CounselLink Answer Center for Clients

Custom Data Field Layout

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This article covers the following:

Important: Understanding Layout Behavior

An object’s layout contains all fields, blocks, and tables assigned to it.

For example, if you create a text field and assign it to Matter Additional Information, the field appears by default at the top of the layout in the Default Section.

You can organize layouts by grouping related fields into sections. Fields can then be moved between sections using drag-and-drop functionality.

Be cautious when moving fields between sections. Review the field configuration and rules before making changes. Incorrect configuration may cause the UCDF feature to freeze. If this occurs, contact customer support.

Sections may also contain headers, which help organize related fields within the section. Multiple headers can be created and repositioned as needed.

Creating a Section in Your Layout

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Sections act as containers that group related custom fields, tables, and blocks. Creating sections helps organize layouts when large numbers of custom fields are present.

You can create a section in your layout to group together related custom fields, tables, and blocks.

  1. Open the Configurable Fields Layout page.
  2. Select a layout location from the Change layout location drop-down menu.
  3. Click the arrow () on the Create Field button.

  4. Click Create Section. The Create Section window displays.

  5. Complete the information as described in the table.

    The fields marked with * are required.

    Field Description

    Name*

    		 Enter a unique name for the section.

    Division/Office

    		 Select one or more divisions or offices. This option appears when creating sections for Matter, Invoice, or Matter Participant.

    Matter Type

    		 Select the Matter Type. This option appears only if Matter Type configuration is enabled.

    Contact Type*

    		 Select one or more contact categories. Displayed only for Contact or Matter Participant sections.

    Participant Role*

    		 Select one or more participant roles. Displayed only for Matter Participant Additional Information sections.

    Visible To

    Select the check box of one or more roles for the table to be visible.

    • All Users: Includes all users.
    • All Corporate Users: Includes all client users who can access the matter or invoice.
    • All Law Firm Users: Includes all law firm users who can access the matter, invoice, law firm, or law firm office.

    Visible To

    (For Contact)

    		 Select the check box of one or multiple corporate user roles for the field to be visible.
  6. Click Save. The section is created in the layout.

  7. Point to a section and click any of the following icons.

    The following table describes the action of the icons in a section.

    Icon Action

    () Edit Section

    		 Modify section settings.

    () Create Header

    Add a header to organize section content.

    () Remove Section

    To delete the section:

    1. Click the () icon. A confirmation message is displayed.
    2. Click OK.

    The section is deleted.

    The configurable fields of a deleted section are moved to the default section of that location.

    () Information

    View section details.

Editing a Section

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Edit a section by hovering over it to reveal buttons in the upper-right corner.

Icon Action

() Edit Section

Modify the section settings.

() Create Header

Add a new header.

() Remove Section

 Delete the section. Fields move to the default section.

() Information

View section details.

Creating a Header for a Section

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Headers help distinguish related custom fields within a section.

For example, you may create headers and sub-headers within a section that only appear for specific Matter Types and offices.

  1. Open the Configurable Fields Layout page.
  2. Hover over the section to reveal edit buttons.

  3. Click the plus icon.

    The Create Header window displays.

  4. Enter a name in the Header Name field.
  5. Click Save. 

The header is added at the bottom of the section.

Editing a Section Header

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You can edit a section by hovering over it to reveal buttons in the upper-right corner.

Icon Action

() Edit Header

Edit the header name.

() Remove Header

Delete the header.

Arranging Sections in a Custom Layout

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The layout page supports drag-and-drop functionality.

You can:

  • Reposition sections in the layout

  • Move custom fields within a section

  • Move fields between sections

  • Move headers within a section

  • Move headers between sections

The Default Section cannot be moved or modified. Sections cannot be placed above the Default Section.

Changing Layout Views

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The Layout Options section allows you to navigate between object layouts.

Select an object from the Change layout location drop-down.

Then, select sections to display from the Filter by sections. Click Go.

The layout displays all custom fields created for that layout. Use this to view one or more sections and reduce load time and clutter on the page.

Previewing Your Layout

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Use the Preview feature to view how the layout appears to users.

  1. Select a layout from the Change layout location drop-down.

  2. Click Preview. The Preview page displays.

  3. Use the Preview Settings section to adjust the preview based on:

    The fields marked with * are required.

    Field Description
    Location

    Select a preview location.

    Some locations have both Edit mode and View mode.
    Division/Office Select the check box of one or multiple divisions, or offices within the divisions.
    User Role*

    Select the check box for one or multiple user roles:

    • All Users: Includes all roles.
    • All Corporate Users: Includes all roles at the corporate level.
    • All Law Firm Users: Includes all roles at the the law firm level.
    Matter Type

    Click the icon and select one or all Matter Types.

    You can only select this option if your application is configured for Matter Type.
    Matter Status Select the status of a matter from the drop-down list.
    Contact Type

    Select the check box for one or more contact type categories.

    This field only displas when you select location Contact Additional Information or Matter Participant Additional Information. Click to expand the list.  

    Select Show Unpublished Changes to include changes that have not been published.

  4. Optional: Click Refresh Preview to refresh your fields.
  5. When finished, select one of the following:
    • Click Publish to apply the changes.
    • Click Clear Changes to remove all changes made since the last publish.
    • Click Close to close the preview page and return to the Configurable Fields Layout page.

Clearing Changes on Your Layout

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You can remove all unpublished changes made since the last publish.

Custom fields, rules, and lookup lists that have never been published will be deleted. This button is unavailable if changes have not been made since the last publish.

  1. Click Clear Changes on the Configurable Fields Layout page. A confirmation window displays.
  2. Click Yes. 

A confirmation displays.