Introduction
This article provides additional context about how best to invite legal clients to use Vendorable - either directly or indirectly.
In the article there will be some references to how to create a team, create a property and create a sales job. Each of these articles have been linked. We will not explore these items in greater depth, however, we will outline specifically how each of these steps applies in a legal setting.
Direct or indirect use
When deciding how to setup a team, property and sale job, the first major question to ask is, who is going to run the process:
Is your firm going to run the process almost entirely on behalf of the client(s) and only seek instructions at the necessary points for execution of legal documents; or
Is the firm seeking to assist the client to use Vendorable for ease of process and simply include you and you firm in viewing the process along the way.
We have provided an example work through for each of these processes below and the best way to execute these in Vendorable.
Direct use
If your firm is going to execute on behalf of a client, the first thing to do is to setup the team for the file.
Create a team in your profile page
Be sure to include the client's email address (or additional email address if there is more than one)
Be aware if you only want a client to 'view the process' then they shouldn't be in your team they should simply be added later as a stakeholder.
In the above image, we recommend naming your team either a) the name of the matter or b) the name of the file (perhaps a company or trust) something that your client will recognise when they receive an invite.
If you are going to appoint the agent, and execute the electronic agency agreement for your client then ensure your email is in the Authority box, however, if your client will be appointing the agent legally, then ensure that they are included as an Authority as well.
When you create a new property, be sure to add the team to the property file that you've just created.
You'll know you've added a team as in the Additional participants section when you create a sale job, you'll see your team mates.
The example below shows what it looks like when a team is attached.
So what does a client see?
Firstly, when you add a client to a team:
They will get an invite to sign up to Vendorable via an email link, which you can cancel if you realise later you've added the wrong email, or no longer want them to have access;
They will join your team automatically on signing in and when they click on Properties or Sales up top they will see the information you've uploaded -- no double handling; and
They will only see properties that the team is attached to. This means if you have a number of teams and properties, you will see everything, they will only see their matter(s)
Indirect use
There's one additional step should you wish to setup a matter for a client and then leave it to them to run.
Once you've created the sale job for the client, you can click on the button down the bottom of the file that says:
This will allow you to transfer the property sale job to your client for them to:
receive notifications about;
execute the appointment / execute the electronic agency agreement; and
work with the agent post-appointment to sell the property
Even though you are not going to run the sale process, the major benefit here is total visibility on the process, and the ability to communicate with the agent post appointment for marketing and contract for sale purposes as required.
A note on Stakeholders
Vendorable also has the ability to add stakeholders to files. Stakeholders in Vendorable only have view-only access and cannot execute documents, communicate with agents nor can they amend/edit information during or post a tender.
Adding a party to a proceeding/matter as a stakeholder is entirely optional. However, it can present a method of being 100% transparent throughout the process and reducing potentially unnecessary or unbillable communication between your firm and the opposing counsel.
In addition, Stakeholders are only present in the real property sale job, not the property file. So they don't have access to attachments, photos and file documents you may be storing together with your client.
Adding a stakeholder is as simple as adding an email during the process of creating a sale job.
Once you've successfully added a stakeholder you'll see them in the additional participants tab that looks like this.
If they haven't signed up, it will look like this and you'll be given the opportunity to prompt them via email.
We hope this helps you with how to setup your clients in Vendorable.
Please feel free to reach out in app by clicking the question mark icon in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.
We're only too happy to help.
Keywords
Legal practice, legal clients, lawyer clients, deceased estate, family law, guardianship, client administration, inviting clients, adding clients to a team