Information is unruly. How can you make sure your information goes precisely where it should, and nowhere else?

Filevine users have a powerful ally: Filevine Permissions and Roles.

This one set of tools can help with a whole host of different problems. This is the first place to look to strengthen security, improve accessibility, avoid information overload, and make your work more productive.

Are you taking full advantage of these tools? Here are 6 ways to improve your practice with Filevine Permissions and Roles:

1. Protect confidential information with Guest status

There are 3 levels of access to your information. The lowest level—and the most secure—is Guest. Use guest access for clients, co-counsel, or anyone else who should only have limited access to the file.

By default, guests see a blank news feed and blank documents tab. You get to choose exactly what they see, by sharing it with them. Simply mention them in a note or click ‘Share With’ and choose them. Learn how to make information visible to guests here.

Invite guests to add notes and upload documents into the project. Communicating through the legal operating core is more secure than relying on email, gives their legal team immediate access to the latest information, and ensures that all communication is securely archived.

2. Stop information overload with Collaborator status

When you receive too many notifications, they begin to mean less and less. And that’s when a crucial notification can slip through unseen.

That’s what makes the Collaborator permission level important. A Collaborator has full access to all the notes and documents in the file, they can add information and run reports. But crucially, they don’t receive notifications when there are updates or impending deadlines.

Protect your Filevine user feed. Use the Collaborator status to maintain full access to information, without bogged down in unnecessary information 

3. Ensure accountability with Follower status

Use the Follower status for those specifically working on a matter, who need to stay on top of all new updates, deadlines, and incoming messages.

Followers have the same information access as Collaborators, but all new activities in the matter will be added to their user feed. This keeps them informed of new developments in the matters that are most important to them.

4. Quickly add permissions for new users

When you bring on a new team member, make sure they’re immediately able to access the information they need. 

First figure out what kind of access they should have for your existing files. Do they need access to everything? If so, use the Existing Projects Permissions tab to add them to all your projects. Be cautious with this step—make sure you’re not giving someone access to information they shouldn’t have.

To add them to a subset of projects, use the Mass Update Permissions tool. This lets you create a report for a specific group of projects and give the user access to those. For instance, you can find all the matters handled by one attorney, and add her new legal assistant to them.

Mass Updates is much faster than adding someone on a case-by-case basis, but still gives you full control over how information is shared. 

Remember to also add permissions for new projects. The New Projects tab helps you choose the right level of automatic access for new matters you open. 

5. Manage transitions by transferring permissions

When someone on your team is leaving, there’s a danger of their deadlines and tasks getting lost in the transition. 

Before removing someone from Filevine, make sure you transfer their work to someone else. Use the Mass Update Permissions tool to bring up every case where the departing person is a Follower. Then assign those to someone else on your team.

After the transfer, delete the user from Filevine. Remove them from all projects, using the Org Admin tab.

6. Empower collaborative teams with Roles

In addition to permission levels, you can assign your team member different roles. They are one of the most effective ways to ensure smooth and accurate work on all legal matters.

Roles are important within taskflows, the customized sequences that ensure each action is taken by the right person at the right time. Each task is assigned to the person who holds a specific role for that matter. A person can hold more than one role. Once the task is completed, Filevine will automatically assign the next action to the relevant role. 

Learn more about assigning roles and building taskflows to make your work more productive and organized.



Legal professionals face an uphill battle managing their information. But with Filevine Permissions and Roles, you can enhance security, ensure accessibility, and become the master of your information.