Archiving is a helpful feature in PracticePanther that allows you to remove Contacts and/or Matters from your active list while keeping your workspace organized with only the most relevant information. In this guide, we will walk through the archiving process and what it means for you.
Archiving removes items from immediate view, but retains them for future reference. Think of Archiving like putting documents into a digital filing cabinet drawer - you want to put them away, but still have them accessible if you ever need them for the future. This availability is essential to maintain records for financial and organizational purposes.
What can be Archived?
Contacts and Matters can be archived.
What does Archiving do?
Remove from standard search results: Archived contacts and matters will not appear in standard search results. This includes searches found on the top of your Contacts and Matters grids. Archived Contacts will only appear in these searches if you first select the "Archived" status filter.
Removed from dropdown menus: Archived Contacts and Matters are hidden from dropdown menus. This means while you are making new records, like time entries, archived contacts and matters will not be included in any dropdown to prevent you from inadvertently selecting them.
Archived contacts and matters can no longer create new records: Once a Contact or Matter is archived, you will not be able to create, edit or delete any related records (Tasks, Time Entries, Invoices, Payments, etc.). You can continue to view all related information for these archived Contacts and Matters.
Online Payments for archived Contacts or Matters will be disabled: Once a Contact or Matter is archived, end clients will not be able to make Payments against related Invoices, outstanding Payment Requests or Payment Plans electronically.
Still Globally Searchable: Archived records can still be found through the global search, where they will display an (Archived) suffix.
How to Archive
At the top of Contact and Matter records, you'll find a bin icon that represents Archiving. Clicking this icon will bring up a confirmation menu. Select 'Yes' to confirm that you would like to Archive the Contact or Matter. After archiving, you will see a red banner that indicates the record is archived at the top of the Contact or Matter.
Note: Archiving a contact will archive all linked matters.
Why Can't I Archive a Record?
Archiving records is controlled via the permissions table within Roles. A column is available on the permissions table that allows users to archive Contacts and/or Matters.
Additionally, you will not be able to Archive a Contact or Matter if there is any money in a connected Trust account.
What do I do if I want to keep working on an archived Contact or Matter?
Unarchive it!
If you want to create a record related to an archived Contact and/or Matter, you'll need to first unarchive the Contact and/or Matter. You will then be able to create the new records, and re-archive the Contact and/or Matter when you are done.
How do I unarchive a Contact or Matter?
Simply click the Archive icon again after navigating into the archived record.
You can also batch Archive or Unarchive in your Contacts and Matters grids. Simply check the boxes, and click the 'Actions' gear on the top of the grid.
Note: Unarchiving a Matter will unarchive its Contact if it was also archived.
Reminders:
Archiving hides records from dropdown menus and standard views.
Utilizing the global search bar will allow you to locate archived items.
Using the Status filter on the Contacts/Matters grid will allow you to see all Archived records in a list view.