Matter templates

A matter template saves the setup of a matter (practice area, team, billing, tasks, and more) so you can spin up the next matter of the same kind in seconds instead of filling out the whole new-matter wizard from scratch. If your firm handles a lot of similar cases (personal injury intakes, simple wills, uncontested divorces), templates keep every new file consistent and save you a lot of clicks.

This page explains what a template is, how to build one from scratch, how to edit it, exactly what it pre-fills (and what it does not), how to apply one when you open a new matter, and how to archive, delete, or restore a template.

Before you begin

• You reach matter templates from the Matters list. In the sidebar, click Matters, then open the More matter options ("...") menu in the top-right corner of the page and choose Matter templates.
• Templates are gated by your matter access:
  • You need View access for matters to open the Matter templates page at all. Without it, you will see a "no access" message instead of the table.
  • You need Create access for matters to build a new template (the New template button) or to start a matter from one (the per-row Create button).
  • You need Update access to edit, archive, or restore a template.
  • You need Delete access to permanently delete a template.
• Firm owners and most attorney-level roles have full matter access by default. Staff roles are often view-only, which means they can see templates but cannot create, edit, archive, or delete them. If a button described here is missing, your role most likely does not include that level of access.
• Templates are tied to a practice area. You will want at least one practice area set up before templates are useful. See Practice areas and stages.

What a matter template is and when to use one

A matter template is a named, reusable snapshot of a matter's setup. It belongs to one practice area, and it remembers the standard choices you make for a kind of matter so you do not have to make them again.

Use a template when:

• You open many matters of the same type and want them to start the same way every time (same responsible attorney and staff, same billing method and rate, same starting task list).
• You want new matters in a practice area to be consistent across the whole firm, no matter who creates them.
• You are converting a lead into a matter and want to apply a standard setup as part of that conversion. See Converting a lead to a matter.

A template is a starting point, not a lock. When you apply one, every field it filled in is still fully editable in the wizard, so you can adjust anything for the specific matter in front of you.

Create a matter template

You build a template directly on the Matter templates page, in a single dialog. You do not have to create a matter to get a template.

1. In the sidebar, click Matters, open the More matter options ("...") menu, and choose Matter templates.
2. Click New template in the top-right corner. The New matter template dialog opens.
3. Fill in the template, top to bottom. Each section below is optional except the Template name and the Practice area:
   • Template name. Type a clear name (for example, Personal injury intake or Simple will). The name is required and can be up to 128 characters.
   • Practice area. Pick the practice area this template belongs to, then pick a Default stage (the lane new matters start in) and, if you use them, one or more Matter types. The practice area is required, and the stage list and matter-type list fill in from whichever practice area you choose.
   • Team. Add the members who should be assigned by default and give each a role (Originating Attorney, Responsible Attorney, or Responsible Staff). If the matter splits revenue between attorneys, set each one's revenue allocation percentage here.
   • Permissions. Choose who can see matters created from this template: Everyone in the firm or Specific members (then pick the members).
   • Billing. Turn the matter billable on or off, pick a billing method (Hourly, Flat rate, or Contingency fee), and set any custom rates, a matter budget, and a fee recipient. (Split-invoice and bill-recipient setup does not apply to templates, because a template has no clients yet. You set those on the actual matter.)
   • Custom fields. Choose which custom fields should appear on matters built from this template. The template remembers the fields, never their values, so every templated matter starts with those fields empty.
   • Tasks. Pick a task stage template and a task list to clone, so new matters open with a ready-made set of starter tasks.
4. Click Create template at the bottom of the dialog.

Esqase saves the template and it appears in the table. A confirmation message tells you the template was created.

Edit a matter template

You can change any part of a template later. Editing reopens the same dialog, prefilled with everything you saved before.

1. On the Matter templates page, find the template you want to change. You can use the Search templates box at the top of the table to filter by name.
2. In that template's row, click the ... (more actions) button in the Actions column, then click Edit.
3. The Edit matter template dialog opens with the saved name, practice area, team, permissions, billing, custom fields, and tasks already filled in. Change whatever you need.
4. Click Save changes.

Esqase updates the template and shows a confirmation message. Editing a template changes only the template itself. Matters you already created from it are not touched, and new matters built from it going forward use the updated setup.

What a template can pre-fill

A template snapshots the setup portions of a matter. Here is exactly what it carries over and what it intentionally leaves out.

A template pre-fills:

• Practice area, default stage, and matter types. The template is scoped to one practice area, and it remembers the matter type(s) and the starting stage you chose.
• Team roles. The default Originating Attorney, Responsible Attorney, and Responsible Staff assignments, with each member's revenue allocation. On the Matter templates table these show up in the Responsible column as the assigned members' avatars.
• View permissions. Whether matters created from the template are visible to everyone in the firm or only to specific members.
• Billing setup. Whether the matter is billable, the billing method, custom rates, the matter budget, and the fee recipient you configured.
• Custom fields. Which custom fields appear and their labels and options. The template snapshots the fields themselves, not any values. Every templated matter starts with those fields empty.
• Tasks. The task stage template and the task list to clone, including each task's relative due date (for example, "due 7 days after the matter opens"). Those relative dates are recalculated against the new matter's own dates when you apply the template.

A template does not include:

• Customers or related contacts. A template never carries over a specific client or contact. You always add the people for the actual matter.
• Custom-field values. Only the fields are remembered, never the data typed into them.
• Split-invoice and bill-recipient setup. Because a template has no clients yet, there is nobody to split a bill between. You set the bill recipient and any invoice split on the real matter.
• The document folder. The matter's document folder is created with the matter, not stored in the template.
• Workflows. Workflows are attached separately. See Assigning and attaching workflows.
• The matter title, matter number, and open/close dates. Each new matter gets its own number and its own dates.

Apply a template when creating a matter

You can apply a template in two ways: straight from the Matter templates table, or from inside the new-matter wizard.

From the Matter templates table

This is the fastest path when you already know which template you want.

1. On the Matter templates page, find the template in the list. You can use the Search templates box to filter by name.
2. In that template's row, click Create (in the Actions column).

The new-matter wizard opens with the template already applied. The Start from template picker at the top of the wizard shows the template you chose, and the setup steps are pre-filled.

From inside the new-matter wizard

If you started a fresh matter and then decide to base it on a template, you can pick one without leaving the wizard.

1. In the sidebar, click Matters, then click New matter.
2. On the Matter information step, open the Start from template dropdown near the top.
3. Choose a template from the list. (Only Active templates appear here. If you have not made any templates yet, this shows No templates yet.)

Esqase applies the template and shows a confirmation message. The practice area, team, permissions, billing, custom fields, and tasks fill in from the template. For the full new-matter walkthrough, see Creating a matter.

4. Adjust any step as needed for this specific matter (add the customers and related contacts, set the title, change a due date, and so on).
5. Finish the wizard and click Create matter.

Templates also appear when converting a lead

Active templates are offered in a couple of other places that open a matter:

• Converting a lead to a matter. When you turn a lead into a matter, you can pick a template to apply the standard setup as part of the conversion. See Converting a lead to a matter.
• A workflow's "convert to matter" step. If a workflow includes a step that opens a matter, it can use a template too. See Workflows and the builder.

In both places, only Active templates show up as choices. Archived templates stay manageable on the Matter templates page but are hidden from these pickers.

Common questions

• Can I apply two templates to one matter? No. Picking a template in the Start from template dropdown replaces the setup steps with that template. Choosing a different one replaces them again.
• My template's tasks have due dates. Will they be wrong on the new matter? No. Task due dates in a template are stored as relative dates (for example, "5 days after the matter opens") and are recalculated against the new matter's own dates when you apply the template.
• Why are my custom fields empty after applying a template? That is expected. Templates remember which custom fields appear, but never their values, so every templated matter starts with those fields blank.
• I edited a template. Did my existing matters change? No. Editing a template only affects matters you create from it afterward. Matters already created keep whatever setup they had.

Archive, delete, and restore a matter template

Templates have a lifecycle so you can retire ones you no longer use without losing the ability to bring them back. The Matter templates table groups them by status using tabs at the top: All, Active, and Archived. By default the table shows Active templates. Only Active templates are offered when you create a matter, convert a lead, or run a workflow's convert-to-matter step.

Archive a template

Archiving hides a template from the active list (and from every place that offers templates) but keeps it so you can restore it later. Use this for templates you have stopped using but might want again.

1. On the Matter templates page, make sure you are on the Active (or All) tab so you can see the template.
2. In that template's row, click the ... (more actions) button in the Actions column, then click Archive.
3. The template moves to the Archived tab and a confirmation message appears.

To archive several at once, select the checkboxes on the rows you want, then choose Archive from the batch-actions menu above the table and confirm in the Archive selected templates? dialog.

Restore a template

Restoring brings an archived template back to Active so it shows up again, including in the new-matter wizard's Start from template picker.

1. On the Matter templates page, click the Archived tab (or the All tab).
2. In the archived template's row, click the ... button, then click Restore.
3. The template returns to the Active tab.

You can also select multiple archived rows and choose Restore from the batch-actions menu.

Delete a template

Deleting permanently removes a template. This cannot be undone. To prevent accidents, a template must be archived first before it can be deleted.

1. On the Matter templates page, click the Archived tab.
2. In the archived template's row, click the ... button, then click Delete.
3. In the Delete template? confirmation dialog, click Delete template.

To delete several at once, select the archived rows, choose Delete from the batch-actions menu, and confirm in the Delete selected templates? dialog.

Troubleshooting

• I do not see the New template button. Creating a template needs Create access for matters. If your role is view-only, you will see the table but not this button.
• I do not see the Edit, Archive, Restore, or Delete options. Those actions need higher access. Editing, archiving, and restoring need Update access for matters; deleting needs Delete access. If your role is view-only, you will see the table but not these actions. See Roles and permissions.
• I do not see the Create button on a template row. Creating a matter from a template needs Create access for matters.
• A template I expected is missing from the Start from template picker. Check its status. Only Active templates are offered there. Switch to the Archived tab on the Matter templates page to find it, then restore it.
• A template I expected is missing from the table. Check the status tabs. It may be on the Archived tab. Switch to All to see active and archived templates together, or use the Search templates box.
• Deleting an active template is not possible. That is by design. Archive it first, then delete it from the Archived tab.

Related

• Creating a matter
• Browsing matters
• Practice areas and stages
• Converting a lead to a matter
• Workflows and the builder
• Custom fields
• Roles and permissions