Glossary

Plain-language definitions of terms you'll see around LawyerPara. Skim it once, or come back whenever a word is unfamiliar.

People and roles

Term	What it means
Super Admin	The person who runs the whole platform: adds firms, sets plans and prices, and manages billing. Usually the software owner or reseller.
Firm Admin	The owner or manager of a single firm. Full control of that one practice.
Staff	A firm employee (paralegal, receptionist, accountant…) who only sees the menus their permissions allow.
Client	A person or business the firm acts for. Clients can book consultations, pay, fill in Smart Forms and follow their matters in the client portal.
Impersonation	When the Super Admin temporarily "enters" a firm to see and use its panel as that firm's admin. An orange banner shows while this is happening.

Plans, billing and money

Term	What it means
Plan	A subscription tier a firm pays for (e.g. Starter, Professional), with its own limits and features.
Subscription	A firm's active plan: what it pays, how often, and when it renews.
MRR	Monthly Recurring Revenue, the predictable subscription income the platform earns each month.
AI Credits	A firm's balance for using AI tools. Each AI action uses some credits; when they run out, AI tools pause until topped up.
SMS credits	A firm's balance for client texts sent through the platform's SMS account. Each SMS part uses credits; firms with their own provider keys use none.
Client invoice	A bill from a firm to a client for work on their matter.
Platform invoice	A bill from the platform to a firm for its subscription.
Coupon	A discount code applied to platform invoices (not client matters).

Practice areas and matters

Term	What it means
Practice area	An area of law you offer (e.g. "Family Law") with a consultation fee and photos.
Matter	A client's case file: who, which practice area, and the key dates. New matters get a reference like `MAT-7K2Q9D`.
Stage	Where a matter is in your firm's workflow (for example Intake or Discovery). Stages are the columns of the matter board; the matter's status still drives billing and reminders.
Pipeline	The ordered set of stages a matter moves through. Firms have a default pipeline and can add one per practice area.
Custom field	A case detail your firm records on matters, such as the court or a case number.
Open / Active / Closed	A matter's progress: accepted, under way, then finished.
Caseload	The matters your firm is currently working on.
Case task	A piece of work on a matter, such as a filing, review, call or court preparation, with an assignee and priority.

Smart Forms

Term	Meaning
Smart Form	A legal document with fields inside the wording that a client fills in and signs online. Also called LegalFrame.
Secure link	A form's own web address, with a random 32-character code that cannot be guessed.
Access PIN	An optional code the client must enter before a Smart Form opens.
Submission	One client's completed Smart Form, with their answers, signature and a PDF copy.
Request changes	Sending a submission back to the client, with the answers to fix flagged and an optional note.
Changes view	The history of a resubmitted form: each request and every answer that changed, before and after.
Showcase form	The Smart Form the homepage links visitors to (Try a live Smart Form), chosen by the Super Admin.

Website, clients and messaging

Term	What it means
Website Builder	The tool for building your firm's public website from drag-and-drop content blocks.
Slug	The short name for your firm in web addresses, e.g. the `sterling-whitfield` in `/firm/sterling-whitfield`.
Client Inbox	One place to read and reply to client messages from the website chatbot and WhatsApp.
Chatbot	The AI assistant on your public site that answers client questions.
Knowledge Base	The documents you give the chatbot (policies, FAQs, directions) so it answers accurately.

Setup and technical terms

Term	What it means
SMTP	The email-sending service that lets LawyerPara deliver confirmations and invoices.
Payment gateway	A service (Stripe, Razorpay, PayPal, LigdiCash) that processes clients' card or mobile money payments online.
Pay at firm	The client books online but pays in person at the reception.
Webhook	An automatic behind-the-scenes message a service sends back to LawyerPara (for example, a payment provider confirming a payment). Usually set up once by a developer.
API key / token	A secret code that connects LawyerPara to another service (OpenAI, a payment gateway, WhatsApp). Keep it private.
KPI	Key Performance Indicator, a headline number like caseload or revenue shown on dashboards.
Demo mode	A read-only trial mode where you can explore every screen but changes aren't saved. Off on real installations.