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Document types define the semantics and behaviours of documents within ContactsLaw. 

General properties

Document types have the following general properties:
  • Workgroup to which the document type belongs (or "all workgroups")
  • Internally controlled type - Used to automatically suggest/select document types in certain scenarios. 
  • Whether documents are marked as discoverable or final (by default)
  • Which contacts receive a copy of the document during distribution (by default)
  • An expression used to automatically build descriptions of documents
  • The folder that documents of this type should be uploaded to (by default) - This is used for registration. During document building, the template will suggest a more specific folder.
  • Keywords - If one or more of these words are typed into the search box, the document type will appear. Handy for defining synonyms where ambiguity may exist.
  • One or more subsidiary companies to which the document type will be available

The following options may also be configured for each document type:

  • Always require a file number
    Whether a file is mandatory for every document of that type.

  • Always tab to selected contact(s)
    Whether the individual 'tab' settings for each role are applied to contacts during cataloguing/creation, even if a file number is added. By default, documents are only tabbed to contacts in the absence of a file.

  • Send to distribution list
    Whether document distribution is invoked after cataloguing and sending. This can be overridden on a per-document basis.

  • Don't upload new documents of this type
    For trivial documents, such as those which summarise existing information only, you can choose not to upload these to the library.

  • Don't journal document creation
    Regardless of the above setting, you may wish to independently control whether document creation is journalled. If selected, this option overrides the default setting for the activity.

  • Use automatic cataloguing
    If a particular document type does not require any user intervention during the cataloguing process, automatic cataloguing can be used. Documents will be catalogued using the default behaviour.

Additionally, new document types may inherit from existing document types. This allows certain properties to be inherited from the parent document type; its description, roles and date types. If the parent document type is available to all workgroups, the inherited type may be assigned to any workgroup. If the parent document type is assigned to a particular workgroup, all inherited types must be placed in the same workgroup.

Roles

By subscribing to one or more roles, a document type can dictate which contacts can be associated with documents of that type. A role subscription is a combination of the name of the role and policy information that dictates how that role is used. A role can be marked as optional or mandatory, singular or multiple and can be assigned a default (suggested) value. During document creation and registration, a role can be pre-populated by one of the following means:
  • None/default - For the 'To', 'From', 'CC' and 'BCC' controlled roles, ContactsLaw will look up the contacts matching e-mail addresses or fax numbers from the document. If the document is not an e-mail or a fax, no contact will be added.
  • All clients - All clients of the file will be added to the role.
  • Bill-to contact - The bill-to contact on the file will be used.
  • Court - The court contact on the file will be used.
  • File liaison - The file liaison will be used (if present), otherwise the primary client.
  • File manager - The file manager member will be used.
  • File supervisor - The file supervisor member will be used.
  • File role - The contact in a particular role on the file will be used.
  • Practice - The practice contact will be used.
  • Primary client - The primary client of the file will be used.
  • Member - The contact for the member who runs the activity will be used.
  • Representative - The representative of an other party in a particular role will be used.
  • Static contact - A contact nominated on the document type will be used for every document.
  • Task creator - The contact for the member who created the task (or started the activity) will be used.

All document types must have a primary role, which is listed beside the document in the document explorer. The primary role need not appear on the cataloguing/creation screens.

Roles also play a part in determining the scope of a document, by dictating which contact(s) will be suggested for classification purposes ("Tab" column). You can also nominate contacts who will be automatically added to the list of third parties on the file ("3P" column).

If a file role (i.e. a role defined on the workgroup that is used on file contacts) is added to a document type, any contacts added to the role during document cataloguing or creation will be copied to the file. The logic used to determine how this should be done is as follows:

  • If the contact is already on the file in that role, no changes will be made.
  • If there is no contact in the role, or the role permits multiple contacts, the contact will be added to the file.
    • If the contact is already on the file in a different role, it will be assigned an additional role.
    • If the primary client of the file uses the same role, the contact will be added as an additional client.
    • Otherwise, the contact will be added as an other party, member or judiciary contact depending on the type of role.
  • If there is already another contact in the role (and the role does not permit multiple contacts), ContactsLaw will prompt the user to overwrite the existing contact.
The use of file roles in document types for any purpose other than the above is strongly discouraged. Roles on document types should pertain only to the document itself and not to the file or workgroup.

Date types

As with roles, a document type can subscribe to one or more date types. A date subscription defines the date type to use, as well as options dictating whether the date is mandatory for the document type, and whether it can be edited once the initial value has been set. During creation and registration, date fields can be pre-populated by one of the following means:

  • Auto/default - When applied to the primary date, the field is populated from the document's metadata (e.g. e-mail sent, fax received, etc). For all other dates, the field is not modified.
  • No date/time - Regardless of the nature of the document, the field will remain empty.
  • Today/now - Regardless of the nature of the document, the current date/time will be used.
  • Received date - Allows the received date from an e-mail or fax to be mapped to a type other than 'Received'.
  • Registered date - Allows the date of registration to be used. Useful if a number of days passes between registration and cataloguing.
  • Sent date - Allows the sent date from an e-mail or fax to be mapped to a type other than 'Sent'.
  • Workgroup field - Allows you to take the value of the date from a workgroup field.
Date types serve the dual purpose of recording the time and member who completed various actions on the document. Document types can be configured to automatically write to date fields when certain actions occur.
 
All document types must have a primary date type, which serves as the "document date". The primary date type need not appear on the cataloguing/creation screens. The date value can be empty if permitted by the type.

Document workflows

(Main article: Document workflow)
 
Activites already exist for creating, registering, reading, editing, finalising and sending documents. Document workflows make it possible to chain together these activities, as well as other workflow activities within the system, in order to more effectively model real business processes. This takes advantage of the fact that many of the more complex processes that occur within the operations of a legal practice are document-centric.

Controlled document types

Some of the document types you create may be used by ContactsLaw for special purposes. By nominated a control type, you associate the document type with that purpose. The available control types are:

  • Bill - As above, but if implemented this document type allows you to specify different behaviour for bills.
  • Correspondence - This document type is selected by default when registering e-mails and faxes.
  • Quick e-mail - This document type is used during e-mail registration and typically uses automatic cataloguing to provide a quick, non-interactive user experience.
  • Report - This document type is applied to reports, allowing them to be registered non-interactively.
  • Trust statement - As above, but if implemented this document type allows you to specify different behaviour for trust statements.

Permissions

Access to document types is governed by permissions; both at the practice and workgroup levels. Workgroup permissions override practice permissions where present. Four access levels are defined:
  1. Block access - Document types can be used, but their detail cannot be viewed or edited. New document types cannot be created.
  2. Allow view - Users can see a list of all document types, and can view the detail of each. New document types cannot be created.
  3. Allow edit - Users can edit document types which inherit from other document types, however top-level document types remain read-only. New document types can only be created of they inherit from an existing document type.
  4. Allow edit top-level - Users can edit all document types. No restrictions are placed on the creation of new document types.