Learn how to configure a custom court caption at the matter level, without affecting the rest of your matter data.
This feature is available from Version 10.1 of the Smokeball Desktop App.
The Configure Court Caption panel in Microsoft Word auto-fills caption fields from matter data and supports a manual override mode for cases that require formatting beyond what the panel controls. Changes made in the panel apply to this caption only. They do not flow back into the matter in Smokeball.
What can be configured in the panel?
The following components can be customized using Configure Court Caption:
Vs. separator - choose from a dropdown including: v., vs, VS., etc, and the section symbol (§).
Capitalization - control party names, court roles, and the separator independently (e.g. ALL CAPS party names with mixed-case roles).
Party name - this can be changed from the panel. Note: Once this is edited, these changes will be changed in the caption only. The name will no longer be updated via the SB matter.
Party visibility - show or hide individual parties (e.g. where a party has settled).
Party order - reorder parties within the same group.
Comma / semicolon separator - choose how parties within the same group are separated.
Annotations - add a descriptor to a party (e.g. "d/b/a", "individually and as administrator of the estate of", "a minor, by and through his guardian ad litem").
Additional fields - these are a list of common automation fields that can be added on the right side of a caption. E.g. Case Number, court room, Judge, Hearing Date/Time.
Configuring your court caption
To access the Configure Court Caption panel:
- Open the Word document in Modify mode.
Find the User Configurable Court Caption field under Forms Automation > Case Details and double-click on it to insert it where your document's text cursor is.
- Select Show values above the Fields section.
- Click on Configure Court Caption.
- The Configure Court Caption panel auto-fills party names, court roles, and case details from your matter. Review these fields. Note that any changes here apply to this caption only.
To change the separator between opposing party groups, use the Vs. options dropdown and select your preferred format (v., vs., VS., and, against, versus, §, and more).
To hide a party from the caption (for example, a settled party), use the visibility toggle next to their name.
To edit the name or add an annotation to a party (for example, "d/b/a" or "individually and as administrator"), select the edit option next to that party.
You can add more fields to your caption - select Add Field to select from the full list.
- If the caption requires formatting or content that the panel does not support, click Enable Manual Override. A confirmation message will appear explaining what changes when manual override is active. Click Enable to proceed and edit the caption directly in Word.
- If you select Return to Configure, you will lose your manual override edits. Try to make all possible changes in configure mode before moving to manual mode.
- While in manual override, new parties added to your matter will not appear in the caption automatically. If you need to add a new party to a caption in manual override, edit the caption directly in Word.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my changes in the panel update the matter in Smokeball?
No. Changes in the Configure Court Caption panel apply to this caption only. Party names, roles, and case details in your matter are not affected.
If I add a new party to my matter, will it appear in the caption?
Yes, if you are in configure mode. New parties added to the matter flow through to the caption automatically. If you have enabled manual override, new parties will not appear automatically, you will need to add them directly in Word.
Can I go back to the panel settings after I've used manual override?
Yes. Click "Return to Configure" in the panel. This will remove your manual edits and restore the caption to the panel configuration. If you later re-enable manual override, your manual edits will be restored. Tip: Try to make all possible changes should be made in configure mode before moving to manual mode.
Does this work for all matters?
Court Matter Captions is available for US matters. It is designed for complex litigation practice areas.
What happens if my state has specific caption requirements?
The panel applies state-specific default formatting on first load. You can override any default from within the panel.