In this article:
Adding fields from the library
By now you'll have an understanding of the field library. This is the 'home' for all of the default LawVu fields and any custom fields that you have created.
After learning how to create and manage custom fields, you can now associate these fields with the appropriate matter types.
When working with matters - you can add fields to the:
Matter details
Scoping fields
Create form
Completion form
The field library appears on the right-hand side of the matter type editor. You can either drag/drop instances of these fields from the library into the matter type - or just click on the arrow that appears when you hover over them.
Once the field has been added, the fields will appear in the relevant matter details section - and from there, you can click the settings icon next to each field to control its properties.
While the above steps are specifically mentioned in the context of matter types, they are equally applicable to contract types.
How to add fields to the 'create form'
To add fields to the 'Create form' section of a matter type or contract type - the field must first be added to the relevant 'Details' section. From there it will be available to be used in the Create form.
See the diagram below.
Note: The same process applies to fields to be added to the completion form.
Where will custom fields appear?
Custom fields will appear in the following places:
in a Matter / Contract creation form
in a Matter / Contract preview (for standard/business users)
in the Matter / Contract details tab
In the Matter scope management tab
Can custom fields be included in the scope?
Yes. Custom fields can now be included in the scoping process.
Note: A custom field can either be included in the scope or as a field in the matter details area - it cannot exist in both places at once.
Saving and updating fields per contract/matter type
Once you've added the various fields to the matter/contract type - be sure to click the 'Save' button to make those changes stick.
What happens to active matters/contracts when I add/remove fields from the matter and/or contract type?
Adding fields to a matter type - When you add a new field to a matter type, the following happens subject to the matter state:
Active – New field is added
On hold – New field is added
Complete – New field is not added as the matter information is in a "locked down" state when completed. If the matter state is changed back to active or on hold, the new field will be added to the matter for completion.
Removing fields from a matter type - When you remove a field from a matter type, the following happens subject to the matter state:
Active – Field is removed and disappears from matter details
On hold – Field is removed and disappears from matter details
Complete – The field is retained as the matter information is in a "locked down" state when completed.
If the matter state is changed back to active or on hold, the matter details will reflect the latest matter type form and the field along with the existing value will be removed.
Adding fields to a contract type - When you add a new field to a contract type, the following happens subject to the contract state:
Draft – New field is added
Negotiating – New field is added
Signing – New field is added
Executed – New field is added
Expired – New field is NOT added, as expired contract stage puts it in a "locked down" state.Removing fields from a contract type - When you remove a field from a contract type, the following happens subject to the contract state:
Draft – Field is removed and disappears from contract details
Negotiating – Field is removed and disappears from contract details
Signing – Field is removed and disappears from the contract details
Executed – Field is removed and disappears from contract details
Expired – Field is retained.Any changes on the contract type fields will not apply to contracts with the expired state so when a contract is renewed, it only retains all the contract fields that were there when it expired. Fields that were removed and new fields that were added to the contract type prior to renewal will not reflect on the renewed contract. The same goes when a contract is voided and unvoided back to draft - it retains all the fields that were present prior to it being voided.
How fields work with parent and child matter types
If you create a 'child' matter type - it will automatically inherit the fields and options from its parent matter type. This isn't an enforced relationship, however - it's just a starting point. If you later update fields in parent matter types, those changes will NOT flow down to child matter types.
Can I use custom fields to filter the matter grid?
Yes. We recommend setting up 'saved views' of the matter grid with just the information that you need as this will help the grid load nicely and quickly and enable you to easily switch between different views as you need to.