# Conflict Checking and Partner Approval

## Purpose

This guide explains how to run and review conflict checks, record related parties and affiliations, approve or reject proceeding, document conflict waivers, and understand the conflict-clearance requirement for matter activation.

Conflict matches are warnings for review. A potential match is not automatically a confirmed conflict, but it cannot be ignored when accepting or activating a matter.

## Permissions

| Activity | Required permission |
| --- | --- |
| Open the Conflict Checks workspace and view check details | View Conflict Checks (`conflict_checks_read`) |
| Run checks, record waivers, and manage related parties from the conflict workspace | Run Conflict Checks (`conflict_check_run`) |
| Approve or reject proceeding and approve waivers | Approve Conflict Waivers (`conflict_waiver_approve`) |
| Change a matter to Accepted or Active | Change Matter Status (`matters_change_status`) and conflict clearance |
| Add or edit relationships in the client form | Create Clients (`clients_create`) or Update Clients (`clients_update`) |

The interface hides actions that the signed-in user is not permitted to perform. The server enforces the same permissions, so direct API requests cannot bypass conflict review or matter activation restrictions.

## Opening Conflict Checks

Open:

**Practice > Matters > Conflict Checks**

The paginated register shows:

- the client;
- the related matter, or **Client-level check**;
- the branch;
- the number of potential matches;
- the review status;
- the user who ran the check;
- the date and time of the check; and
- the actions available to the signed-in user.

Use **Search** to find records by client, matter, status, or justification. Use **Review status** to filter the register.

## Conflict Check Statuses

| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Clear | No potential matches were identified by that check. |
| Pending review | One or more potential matches require an authorized review. |
| Approved | An authorized reviewer has explicitly approved proceeding. |
| Rejected | An authorized reviewer has declined proceeding. The matter cannot be accepted or activated. |

Each new check creates a separate historical record. A new check does not overwrite an earlier decision.

## What the System Checks

A matter-specific check considers:

- the client's name;
- family members and other related individuals recorded for the client;
- business affiliations and associated entities;
- the matter's opposing parties; and
- the matter's opposing counsel.

Those names are compared with:

- other existing clients;
- related parties and affiliations recorded for other clients; and
- opposing parties and opposing counsel from current and historical matters.

The current search uses case-insensitive partial-name matching for names containing at least three characters. Staff must review the displayed reason and relationship before deciding whether a potential match is a genuine conflict.

## Automatic Conflict Checks

The system automatically runs a check when:

- a client is registered;
- a client profile or its relationships are updated;
- a matter is created;
- an opposing party is added or removed;
- opposing counsel information changes; or
- matter acceptance or activation is attempted without an existing matter-specific check.

When client details or relationships change, open matters receive fresh matter-specific checks. Closed and archived matters are not unnecessarily rechecked.

## Running a Manual Check

1. Open **Practice > Matters > Conflict Checks**.
2. Select **Run conflict check**.
3. Select the client.
4. Select a matter for a matter-specific check, or leave **Matter** as **Client-level check**.
5. Select the reason: **Manual review**, **Matter acceptance**, or **Relationship changed**.
6. Select **Run check**.

The completed check appears in the register as **Clear** or **Pending review**.

## Reviewing Potential Matches

Select the eye action on a conflict-check row to open its details.

The details show:

- the client and matter;
- the current status and check reason;
- the reviewer and decision date;
- the decision justification;
- every potential match and why it matched;
- client relationships and affiliations;
- decision history; and
- associated waivers.

Review the matched record, the relationship type, the matter reference, and whether the referenced client or matter is current or historical. Do not approve based only on a similar name.

## Client Relationships and Affiliations

Relationships can be captured while creating or editing a client:

1. Open **Practice > Matters > Clients**.
2. Create a client or select **Edit** for an existing client.
3. Under **Related parties and affiliations**, select **Add relationship**.
4. Enter the person or organisation name.
5. Select **Family member**, **Related individual**, **Business affiliation**, or **Associated entity**.
6. Enter useful relationship details.
7. Save the client.

Existing relationships can be edited or removed from the same client form. Saving an edited client triggers a new conflict check. For clients with open matters, the system creates fresh matter-specific checks.

Users with Run Conflict Checks permission can also add or remove a related party from the conflict-check details modal. This immediately rechecks the affected open matters.

## Approving or Rejecting Proceeding

Only users with Approve Conflict Waivers permission can make conflict decisions.

### Approving

1. Find a check with **Pending review** or **Rejected** status.
2. Select the check-mark action.
3. Enter a decision justification of at least 10 characters.
4. Select **Save decision**.

The check changes to **Approved** and records the reviewer, date, and justification.

### Rejecting

1. Find a check requiring a decision.
2. Select the reject action.
3. Enter a decision justification of at least 10 characters.
4. Select **Save decision**.

The check changes to **Rejected**. The related matter cannot be accepted or activated while that rejection is the latest matter-specific decision.

## Matter Acceptance and Activation

New matters begin in **Intake** status. Before a matter can transition to **Accepted** or **Active**, its latest matter-specific conflict check must be:

- **Clear**; or
- **Approved**.

The transition is blocked when the latest check is **Pending review** or **Rejected**. This rule is enforced by the backend as well as the interface.

If new opposing-party, opposing-counsel, client, or relationship information produces another check, the latest result governs activation. A previous approval does not silently approve newly introduced information.

## Conflict Waivers

Waivers are available only for matter-specific conflict checks.

### Recording a Waiver

1. Find the matter-specific check.
2. Select the document action titled **Record waiver**.
3. Optionally select a supporting document already attached to that matter.
4. Enter a waiver justification of at least 10 characters.
5. Enter the effective and expiry dates where applicable.
6. Select **Record waiver**.

The waiver is recorded as **Pending**. Supporting documents remain in the existing Documents module; the conflict workflow does not create separate document storage.

### Approving a Waiver

1. Open the conflict check's details.
2. In **Waivers**, select **Approve waiver**.
3. Enter the partner's approval justification of at least 10 characters.

An approved waiver documents the exception but does not automatically approve proceeding. The authorized reviewer must separately approve the conflict check before the matter can be accepted or activated.

## Audit and History

The system records:

- conflict checks performed and their potential matches;
- approval and rejection decisions;
- reviewer identity, decision date, and justification;
- waiver creation and approval;
- related-party changes; and
- blocked matter-acceptance attempts.

The conflict register preserves each check as a separate record, and the details modal displays its decision history. Normal application operations do not provide a way to delete conflict-check history.

## Common Scenarios

### No Potential Match Is Found

The matter-specific check is marked **Clear**. A user with matter-status permission can proceed to accept or activate the matter.

### An Opposing Party Is an Existing Client

The check is marked **Pending review** and displays the matching client. An authorized reviewer must investigate and explicitly approve or reject proceeding.

### A Client Discloses a New Business Affiliation

Edit the client, add the affiliation, and save. The system rechecks each open matter for that client. Review any new pending checks before changing matter status.

### A Waiver Has Been Signed

Upload the waiver through the matter's existing Documents area, record a waiver against the relevant conflict check, and have an authorized user approve it. Then separately approve proceeding on the conflict check.

### A Previously Approved Matter Receives New Conflict Information

The change creates a new check. Review the latest check; the previous approval remains in history but does not clear the new potential conflict.

## Troubleshooting

| Situation | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| Conflict Checks is missing from the sidebar | Ask an administrator to grant View Conflict Checks permission. |
| Run conflict check is missing | Run Conflict Checks permission is required. |
| Approval or rejection actions are missing | Approve Conflict Waivers permission is required. |
| A matter cannot be accepted or activated | Open its latest conflict check. A Pending Review or Rejected result must be resolved by an authorized reviewer. |
| A potential match appears incorrect | Open the check and review the match reason and relationship. Similar names are potential matches, not automatic confirmed conflicts. |
| A waiver cannot be recorded | Confirm that the check is matter-specific and that the justification contains at least 10 characters. |
| A document is unavailable in the waiver form | The supporting document must already belong to the matter. Upload or link it through the existing Documents workflow first. |
| An approved waiver did not unblock the matter | This is expected. The conflict check must also be explicitly approved. |
| A relationship added during client editing is missing | Refresh the Clients page and reopen Edit. Confirm that the update completed successfully and that your account has Update Clients permission. |