The Smart Timer is the time recording tool within Case Matters that allows fee earners to capture, review, and post time against their cases in a fast and structured way. Accessed from the Smart Hub on the right-hand side of the screen, the Smart Timer slides out as a dedicated panel that supports recording time against any case and activity type, switching between activities throughout the day, and managing entries before posting.
Time recording is initiated by selecting a case and an activity type and pressing Start. The timer captures the time spent on that activity until the user presses Stop or Add, at which point the entry is logged in the activity log beneath the timer panel. The user can immediately move on to recording time for another activity, with the previous entry retained in the log. The timer can be paused and restarted as needed, allowing fee earners to handle interruptions without losing track of recorded time.
Once activities have been logged, the user can either End Day to post all recorded time in one operation, or open the Manage Time view to review pending entries before posting.
The Pending Entries modal surfaces every unposted entry alongside the user’s daily time target, the count of pending and posted entries, and clear visual indicators showing which entries are ready to post (green) and which require additional information (red). Entries can be completed individually, copied, deleted, or bulk-actioned, with select-all functionality supporting rapid review of large numbers of entries.
Feature Overview
Purpose
Provide fee earners with a fast, structured tool for recording time against any case and activity type, with full visibility of pending entries and the ability to review and post time individually or in bulk.
Key Benefits
Quick access from anywhere in Case Matters – the Smart Timer is launched directly from the Smart Hub on the right-hand side of the screen
Live time recording – capture time against any case and activity type as work is being carried out
Pause & restart support – pause the timer for interruptions and resume later without losing the recording
Per-activity logging – every recorded activity is added to the activity log beneath the timer for review at a glance
Daily time target visibility – the daily time target, pending entries count, and posted entries count are surfaced in the Pending Entries modal
Status-based posting readiness – colour-coded indicators show which entries are ready to post (green) and which need more information (red)
Filtering – filter pending entries by billable or non-billable, and by status
Bulk actions – select multiple entries to apply actions in one step, including bulk completion of required information
End Day posting – post all recorded time in a single operation when ready
Navigation & Access
Accessing the Smart Timer
The Smart Timer is accessed from the Smart Hub within Case Matters:
Log into the Evo Legal Platform
Select Case Matters from the main navigation
Locate the Smart Hub on the right-hand side of the page
Click the Smart Timer icon within the Smart Hub
The Smart Timer slide-out opens ready to record time.
Screen Components & Layout
The Smart Timer is a slide-out panel containing a timer selection panel, timer controls, an activity log, and action buttons that support posting time at the end of the day or reviewing pending entries via a dedicated modal.
1. Smart Timer Slide-Out Panel
Location: Slides in from the right-hand side of the screen when the Smart Timer icon in the Smart Hub is clicked
Purpose: Provide a self-contained interface for recording, reviewing, and managing time without leaving the user’s current view
The slide-out panel remains accessible while the user continues to work within Case Matters, and can be closed and reopened at any point without affecting any active timers or recorded entries.
2. Timer Selection Panel
Location: Top of the Smart Timer slide-out
Purpose: Allow the user to select the case and activity type for the time being recorded.
Information Captured
Case – the case the time will be recorded against (required)
Activity Type – the type of activity that the time relates to (required)
Both selections are required before the timer can be started. They can be changed when starting a new activity.
3. Timer Controls
Location: Beneath the Timer Selection Panel
Purpose: Provide the controls used to operate the timer for the selected activity.
Available Controls
Start – begin recording time against the selected case and activity
Pause – pause the timer, preserving the time recorded so far
Restart – resume a paused timer to continue recording
Stop – end the recording and add the entry to the activity log
Add – stop the recording and add the entry to the activity log (equivalent to Stop)
4. Activity Log
Location: Beneath the Timer Selection Panel within the Smart Timer slide-out
Purpose: Display every recorded activity from the current timer session in a single, scrollable list.
Each entry recorded via the Smart Timer is added to the activity log immediately on stopping or adding the timer. Entries remain in the log until they are posted, allowing the user to record multiple activities throughout the day before posting time in one operation.
5. Action Buttons
Location: Within the Smart Timer slide-out
Purpose: Allow the user to either post all recorded time at once or review pending entries before posting.
Available Action Buttons
End Day – posts all recorded activity in a single operation, recording the time against each related case
Manage Time – opens the Pending Entries modal, allowing the user to review every unposted entry before deciding which to post
6. Pending Entries Modal
Location: Opens on click of the Manage Time button
Purpose: Surface every unposted time entry, alongside the user’s daily time target and posting metrics, so entries can be reviewed and acted on before being posted.
Information Displayed
Daily Time Target – the user’s target time for the day
Pending Entries Count – the number of entries that have not yet been posted
Posted Entries Count – the number of entries already posted
Pending Entries List – a list of every unposted entry awaiting review
Entry Status Indicators
Each pending entry is marked with a colour-coded status indicator showing whether it is ready to post:
Green – all required information is present and the entry can be posted as it is
Red – additional information is required before the entry can be posted
Filtering
Pending entries can be filtered to focus on the entries the user wishes to act on. Available filters include:
Billable / Non-Billable – filter by whether the entry is billable or not
Status – filter by the readiness-to-post status (green or red)
7. Reviewing & Posting Pending Entries
Location: Within the Pending Entries modal
Purpose: Allow the user to complete missing information on red entries, manage entries individually or in bulk, and post entries when ready.
Required Information Per Entry
To post an entry, the following required fields must be completed:
Action Type
Case
Duration
Date
Fee Earner
Billing Rate
Activity Type
Description
Optional Information
Cost Category – the cost category to apply to the entry
Correspondent – the correspondent the activity relates to
Calculated Billing Information
Once the required fields are complete, the modal calculates and displays the billing information for the entry, including:
Units – the number of units recorded against the entry
Value Per Unit – the value applied to each unit
Total Amount – the total billing amount in pounds for the entry
Once all required fields have been completed, the entry can be posted and the time is recorded and logged against the related case.
Per-Entry Actions
Each pending entry supports the following actions:
Post – post the entry once all required information is complete
Copy – duplicate the entry to use as the basis for a new entry
Delete – remove the entry if it is no longer required
Bulk Actions
Multiple entries can be selected and acted on in a single operation. The available bulk actions support:
Bulk completion of required information – apply common information to all selected entries at once via the review entries section
Bulk posting – post all selected entries in one step
Bulk delete – remove all selected entries in one step
Select All
A select-all toggle is available to allow the user to select every pending entry in one click. Once selected, the user can enter the relevant information across all unposted entries within the review entries section, supporting rapid review and posting of large numbers of entries.
Step-by-Step Procedures
Accessing the Smart Timer
Log into the Evo Legal Platform
Select Case Matters from the main navigation
Locate the Smart Hub on the right-hand side of the page
Click the Smart Timer icon – the Smart Timer slide-out opens
Recording Time Against an Activity
Open the Smart Timer from the Smart Hub
Select the Case the time should be recorded against
Select the Activity Type the activity relates to
Click Start – the timer begins recording
Carry out the activity
Click Stop or Add when finished – the time is logged in the activity log beneath the timer
Pausing & Restarting the Timer
While recording, click Pause to suspend the timer without ending the recording
Click Restart when ready to resume – the timer continues from where it was paused
Click Stop or Add when the activity is complete to finalise the entry
Recording Time for Multiple Activities
After stopping or adding the previous activity, select the next Case
Select the relevant Activity Type
Click Start – the timer begins recording the new activity
Repeat as required throughout the working day
Posting Time Using End Day
Once all activities for the day are recorded, click End Day
All recorded activity is posted in a single operation
Time is recorded against each related case automatically
Reviewing Pending Entries via Manage Time
Click Manage Time within the Smart Timer slide-out
The Pending Entries modal opens
Review the daily time target, pending entries count, and posted entries count at the top of the modal
Identify entries by their status indicator:
Green – ready to post
Red – requires additional information
Filtering Pending Entries
Within the Pending Entries modal, locate the filter controls
Apply the relevant filter:
Billable / Non-Billable
Status (green or red)
3. The list of pending entries updates to display only entries matching the selected filters.
Completing & Posting an Individual Pending Entry
Locate the entry within the Pending Entries modal
If the entry is red, complete the required fields:
Action Type, Case, Duration, Date, Fee Earner, Billing Rate, Activity Type, Description
Optionally: Cost Category and Correspondent
3. Review the calculated billing information – units, value per unit, and total amount
4. Click Post to record the time against the related case
5. Use Copy or Delete if you need to duplicate or remove the entry instead
Performing Bulk Actions on Pending Entries
Select multiple entries using the bulk select controls within the Pending Entries modal
Choose the required bulk action:
Bulk complete information – apply common required information to every selected entry
Bulk post – post all selected entries in a single step
Bulk delete – remove all selected entries
3. Confirm the action – the change is applied across every selected entry.
Selecting All Entries for Bulk Review
Toggle the select-all option within the Pending Entries modal
Every pending entry is selected
Enter the relevant information across all selected entries within the review entries section
Post all entries in a single operation once review is complete.
Configuration Options
User Preferences
Users can customise their Smart Timer experience:
Set a preferred default case or activity type for new timer sessions
Choose default filters in the Pending Entries modal (e.g. show only red entries)
Display the Smart Timer slide-out automatically on log-in if preferred
Save commonly used filter combinations for quick re-use.