Documents

Last updated
Save as PDF

For the purpose of consistency in this documentation, a document is any file that is non-database specific. Examples include:

Word processing files
Spreadsheets
Emails
Scanned documents
PDFs
Images
Videos
Voice mails

Designed exclusively to be used with Bridgeway Suite's matter management system, Mitratech Document Vault is a preconfigured, full-featured document management system (DMS) designed to provide best practices as an integral part of enterprise legal management (ELM) and can easily be tailored to fit the needs of specific legal departments.

Metadata

Metadata is information that describes various facets of an information asset to improve its usability throughout its lifecycle.

All saved objects in the vault are described with metadata:

Type (Class), such as a Contract or Correspondence
Relations to other objects, such as the matter to which a document is attached
Permissions through metadata, such as who has Full Access or Read Access to a document
Automatic metadata, such as an audit trail that shows who made edits to a document

To view the metadata for a document, navigate to the Home view, select the document, and click the Metadata card in the right-hand pane.

Objects, Classes, and Properties

M-Files organizes data into Objects and then Classes:

Matter Object
- Matter Class
Person Object
- Staff Class
Document Object
- Email Class
- Memo Class

Each class is given a number of “Properties” (fields) that hold data about the object in that class. Properties are defined independently and can be used on one or more classes.

Matters

Matters are copied to the Vault from eCounsel. Even though matters cannot be added or edited within the Vault, users can view some basic matter information by viewing the matter data card and the matter information can be used in searches. The Matter Number is the key field that links the documents in Vault to the matters is eCounsel.
Document security is inherited from the matter security.
Matter metadata includes:

Matter Name
Matter Number - the key field that links documents in Vault to matters in eCounsel
Matter Type
Matter Status
Open date
Close Date
Matter Description
Launch Link - this link opens the matter record in eCounsel
Region
State
Country
Legal Section
Logical Group
Law Area
Law Subarea
File Number
Read Write Access - security access groups that drive matter and document security from eCounsel and are not viewable by users.
Read Only Access - security access groups that drive matter and document security from eCounsel and are not viewable by users.
Matter_ID - the primary key for the associated matter from the MATTER table in the eCounsel database. This value does not appear in eCounsel itself and is included for reference only.
Matter Name
Matter Number
Additional properties that can be included

Companies

Companies are copied to the Vault from eCounsel. Even though companies cannot be added or edited within the Vault, users can view some basic company information by viewing the company data card and the company data can be used in searches. When dragging emails from Outlook, companies can be manually or automatically attached. Documents attached to a company but not attached to a matter have no inherited security and are viewable by all Vault users.
When using e-mail drag-and-drop, Mitratech Document Vault reconciles the e-mail domain with the domain listed in the company's metadata to automatically link documents to the company.
Company metadata includes:

Name
Company Classification
Status
Web Site
Launch Link - this link opens the entity record in eCounsel
Company ID - the primary key for the associated matter from the COMPANY table in the eCounsel database. This value does not appear in eCounsel itself and is included for reference only.
Additional properties that can be included

People

People are copied to the Vault from eCounsel. Only people records that are attached to an eCounsel user ID are copied. Even though people cannot be added or edited within the Vault, users can view some basic person information by viewing the person data card and the person info can be used in searches. Documents attached to a person but not attached to a matter have no inherited security and are viewable by all Vault users.
When dragging emails from Outlook, people can be manually or automatically attached. When using email drag and drop, Bridgeway Document Vault reconciles the e-mail address(es) of the document with the e-mail address listed in the person's metadata to automatically link documents to people.
Person metadata includes:

First, Middle, and Last Name
Suffix
Status
Email
Launch Link opens the entity record in eCounsel
Vault User
Person_ID - the primary key for the associated matter from the PERSON table in the eCounsel database. This value does not appear in eCounsel itself and is included for reference only.
LoginLDAP - the value from the USERS table that shows the associated LDAP distinguished user as configured in Suite Manager (not currently used)
Addition properties that can be included

Document Metadata

The document metadata fields that appear on a data card vary depending on the Type (Class) selected for the document. In addition to Unclassified Documents, default document types include:

Contracts/Agreements	Correspondence	Investigative Records	Pleadings
Amendment	Email	Credit Report	Affidavit
Ancillary Agreement	Letters	Criminal Record	Amended Complaint
Compensation Agreement	Notice	Driving Record	Answer and Counterclaim
Employment Agreement	Reports	Employment Record	Answer and Cross Claim
Insurance Policy		Tax Record	Appeal
Lease Agreement		Wage Statement	Brief/Memorandum
License Agreement			Complaint/Petition
Non-Disclosure Agreement			Deposition
Purchase Agreement			Exhibit
Purchase Order			Interrogatory
Rate Agreement			Motion to Compel
Retention Letter			Motion to Dismiss
Separation Agreement			Motion - Other
Services Agreement			Motion - Summary Judgment
Settlement Agreement			Opposition/Response
Statement of Work			Order
Standard Contract			Scheduling Order
Termination Agreement

Other metadata fields can include:

Document date
Matter - a document can only be attached to one matter
Document Date
Author(s)
Description
Keywords
Related People - a document can be attached to multiple people
Related Entities - a document can be attached to multiple companies
Matter Number - this read-only field is automatically populated when the Matter is selected
Additional Security Rights
Allow Edit Rights
Deny Access Rights
Read-Only Rights
Additional properties that can be included

Default Document Types

Contracts/Agreements	Correspondence	Investigative Records	Pleadings	Unclassified Documents
Amendment	Email	Credit Report	Affidavit
Ancillary Agreement	Letters	Criminal Record	Amended Complaint
Compensation Agreement	Notice	Driving Record	Answer and Counterclaim
Employment Agreement	Reports	Employment Record	Answer and Cross Claim
Insurance Policy		Tax Record	Appeal
Lease Agreement		Wage Statement	Brief/Memorandum
License Agreement			Complaint/Petition
Non-Disclosure Agreement			Deposition
Purchase Agreement			Exhibit
Purchase Order			Interrogatory
Rate Agreement			Motion to Compel
Retention Letter			Motion to Dismiss
Separation Agreement			Motion - Other
Services Agreement			Motion - Summary Judgment
Settlement Agreement			Opposition/Response
Statement of Work			Order
Standard Contract			Scheduling Order
Termination Agreement

Multi-file Documents

Documents can consist of zero, one, or several files. In this example, the Subcontracting Agreement consists of an original contract written in Microsoft Word and a scanned PDF version with signatures:

Multi-file documents have common metadata for all their files. Files inside a multi-file document cannot have the same name and file type extension.

To convert a single-file document to a multi-file document:

Right-click the document and select Convert to multi-file document.

To add files to a multi-file document:

Check out the document.
Drag-and-drop or copy/paste the files into the multi-file document.

Document Collections

Document collections gather documents that are already saved in the Vault. Each document in the collection has its own metadata, and the collection itself has its own metadata. Collection documents can be also found with searches and views. The relationships from the collection to its member documents can be tied to the latest version of the document or to any specific version of it.

To create a new document collection:

On the Home tab, click Document Collection in the Create New area. If Document Collection does not appear in the Create New area, click the Show more arrow.
On the New Document Collection dialog box, enter the metadata for the collection.
Click Create.

To add a document to a document collection:

Double-click the document collection.
Click Add... and select the document. Click Open.
When prompted to Define Membership, select either Latest version or Specific version.