Categories are items, usually on the Categories page, that are added to matter records to indicate the purpose or type of matter. Certain categories are not only indicators of the type of matter, they also add a new block of fields to the matter record when you select the category.

For example, when you add the Contracts & Agreements category to a Transaction record, a block of custom fields that are specific to Contracts & Agreements is displayed on the General tab of the Transaction record. Some of these custom fields may be required and you are unable to save the record until you complete them. You can later search for the matter using the Contracts & Agreements category as part of the search criteria.

If you create a matter using a wizard, you are prompted to select one or more categories. The same categories appear on the Categories page after the record is created.

Benefits of Using Categories

Adding the correct categories to records is important for several reasons. When you need to search for matters of a certain type, having the matters properly categorized helps you get accurate search results and encourage efficient workflow. Since adding categories allows you to display additional fields and enter data, entering data in the correct fields allows you to capture accurate information about a matter, and to run accurate reports across the system.

Some automated processes rely on specific categories. For example, the New Outside Counsel wizard looks for contact records with the External : Firm and the External : Attorney categories in order to display a list of firms and their attorneys from which to select.

Many categories are further divided into subcategories to identify the specific nature of the matter. For example, for a Dispute matter, some of the subcategories of the Mergers & Acquisitions category include Divestiture, Joint Venture, Merger, Stock Purchase, and Stock Sale.