Smokeball's Matter Details section appears overwhelming when you create your first matter. This article outlines where to enter relevant information to the matter.
Before you begin
Ensure all relevant matter details are displayed in the matter by selecting all relevant parties and data to the matter.
Matter Info window
Double-clicking on the Info line opens the Matter info window, where you can complete matter-specific actions such as:
- Change the status of a matter
- Change the matter open and close date
- Override the Matter Number, Re Line and Description fields
- Add the Person Responsible, Person Assisting, Introducer and Referrer details
Matter Parties and Contacts
Next, enter the parties to the matter under the Info line.
The fields that display here are configured after selecting all relevant parties and data to the matter.
Adding Additional Contacts to a matter
If there are contacts that you wish to add to a matter, you can enable the Additional Contact field.
Once this is enabled, you can add multiple additional contacts by right-clicking on the Additional Contact in the matter file.
Editing the Role and Legal Description
To edit a contact's role in the matter, right-click on their name and select Edit Role & Legal Description. Here, you can override the role or enter the descriptor of the party.
The role override will be displayed next to their name.
Tip: The option to edit the Role and Legal Description is available for all contacts, not just Additional Contacts.
Matter specific layouts
Details specific to a matter are located further down in the Matter Details section. These fields are tailored depending on the matter type and state. Additional fields can be found when adding additional parties and data to the matter.
The best practice is to fill in as many details as possible upon creating the matter, but you can always come back to the matter window to do so later.
Entering an overseas address
Matter detail fields do not account for address templates for countries other than Australia. If you need to enter an address from a foreign country, the best solution is to fit the address into the existing fields as best as possible.