (enhanced due diligence) | Identify a client |
| Matter lifecycle decision | Opening, putting on hold or closing a matter: How a matter moves |
| Court date to close on an exception | Record what happened at a court date |
| Fee below the scale (proposal) | Agree the fees on a matter |
| Expense | A disbursement paid for a matter, or the firm’s own spending |
| Fee note to approve | A pre-bill sent to a partner: Issue a fee note |
| Credit note on a fee note, Write-off of fees | Correcting what a client owes |
| Payment out of client money | Pay out of client money |
| Message to send, Message template | A message to a client that needs a partner first, and a changed message template |
| Approve a document template, Destroy documents under the retention schedule | The firm’s documents |
| Professional undertaking to give, Legal opinion to sign off, Contract for a partner’s sign-off | Work that goes out in the firm’s name |
| Workflow sign-off, Workflow exception | A step of a matter’s workflow |
You asked for it, or it is about you
Link to this section: You asked for it, or it is about youA request you raised says Your request and “You raised this request. Someone else must decide it.” One about you says “This request is about you. Someone else must decide it.” Neither has the buttons for you.
It is above your limit
Link to this section: It is above your limitThe request says “Above your approval limit.” Someone whose limit covers it decides it.
You reject it
Link to this section: You reject itTap Reject and say why in the Note: Reject waits until there is one. The note is kept with the decision.
- Approve or reject a request: Approvals in every business, including from your phone.
- Partner: what a partner sees and decides.