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Using Osprey

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Glossary

Updated Dec 17th, 2025

A guide to legal case management software and Osprey terminology, containing definitions of terms related to legal tech and Osprey’s features and functionality

Press Control + F to perform a search.

A – C

Access Template
An Access Template dictates what area(s) of Osprey a specific group of users can access when using Osprey from a Web Browser.

Activity Code (Time)
The activity performed when recording time on a client’s matter.
I.e. Email in, Travelling, Waiting

Add-in
An installable program that enhances functionality of other programs (e.g. Osprey Outlook Add-In).

Aged Debtors
Clients who have outstanding bills to pay.

Archive
Archiving within Osprey will hide items from general user view without deletion of data.
This can relate to archiving clients, fee earners, users and more.

Associates
Third-parties who may be associated with a matter.

Branches
If you have more than one location you assign a branch to the matter to denote which branch is dealing with the matter.

Case Bundle
A Case Bundles is a PDF documents, made up from items stored within the Matter History, created with an index and bookmarks. Also known as a court bundle.

Cash Accounting
Method of VAT where payment of VAT is not due until the invoice has been paid.

Client
The person(s) requesting for your firm’s services. Usually denoted within Osprey with a unique client number.

Client-level
Client Level refers to information relating to the client and would not change between areas of law. Examples may include date of birth, passport number, nationality.

Client Number
A unique identifying number assigned to the client.

Client Table
This is a list of all clients on the system. This can be filtered using various available options.

Client Workspace
This is a workspace that provides information that is specific to the client such as client profile, raised invoices, web portal status etc. It also allows you to move around Osprey to the areas specific to the loaded client, using the tabs at the top.

Client View
Non-editable customised view of client information through workflows and the web portal.

Client/Matter Pill
Where this grey box containing the client/matter number and ‘i’ appears, users can click it and a details panel will open on the right hand side showing all client/matter information – this enables users to see client/matter information without leaving the screen they were in.

COM Add-in / Connector
A COM add-in is a type of program that can extend the functionality of Microsoft Office applications, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. A COM add-in can add custom commands and features to the Office user interface, such as menus, toolbars, buttons, or task panes.

Conflict of Interest Search
This is a tool that allows users to search for a third party that are potential conflicts. This will return any potentials along with a conflict score.

Contacts
Third-party Individuals who can be linked to matters (e.g. an estate agent – the person not the firm).

Contract Work Forms
The area where you can fill in information that populates the Legal Aid submission (e.g. Ethnic Origin, Offence Code, Class Completion etc.)

Custom Data Field
An individual field that holds data relating to the matter, (e.g. an email address, date, value such as text or monetary amounts, contact or organisation).

Custom Data Page
A grouping of up to twenty dossier fields, which can be linked at a client level, or to specific work type(s) to use at matter level.

Custom Questionnaires
A customisable form that is completed via a workflow. The custom questionnaire consists of pre-defined dossier field > information. When the questionnaire is complete, the information is automatically stored in the client or matter area.

D – F

Deal Room / Document Sharing
Located within the Osprey Web Portal, the Deal Room provides the ability to upload and collaborate on documents. Users will see “Document Sharing” within the web portal.

Department
Departments work as cost centres within Osprey, allowing you to monitor and manage profit and expenditure at a departmental level

Details Panel
This opens when the client/matter pill is clicked and provides users with more information whilst not leaving the screen they were in.

Extensions
Extensions are available at two levels, Client, and Matter.
These can display specific custom data fields on the client or matter page.

Extension (Client)
These offer shortcuts to quickly populate selected client level custom data fields, relevant to the client. These can be set for Individuals, Companies or both.

Extension (Matter)
These offer shortcuts to quickly populate selected matter level custom data fields, relevant to the area of work.

Fee Earner
Person who can be assigned matters in Osprey and can time record.
This can relate to either:

  • Supervising Fee Earner (supervisor assigned to the matter),
  • Matter Fee Earner (person assigned to the matter for day-to-day conduct),
  • Time Fee Earner (person not assigned to the matter but can record time entries for work carried out)

File System / General File System
Document storage for non-case related documents (e.g. internal company documents).

Financial Access Template
Dictates what financial access a user has. This can include out-of-period postings and running Period End.

Focused Workflow Pack
Osprey’s pre-built workflows, each focusing on specific areas of law, which can be further amended by a system supervisor. These can contain a workflow, custom data pages & standard documents.

Formulae
The ability to add excel-like formulae to custom data fields in Osprey (e.g. a formula for the client title, firstname and surname to be one field).

G – I

Global Documents
Standard documents that are not linked to a specific to a worktype, these documents are available on all matters (e.g. terms & conditions).

Global Search
The main search at the top of each screen in Osprey which allows for searching for clients, matters or matter history searches.

Go Live
The process of converting a prospect client to an active client.

Home Page
The first page you see when logging into Osprey this shows recent matters, coming up key dates/reviews and KPI charts as well as any Osprey related news.

Integration
Third-party software or service embedded into the Osprey solution to utilise shared data or improve joint functionality.

J – L

Key Date
An important date throughout the course of the matter. A Key Date can also refer to an upcoming task or requirement.

Key Date Summary
A filterable report to show key dates assigned to a specific fee earner.

Key Date Table (All)
This shows all key dates across the system and can then be filtered using various available options.

Key Date Table (Matter)
This shows all key dates specific to the currently loaded matter and can then be filtered using various available options.

M – O

Matter
The individual case associated with the client. Clients can have multiple matters, and is denoted as /1, /2…

Matter History
Library of uploaded correspondence and digital files that relate to the matter.

Matter History Folders (Global)
These are folders that are going to be visible globally (no matter what work type the matter is). The documents stored in them are client specific.

Matter History Folders (Work Type)
These are folders that are going to be visible only on matters under a specific worktype (e.g. on a conveyancing file you would not see probate folders). The documents stored in them are client specific.

Matter-level
Details linked to the matter, such as the property price within a conveyancing matter, other side details.

Matter Restriction
The ability to restrict access to a matter for specific users.

Matter Table
This is a list of all matters on the system. This can be filtered using various available options.

Matter View
Non-editable customised view of matter information through workflows and the web portal.

Matter Workspace
This is a workspace that provides information that is specific to the matter that is currently loaded. It shows various items such as workflow progress, account control, upcoming key dates etc. It also allows you to move around Osprey to the areas specific to the loaded matter, using the tabs at the top.

Mergefields
A mapping that can be used on a standard document that will pull information already stored in Osprey on a custom data field.

New Action Button
This allows users to launch certain commonly used areas of the software (e.g. a new document or new email) from any screen within the system.

Osprey Gateway
An installable program that runs in the background, allowing users to produce Osprey documents in Microsoft Word from the Web Browser.

Outlook Add-in
An add-in that enable users to extract / import data to and from Osprey directly from Microsoft Outlook.

Office 365
Microsoft’s Online Office suite >

Office 365 Add-in (Word and Outlook)
An add-in designed for Office 365 online users to extract and import data between Osprey directly from Microsoft.

Organisations
3rd-Party Companies that can be associated to a matter.

Osprey
Cloud based platform that is accessible from any web browser (e.g. Chrome, Edge, Firefox etc.)

Osprey Mobile Client Portal App
Dedicated mobile version of the client portal, available to download on Google Play and Apple App stores.

Online Editor
A built-in alternative to Microsoft Word, allowing users to create and amend documents directly from Osprey.

P – R

Package
A collection of files collated into a single PDF, or a ZIP file, which can be sent and downloaded from a unique URL.

Prospect Matter
A matter where the client has yet not instructed the firm to act.

Remuneration
The hourly charge rate for a fee earner’s time recording.

Reports (Standard)
This is the core suite of reports that are included as standard (e.g. Period End Reports, Trail Balance etc.).

Reports (Custom)
These are customised reports that you may purchase to show specific information that you may require, that is not included in our standard reports suite.

Reports (Osprey Analytics)
This is powered by Power BI and provides interactive dashboards. They can connect several different systems that you might use along with Osprey and can allow you to drill down on datapoints providing clear insights.

Requisition
A way that fee earners can request the accounts team to make a financial posting (e.g. to reflect money on account received, to raise a bill etc.) – this can follow an approval process via authorising and then posting.

S – U

Sideload
Sideloading apps is the installation of an app on a device without using the official app store of the device’s platform (e.g. Windows Store).

Side menu
The left hand side menu that assists with navigating around Osprey.

Smart Actions
Smart Actions allows for bulk entry of data from a CSV into Osprey.
These are broken into 4 categories:

Standard Documents
Otherwise known as letters, precedents, templates – these can be populated with merge fields to pull through information stored in custom data pages on Osprey

System Supervisor
User(s) with the supervisor access template assigned. This gives the user access to more areas of the system including the setup side of things (e.g. adding new users, setting up financial periods, adding standard documents etc.)

Timer
Found in the time drawer, this allows users to start a stop watch to precisely track how long an action takes. This can then be turned into a time posting.

Timer Drawer
When posting a timer or time posting users can use the time drawer that pops open on the right hand side of the screen. This allows time postings to be made regardless of the screen you are in.

URL
The primary URL to access your firm’s Osprey system.
https://yourfirmname.ospreyapproach.com/main

Unique File Number (UFN)
A legal aid ID number that needs assigning when a new legal aid matter is opened. Osprey automatically assigns these using the correct LAA numbering system.

Units (Time)
Six-minute time unit, used for time recording.

V – Z

VAT Registration Type / VAT Method
Configuration setting to record the method of calculating VAT.

Web Portal
Secure online portal allowing clients and third parties to access and exchange documents and messages, and view the progress of their matters.

Web Publishing / Web Enabling
The act of sharing information to the web portal so associated clients and third-parties can view it.

Web Questionnaires
Digital questionnaires that can be completed by the client, through the client web portal.

Workflow Actions
A Workflow action is the singular operation within a workflow task >, such as generating a document, composing an email, or capturing of data via a questionnaire.

Workflow Tasks
A group of actions to be performed at a specific phase of a workflow.

Workflows
A schedule of tasks, containing individual actions that are performed. Some actions can be set to only run when pre-determined criteria is met.

Workflows (Custom)
A customised version of the workflow that can be purchased, this enables users to have a workflow that is specific to them taking into account their processes and document templates etc.

Work Type
When setting up a matter you set the work type based on the kind of work (e.g. conveyancing, wills & probate, employment etc.) Custom data pages, standard documents and workflows will often be linked to a work type and as such can only be seen when on a file of the same type.

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