In this article:
Adding fields from the library
The field library 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
You have three easy ways to add new fields in the grid, so you can easily create and organize them wherever and whenever you need them.
Top right corner - Click Add. The field is added to the bottom of the list.
Inline (between fields) - Insert a field directly between two existing fields.
Bottom of the grid - Add fields from the bottom of the list to quickly keep building in sequence, without scrolling back to the top.
Click Add.
Choose to create either a Custom field or a LawVu field.
This makes it simple to insert new fields at any time, no matter where you are in the grid.
Watch this animation:
Create new fields and add them on the fly
If you need a field that doesn’t already exist in your matter or contract type, click +Add Field, select Create New Field and start configuring it.
The new field will be added to your grid immediately.
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, the field must first be added to the relevant ' Matter Details' section. Then, it will be available to be used in the Create form.
On the other hand, any fields can be added directly to the "Create form" section of a contract type without having it added to "Contract details".
Note: The same process applies to fields to be added to the completion form.
Hide field values in matter/contract type forms
You could have a list of values for a field and want to restrict the available options to specific matter or contract types/forms.
For instance, you have a dropdown field named "Other Party Type", and you want to tailor the options for one of your matter type forms. Simply unlink it from the master field and hide the values you don’t want displayed. You can also unlock the field to add a hint or a placeholder.
Here’s how:
Navigate to the relevant matter or contract type.
Go to the matter/contract details or form, and locate the specific field.
Click on the Field settings, then select the unlink icon.
From there, hide the values that shouldn't be shown for this specific form. If necessary, add a placeholder/hint.
Note: Unlinking from the master field to hide values and add a placeholder/hint only affects the selected matter or contract type and will not impact other forms or types.
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?
Matters
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 – 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.
Contracts
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.
