Managing Party Dismissals in Smokeball

There are three methods for managing party dismissals in Smokeball: 

1. Using the Authorized Contact field. 
2. Using the Notes widget. 
3. Removing the party from the matter entirely.  

Party Dismissal with the Authorized Contact Field 

 Note: This method is only recommended if the matter has no genuine authorized contact. 

1. Select the cogwheel in the upper right-hand corner of the matter. 
2. In the pop-up window, select the Parties & Data tab.  
3. Click the Authorized Contact checkbox and select the Save button. This will create an Authorized Contact field under matter details.   
4. Under matter details, select the Authorized Contact field.  
5. Once the party’s details have been entered into the Authorized Contact field, right click on the Authorized Contact field and select Edit Role & Legal Description from the menu.
6. Click on the override checkboxes for role or legal description and indicate that the party has been dismissed in the textboxes. 
   • Any entries into the legal description textbox must end with a period (e.g., dismissed party.) 
7. Select the Save button to finalize your changes to the Authorized Contact field. 

Party Dismissal with the Notes Widget 

You can also use the Notes widget to indicate a party dismissal if the Authorized Contact field is already being used:  

1. Access Notes in the widgets panel on the right-hand side of the matter and select Add a Note. 
2. Indicate the dismissed party in the new note. 
   • Use the pin feature to ensure the note is always displayed.  
   • Learn more about adding, editing, and organizing Notes in Smokeball. 

Remove the Dismissed Party from the Matter  

You can also remove the party from the matter by right-clicking on the dismissed party and selecting Remove from the menu. Note: Removing the party from the matter will also remove any record of their dismissal.