Smokeball Word Features

The Microsoft Word integration is a core functionality of Smokeball. It lets you create letters and documents from the Precedent Library, saving time and ensuring accuracy by automatically populating matter data into your documents. 

The integration adds helpful Smokeball buttons to Word which allow you to save documents into matters within the Smokeball software.

This article will guide you through basic letter, document and precedent creation in Smokeball and what to expect in Word.

For more information on the automation and template management features that are available to you as a Smokeball user, view our resources on Document Automation.

Opening a letter

1. In the matter action bar, click the New Document button and select Letter.

   • The Document option opens up a blank Word document.
   • The File Note option generates a Word document template for a file note/memo.

   

   

2. Select the contacts you wish to add to your letter (or leave unselected to create a blank document).
3. On the Letterhead panel, confirm the letterhead you wish to use on this letter. The default selection is the Letterhead that is as per your Document Container settings. You can click to select a different letterhead from the list as needed.

4. Select Create Document on the bottom-right corner of the window to generate the letter.

   

    

Opening a precedent

1. In the matter action bar, click the Precedent button.

   

2. Navigate the Precedent Library to find the required precedent and double-click to open it.

   

Learn more about using the Precedent Library and customising its shortcuts for your firm.

Working on a document, letter or precedent

Once the document, letter or precedent is open in Word, Smokeball will populate any information which has been entered in your Matter Details into the document as long as the relevant automation fields are present in the document template you are working on.

Navigating the Smokeball Toolbar

Expand the toolbar on the right-hand panel of the document to access Matter Details and additional automation options.

The three buttons at the top the toolbar allow you to create new precedents or letters from Word itself:

• Letter: Generates a letter to a contact. Learn more about creating letters.
  • Form: Generates a cover letter.
• Precedent: Opens the Precedent Library.
• Matters: This creates a blank document and allows you to attach it to another existing matter.

These options are best to use if you want to create a new document from a blank Word document.

Below these buttons are the Matter Details. 

Double-click the arrow on the relevant field to amend the data. 

Right-click on a field for further data amendment options.

Any amendments you make on this panel in Word will sync back to Smokeball.

If you update matter data and then open an existing document, you have the option to update the data in the saved document from the toolbar.

Navigating the Smokeball Ribbon

The Smokeball Ribbon is where you save your letter, document or precedent back to Smokeball.

• Save & Close: Once you are happy with the document and any changes made, click this to save the document to the Smokeball matter file and close the Word window.
  • Save: Allows you to instantly save the document to Smokeball without closing it.
  • Save As: Allows you to rename and save the document without closing it.
• Billable?: By default (when blue), the button charges the time spent on the document to the client. Switch off the button if you do not want to charge the client for the document.
  • This button is not visible if AutoTime is turned off or if the matter is a fixed fee matter.
• Share: Send this document securely to an internal/external contact using the Client Portal.
• Send: Sends the document via:
  • Client Portal
  • Email: Allows you to send the document in an email via Outlook.
• Sign: Allows you to insert Electronic Signatures with InfoTrack: DocuSign.
• Close: Closes the document without saving.

Additional automation options

The bottom of the Smokeball Toolbar contains further actions that you can execute on this Word document.

Run questions for this form: Appears on precedents with Ask automations. Click this option to regenerate automated questions.

Replace references: This allows you to replace an automated precedent field with another matter field or contact. It is useful when:

• You want to duplicate the entire edited document but change the contact's name (make sure to use Save & Close dropdown > Save As option in the Smokeball Ribbon to duplicate the existing document in Smokeball).
• You are working on a precedent from a separate matter type with different fields.

To use this:

1. Click Replace References.
2. In the dialogue window, select the automated precedent field in the Replace dropdown menu.
   
3. Select the field or contact to insert into the precedent in the With menu.
4. Click OK.

Matter settings: Allows you to add uncommon fields or contact the matter in Word. You can also view matter changes in Matter History.

Change the matter: Continue working with an empty version of the precedent for a different matter. It is useful when you need to draft multiple copies of the same precedent for different matters. Make sure to use the Save & Close dropdown > Save or Save As option before changing the matter.

Working on a document outside Smokeball

When you open Word outside of Smokeball, the Smokeball toolbar and ribbon will still be visible. This allows you to save any document you work on into a Smokeball matter. Once you associate the document with a matter, the standard integration features will appear in the Word document.

Note: It is best practice to open precedents, letters and other documents from within Smokeball so they are attached to a matter and can populate with the relevant matter details.

Link a Word document to a matter

The toolbar allows you to associate the Word document with a matter. Select from the list of recently viewed matters or type in the search bar.

Smokeball Ribbon options

For Word documents opened outside of Smokeball, the Smokeball Ribbon still appears, albeit with slightly different options.

• Save to Smokeball: Opens a Select Matter window for the document to be saved to a matter or lead in Smokeball.
• Create Precedent: Click the button to turn the document into a precedent template.
• Sign: Allows you to insert Electronic Signatures with InfoTrack: DocuSign.
• Close: Closes the document without closing Word.