Assign the right people to the right client
Every client in Ledger has three engagement roles : partner in charge, corresponding accountant, and signatory. Assigning them correctly drives each teammate's dashboard, the letter templates, the sign-off boxes on worksheets, and the « My files » filter that admins use to look at what each team member owns.
The three roles
Partner in charge
The partner who owns the client. Signs off, is accountable, and appears as their partner on all outputs.
- Powers the partner's « My files » dashboard.
- Sees all engagements for this client.
- Referenced by letter templates.
Corresponding accountant
The accountant who does the day-to-day work. The client hears from this person for operations.
- Their dashboard also lists this client.
- Named on transmission letters.
- Can be same as or different from the partner.
Signatory
The person whose signature appears on the financial statements. Often the same as the partner in charge, but not always.
- Name printed on the FS cover and signature line.
- Change per engagement if needed.
Three ways to assign
From the client sheet
On the client's card, section Engagement leads. Pick a partner, an accountant, and a signatory from the dropdowns. Each list only shows team members with the appropriate profile role (partner, accountant, etc.), so you can't mis-assign someone.
From the client's row on the Clients list
Every row has a small edit icon in the leads column. Click it to change the partner or accountant without opening the full sheet. Faster when you're reassigning several clients at once (a partner leaves, or a client changes hands).
Bulk reassign (Admin → Team)
In Admin → Team, when you remove a member, Ledger asks who to reassign their clients to. This ensures no client is ever orphaned when someone leaves the firm.
A client without a partner still works technically, but they land in the admin « To assign » queue and don't appear on anyone's dashboard. Try to always set at least a partner in charge, even if the person will change later.
What the dashboard shows
« My files » on each team member's dashboard shows :
- Clients where they are partner in charge.
- Clients where they are the corresponding accountant (via team_members.user_id linking).
- If a team member has no linked user, they see the full firm view instead.
Admins get an extra filter to view any specific member's stack, plus a « To assign » pile for clients without a partner.
Frequently asked questions
Can the same person hold all three roles ?
Yes. Common in solo or small firms. The same name simply shows up in each field. Nothing prevents it.
A team member leaves the firm mid-year
In Admin → Team, remove them. Ledger prompts you to reassign each of their clients to another partner or accountant before the removal is confirmed. No client is left orphaned.
Do these roles affect billing ?
No. Billing and licensing are firm-level (in Admin → Billing). Engagement leads only affect who sees the client on their dashboard and who's named on outputs.