What's new in
LegalCollect.

The <<Pay Now Button>> merge field. Type it on a line of its own in a notice template and it becomes a real button linking to the payment page. It's drawn without a picture, so it still shows when Outlook or a corporate mail system blocks images. Set its colour on the Payment Gateway screen under Branding — the label switches to white or black, whichever reads better. Centre the line to centre the button. <<Pay Now>> still gives a plain text link.

The payment gateway no longer applies surcharges. Any failed payment is now logged.

Notice emails display properly in Outlook and other mail programs. Fonts, widths and table heading colours now hold, every notice carries a plain-text version alongside the formatted one, and the subject limit is 130 characters everywhere, including test sends.

Your logo travels inside the email. The first picture in a notice (that isn't a link) is now embedded in the message, so it shows even when images are blocked. Pictures without a description get one automatically — your firm's name for the logo, "Pay Now" for a payment button.

Template editor upgrades. Newly inserted pictures remember their size so they display correctly in Outlook. Every saved version of a notice template is now kept, with who saved it and when — contact us to retrieve or restore an earlier version.

System Logs show who changed what. Changes to fixed fees, penalty interest, fee exceptions, Payment Gateway settings and client and matter type exclusions are recorded against the user, with the old and new value. Deletions are logged again, and new or deleted records show what they were.

Hardened sign-in. Each session is now tied to the portal and firm it was created for, activation and password reset links rely only on their one-time passcode, sensitive values are kept out of logs, and automated probes are turned away before they reach the application.

Fewer unexpected sign-outs. Refreshing or closing a tab, an expired link or a stale tab no longer signs you out — sessions end on Logout or after two hours idle. A verification code can now be requested up to three times during sign-in.

More reliable scheduled notices. Recipient addresses are checked with the same rules as the portal before sending, firms are emailed (at most once a day) if Actionstep unexpectedly rejects a connection refresh, and penalty interest handles zero amounts and rates correctly.

Rebuilt foundations. The app and its scheduler now share a single code base, so rules and figures are identical everywhere they appear. You'll be asked to sign in again after this update.

Invoice actions now work from every screen. Adding a note to an invoice and sending a test email now work no matter which screen you opened the invoice from — Overdue Invoices, Notices, Penalties, or Gateway Transactions. Existing comments and the "under minimum amount" note also show consistently across all four.

Smoother client exclusions. Adding a client to the exclusion list now places the new entry at the top of the list straight away, correctly formatted and with a working Remove button — no page reload needed.

Snappier live updates across the app. Several lists — client and account-code exclusions, the security log, user profiles, and user groups — now refresh in place reliably as you make changes, without reloading the page.

Steady maintenance and a major platform upgrade. Between the releases below and the latest one, LegalCollect received continuous fixes and refinements — including a significant behind-the-scenes upgrade to the technology that powers in-app updates, making lists and dialogs faster and more responsive.

Exclude invoices by matter type. A heavily requested feature: exclude invoices from reminders based on the matter type they relate to — ideal for matters settled at a future event, such as conveyancing (paid at settlement) or probate (paid on will settlement). Configure it under Settings > Matter Type Exclusions by ticking the types to exclude. Excluded invoices are hidden from the Invoices and Notices screens and omitted from reminder processing.

Internal admin enhancements. A new Client Accounts management screen, enhancements to the client list screen, and a new Partners administration tool — improving operational efficiency behind the scenes.

Various bug fixes and minor UX changes.

2FA enforced on all administration systems.

Additional statistical reports for business planning, and stored default connection strings for different regions.

Remind before the due date. The first reminder can now send up to seven days before an invoice's due date — enter a negative "Number of days" value (0 = on the due date, −1 through −7 = that many days before).

Invoice notes. Add notes to invoices from the Invoices or Notices screens, with clearer visibility of when reminders were sent or suppressed.

More exports. Export buttons added to download the Penalties and Notices lists to Excel.

Various bug fixes.

Better payment experience when using the integrated Fat Zebra payment gateway.

Various security enhancements.

Improved error messaging and logging.

Re-establish a lost Actionstep connection in one click. If the connection drops, an "Establish Connection" button now appears at login to restore the integration.

Invoices Export. LegalCollect's first Excel export: click "Export" on the Invoices list to download invoice data to Excel — honouring any applied filters or search parameters, with every column shown in the list.

SMS two-factor authentication. Enable 2FA from the new Security settings screen, with a log of each activation and deactivation. When enabled, login requires a six-digit code sent to the mobile number on your account; re-authentication is needed every 8 hours, or whenever your IP address or device changes.

"Repeat the final debtor level until the debt is recovered." A new setting (on by default, under Settings > Email) that lets firms choose whether reminders keep sending at the final level or stop at the end of the sequence.

Mobile number confirmation added at login in preparation for 2FA — a valid mobile number is required, and confirmation status is visible on the Users screen.

Upgraded security infrastructure.

Added tooltips explaining what the numbers in the main menu mean.