Deadline Tracking and Compliance Alerts

Deadline Tracking and Compliance Alerts

Intelligence tier firms can automate deadline creation and receive compliance alerts to ensure nothing is missed.

Deadline Rules

Deadline rules automatically create deadlines when a new matter is opened. Each rule specifies:

• Case type — Which matter type the rule applies to (e.g., custody, labour, commercial).
• Title — The deadline name (e.g., "File answering affidavit", "CCMA referral deadline").
• Offset days — How many days after the matter is opened the deadline falls.

Managing Rules

1. Navigate to Deadlines from the sidebar.
2. View existing rules grouped by case type.
3. Click Add Rule to create a new deadline rule.
4. Edit or delete existing rules as your practice evolves.

Default Rules

Digiiworks includes sensible defaults for common South African case types:

• Custody — File answering affidavit (15 days)
• Commercial — Serve summons (7 days)
• Maintenance — First court appearance (30 days)
• Family — Mediation session (21 days)
• Labour — CCMA referral deadline (30 days)
• Criminal — Plea and trial setdown (60 days)

Alerts

Once a deadline is created (manually or by rule), automated reminders are sent at:

• 14 days before — early planning notice
• 7 days before — action required
• 1 day before — urgent final reminder

Deadline alerts appear on the Dashboard (see Understanding Your Dashboard) and in the Calendar view.

AI Extraction (Coming Soon)

Deadlines can also be extracted automatically from uploaded documents using AI — for example, identifying court dates from a notice of set-down.

Tips

• Review default rules during onboarding (see Using the Onboarding Checklist) and adjust offset days to match your firm's workflow.
• Use the deadline compliance rate in Analytics (see Understanding Your Analytics Dashboard) to track how well your team meets deadlines.