Create a new contact

Contacts are used in many areas of Smokeball to manage clients and other parties relevant to a matter. Learn how to create contacts to save time manually entering information.

Create a contact in the Smokeball Desktop App

1. Select New Contact from the Smokeball action bar in the Desktop App.
   
2. Select whether the contact is for a Person or a Firm/Business/Organisation. The information you need to fill in changes according to what is selected here.
   Note: You cannot change the contact type once it has been created.
   
3. Enter information into each field as best you can. The minimum information needed to save a contact is a Given Name.

4. Select Advanced view to open the contact card.

   

Entering details for an Individual Contact

For Individual contact cards, the Name & Contact Details, Additional Details, AML & VOI Details, and Execution Options tabs are where you will enter all the information for a contact.

Name & Contact Details

The Name & Contact Details tab is where you enter basic information about the contact's phone numbers and email. 

Under the Letters section, you can choose the appropriate salutation for this contact when you send letters to them. The Custom field is where you can enter an alternative name the contact may go by (such as an anglicised name or nickname).

At the bottom of this tab is the Notes section, where you can add information like alternative addresses.

Additional Details

Additional details is where you can add in all other required information for your contacts including:

• Previous name/ Maiden name
• Occupation
• Date of birth (DOB)
• Date of death
• Identification numbers such as Licence number
• Citizenship
• Passport information
• Bank account details

AML & VOI Details

The AML & VOI Details tab is where you enter information regarding the contact's AML status. This is a requirement as per AML/CTF Tranche 2 regulations coming into effect from July 1 2026. 

Execution Options

The Execution Options tab is where you enter information about the Execution type and Power of Attorney details, and the AML status of the POA.

Other Execution Options

Other execution options can be used when you wish to sign on behalf of your clients (e.g., on your transfer) if you require specific wording not catered for above, or if you require a blank space to handwrite the Signing Clause after printing the document.

To sign on your clients' behalf:

1. At the bottom of the contact card, tick "Where permitted use execution by a legal representative on behalf of the person"
2. By default, representing "Another" will be ticked; however, if you are representing yourself, you can change this here.
3. The default signer will be selected as the person responsible for the matter. If this is not the case you can un-tick this box and enter an additional signer.

To create a custom execution:

1. At the bottom of the contact card, tick "Where a 'custom' or 'blank' execution option exists in documents, use it" option
2. Enter the details in the field that appears below or leave blank.

Once you are done entering information in each tab, select Save at the bottom of the window.

Entering details for a Firm/Business/Organisation Contact

For Organisation contact cards, the tabs available are the Organisation Details, AML & VOI Details, and Execution Options.

Organisation Details

Use the Organisation Details tab to enter basic information about the contact, like the Organisation Type and communication and bank details. At the bottom of the tab, you can enter Notes about the contact.

AML & VOI Details

The AML & VOI Details tab is where you enter information regarding the organisation's AML status. This is a requirement as per AML/CTF Tranche 2 regulations coming into effect from July 1 2026. 

Execution Options

The Execution Options tab is where you enter information about the Company Execution, including the details and AML status of up to 2 directors.

Once you are done entering information in each tab, select Save at the bottom of the window.

Create a new contact from a matter

When a new matter is created, the Matter Details section contains many fields for entering contacts. The process then involves adding every required contact to the matter.

1. Select the plus icon to add a new contact.
2. The New Contact window will now open. Follow the steps above to create the contact.

Add a required contact field to a matter

You can add and remove contact fields displayed in a matter by selecting the Settings (gear) icon on the top-right corner of the matter window.

Let us know if the field you wish to add doesn't come up in the matter type you've selected.

Add another person to the contact card

When you have multiple contacts at the same address, you can add them in:

1. Click on "Add another person" from within the advanced contact view.
   
2. Enter the details for this contact.
3. Click Save.

Your contacts will then be displayed in the matter details.

If the contacts are at separate addresses:

1. Right-click on the first contact from the matter details screen
2. Select "Add contact" or "Add existing contact" 
3. Enter the contact details and click Save.

You can add in as many contacts as required using the above methods.

Enter an address or forwarding address

1. Select the Address box on the left panel to enter the contact's address details.
2. If you have the forwarding address of a contact, tick specify forwarding address to enter the details.
   

Letters to this contact will now use the Forwarding address as the mailing address.

When you need to update the forwarding address to the current address:

1. Un-tick the Forwarding address box.
2. Select "Yes" to update this to the current address.

Additional tips

• Phone information for 'other side' contacts can be left blank, especially if communication happens via their solicitor.
• Get in touch if you wish to import contacts in bulk from a .CSV file.

Create a contact in the Smokeball Web App

Note that the additional tabs that are available in the Smokeball Desktop App are not available as fields in the Smokeball Web App.

1. Select Contacts from the left menu in the Smokeball Web App .
2. Select Add Contact.
   
3. Select whether the contact you wish to enter is an individual person, or a business/organisation. Your selection here will change the contact details fields in the rest of the window.
   
4. Enter the contact's details.
5. Select Save.