Open Duplicates in the Firm Console. Acquit compares every client in the firm on file number, name and date of birth, and lists the pairs that look like the same person. Owners, co-owners and admins can sort them out.
This happens most often when someone joins the firm and brings their own clients across. It also happens when two people take the same enquiry, or an import runs twice.
Each pair gives you three choices:
- Not the same: two different people with similar details. We stop asking about that pair.
- Same person, two matters: one client, two separate jobs. Both files stay exactly as they are, and Acquit links them so you can move between the person's matters from either file. This is the right answer for a repeat client.
- Merge into one: one matter recorded twice. Pick which file to keep and the other's court dates, tasks, charges and history move onto it.
Before you merge
Merging removes the other file. Check they really are the same matter, not the same person on two jobs; a repeat client should be linked, not merged.
The file you keep holds its own details. Anything it has no answer for, like a missing phone number or date of birth, is filled in from the other one. Charges, court history and monitoring settings from both are kept.
You have 7 days to undo it. Open the merged client and use Undo merge in the banner at the top. Everyone at the firm can see that banner; a firm admin does the undoing. After 7 days it is permanent.
Weaker matches (same name, nothing else in common) sit behind a weaker matches link at the bottom, so common surnames don't crowd the page.