Storing Additional Data (custom tags) for a Case or Client using Custom Fields?
The "Other Info" tab both under "Clients" and "Cases/Projects" can be used to store additional data fields for clients and cases respectively. For example, if you like to store client's social security number, enter (for example) "Social Security Number" in the Field Name box and enter the value in the Field Value field. For sensitive data, check "Encrypt" checkbox and click on the Save Field button. If encryption is opted, for added security, the value of the field will be encrypted in the database. Values to be encrypted should be short (no more than 80 characters). Note, however, that an encrypted field will not be searched. Clients/Cases may be searched by unencrypted field values.
To search clients by client field values, click on "Clients" menu tab -> Enter full or partial search word in the search box (below "Dashboard" menu tab) and click on search button.
To search cases/projects by case field values, click on "Cases/Projects" menu tab -> Enter full or partical search word in the search box (below "Dashboard" menu tab) and click on search button.
Using Custom Tags for Hierarchical Linking Of Cases
These custom tags may be used for linking cases. Hierarchical linking may also be implemented by adding custom tags in Cases. For example, if you have the following hierarchical family of patent applications.
Hardware
1. Audio
A. Encoder
B. Decoder
2. Video
Note: these keywords should not appear in case names.
You may create a custom tag "Family" in all cases and provide field values (do not check the encrypt checkbox) according to the hierarchy. For example, "Hardware Audio Encoder", "Hardware Audio Decoder"...
To retrieve the family, you may enter "Hardware" in the Cases search box. Or you may enter "Hardware Audio" to retrieve both Encoder and Decoder applications.
Field Groups
You may also create custom field groups (Settings/Tools/Reports -> Manage Field Groups). A field group is a container for one or more custom fields. For example, if you need to store some additional information in every family law case, create a group "Family Law" and add all necessary fields in that group. Then for family law-related cases, under Cases (Projects) -> Other Info tab, simply select this group in the dropdown and assign it to the case. All fields in the assigned group are added to the case in one click. When a group is edited to add or remove fields, added fields are automatically added to all cases with which the group is associated. Deleted fields are also automatically deleted from all cases.
Task Groups
You may create task groups to group routine tasks that need to be added to a number of cases/matters to add all tasks in the group to a case/matter in just one click and also maintain task title and description centrally at one place. Under Settings/Tools/Reports, click on Manage Task Groups to add/edit task groups. Subsequently, these groups can be added to cases/matters by going to Other Info tab of a case/matter and clicking on the Case Tasks sub-tab. Please note that you will need to enter the due date, assign by and assign to for each of these template tasks after adding a task group to a case/matter.