Add a client

Create a client record for a person or an organisation. Only the name is needed, and you can go straight on to open their first matter.

Before you start

Check the person or company isn't already a client. Chronica warns you as you type, but searching first on the Clients page saves a duplicate. If you have a long list to bring in, import clients from a CSV file instead.

If the client came to you as an enquiry on Intake, convert the lead rather than adding them again. Converting keeps the enquiry's history with the new client.

Add the client

Open Clients from the menu and click Add client.
Choose Individual (a person) or Organisation (a company, NGO or government body).
Type the Full name or Organisation name. This is the only field you must fill in.
For an individual, add their Email and Phone if you have them.
For an organisation, add the RC number and Industry if you have them.
Start typing the Address (or Registered address) and pick the match from the list. Chronica fills in the State when it can.
Under Came from, choose how they found you, for example Referral or Walk-in.
For an organisation, fill in the Main contact person: Name, Role, Email and Phone. Click + Add another contact for more people.
Click Add client to save and open the client's page, or Add and open a matter to go straight to a new matter for them.

For an organisation, the first contact's email and phone become the client's email and phone.

If Chronica thinks they already exist

When the name looks like an existing client, a yellow box appears under the name, for example "Adeyemi Holdings Ltd is already a client", with how many active matters they have and when they were added.

Click Open existing to go to that client instead.
Click It's a different person (or It's a different company) if they are not the same, then carry on.

If you save and Chronica still finds a client with the same details, it shows the problem above the buttons. Click Add anyway if you are sure this is a new client, then save again.

Add details later

You can leave everything except the name empty. Email and phone matter most: without an email address, the client can't receive hearing updates or be invited to the client portal.

What happens next

The client appears on the Clients page under All and under Individuals or Organisations.
Their page has tabs for Overview, Matters, Documents, Billing, Communications and Related people.
To give them access to their matters online, invite them to the client portal.

Questions

Can I find clients by phone or RC number?

Yes. The filter box on the Clients page searches name, email, phone and RC number. You can also filter by Responsible and Came from.

Can I download my client list?

Click Export on the Clients page to download the list as a CSV file. It uses the tab and filters you have chosen.