What's new in
LegalCollect.

Daily sync health checks. Every firm's Actionstep sync is now checked each day. If a connection needs reconnecting, a sync has failed or the import hasn't run, our team is emailed every day until it's resolved.

Clearer System Logs when you're disconnected. If your firm has no Actionstep connection, your System Logs show "Cron DB sync / Skipped: no Actionstep connection" each night, so after reconnecting you can confirm it worked the next morning.

Safer nightly imports. A row the import can't read is now logged and skipped rather than stored incorrectly, and on those nights your existing data is kept rather than pruned. Failed downloads are recorded too.

More automated checks before every release. Every screen is now tested with awkward names in a real browser before a release ships. You'll be asked to sign in again after this update.

Tighter handling of credentials and scripts. Actionstep credentials no longer appear in the scheduler's logs, and the scripts LegalCollect's screens rely on are now served from LegalCollect itself rather than a public content network.

Actionstep connections no longer drop unexpectedly. Some firms were losing their Actionstep connection when Actionstep was slow to answer the hourly connection refresh. LegalCollect now waits longer for a reply, never retries with a token that may already have been used, and only saves a connection once it holds working credentials — so reconnecting under Settings > Actionstep can no longer look successful when it wasn't.

Names and addresses come through exactly as typed. The nightly Actionstep import could mis-store values containing a dollar sign and addresses made up only of commas, which in some cases shifted or dropped a contact's other details. These are now stored exactly as entered in Actionstep, and affected records are repaired automatically on the first nightly import after this release — nothing for you to do.

The "Do not send reminders" note shows straight away. Ticking Do not send reminders on a Sales Invoice now shows its note and updates the list immediately, even when the client or matter name contains an apostrophe. The same fix covers sixteen other save screens — including adding a user, user group, partner or firm, editing fees, recipient types and email settings — so names like O'Brien or D'Arcy & Co work everywhere.

Special characters in notice emails. A client or matter name containing &, < or > now reads correctly in notice emails, instead of swallowing the rest of the paragraph.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

2FA enforced on all administration systems.

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.

Improved error messaging and logging.

Various security enhancements.

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.

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

Upgraded security infrastructure.