These are the most important and interesting updates from the 2021 release of SmartAdvocate.

Support for New Visual Themes

New modern visual themes are now available:

• iOS

• Material

• Material Compact

• Material Compact Dark

• Moderno

• Office 365

New Customizable Dashboards

This new functionality allows SmartAdvocate users (with appropriate permissions) to create completely custom dashboards.

The Dashboards can be designed under Admin → Dashboard Designer and viewed under Dashboards → Dashboard Viewer.

Created Dashboards can be assigned to 5 different groups to allow different permissions.

Ability to Auto-hide Main Menu and Case Navigation Menu

Each user now has an ability to collapse the case navigation panel and/or hide the main menu. Setting for hiding of the main menu will be remembered separately for case pages and non-case pages. This means that you can have main menu hidden by default for case pages, but shown for other pages.

When the main menu is hidden it will show up if the mouse moves to the top of the page.

When the case navigation menu is collapsed it will slide out if the mouse moves to the left of the page.

Web Form Filler Plugin for Chrome

New SmartAdvocate Release introduces integration with Web Form Filler Plugin for Chrome.

You will be able to configure Web Form templates in SmartAdvocate and push information from the cases into Web Forms.

Admin Plugin to Save Form Information to SmartAdvocate:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/smartadvocate-form-filler/flekibaipemonnojnpgfckbbbhbnnigo

The merge codes can be associated with form fields using Admin → Document Templates page. The interface is similar to PDF templates.

User Plugin to Fill Out the Web Form:
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/smartadvocate-form-filler/ngblghimofjafnfhoieeldigagcglmko

Fees Awarded Screen

This is a new screen, which is similar to Settlement screen, but intended to be used with fee-based cases like SSD, VA, WC, etc.

VA Claims Screen

This is a new screen specially designed for Veterans Affairs Cases. The dropdowns on this screen are configurable under Admin → Picklist Maintenance (VA Claim Appealed Issue, VA Claim Even, VA Claim Status).

Mass Email/Fax from Medical Records Follow-up Dashboard

Medical Records Follow-up Dashboard now supports mass emailing and faxing (via email).

Full Text Search Integration dtSearch

When enabled this integration allows users to search the content of the text documents including PDFs that were OCR-ed.

External Document(s) Share

If you are using SA Cloud or if your SA server is accessible outside of your office you will be able to share SmartAdvocate documents with people outside of your organization.

Select the document(s) you would like to share, right-click and choose Share Document(s).

Set the Expiration Date and Password, add comment and then press Copy Link or Email Link.

Shared Packages can be managed on Shared Documents screen.

Multi-document Copy

Document copy function now supports copying of multiple documents at the same time.

Copy Document whiteout Metadata Option

New option on the Documents screen allows you to copy a PDF or Word document without the Metadata.

Combine Multiple Documents into a PDF

New option on the Documents screen allows you to combine multiple documents (PDF, Word) and images into a single PDF document.

Generate Word Document as PDF

Word Templates can now be generated directly as PDFs.

Document Templates now have “Generate Document as:“ options:

• Word by Default - “Generate Document as PDF” will be unchecked by default for this template.

• PDF by Default - “Generate Document as PDF” will be checked by default for this template.

• PDF by Default - “Generate Document as PDF” will be checked and disabled for this template, only allowing user to generate this template as PDF.

New Page - All Vehicles

This page combines functionality of Plaintiff Vehicles and Defendant Vehicles pages. If you preference is to have one page instead of two the system can be configured this way using Admin → Case Menu Configurator.

Reassign Tasks, Appointments and Medical Requests When Case is Reassigned

Option to reassign tasks, appointments and medical requests is now available when case is being reassigned by editing staff or adding a team.

Support for Teams in Mass Add Staff and Mass Reassign Staff

Now Mass Update option on the Case Browse Results page allows you to add or reassign whole teams in addition to individual staff memebers.

Universal Notes Overdue Dashboard

This new Overdue Dashboard can show cases that didn’t have a note of a particular type added in the predefined timeframe. It works similar to File Review and Supervisor File Review Dashboards, but can be linked to any notes. Required Frequency for each note type can be configured in the Picklist Maintenance → Note Types.

Grid Layouts Stored in the Database

Previous versions of SmartAdvocate stored grid layouts in browser cookies, which meant that if you reinstall your browser, clear cookies or move to another computer you would have to reconfigure your grids (add/remove/resize columns).

New version saves the grid layouts in the database, so the layout will be preserved for each user even if they login using different computer or reinstall the browser.

“Show/Hide Columns” button was changed to a menu with the following options:

• Show/Hide Columns

• Reset Layout - resets layout to default. A user can be selected in System Parameters to be used as a “template”. Layout of this user will be used when Reset Layout option is selected.

• Save Layout - Saves current layout. Only available if the “Auto Save” is not selected.

• Auto Save - Automatically save the layout. It is the default behavior. If unchecked the layout will not be saved unless you select “Save Layout”.

• Resize Mode Control - New resize mode. When selected the resizing of the columns will change the with of the whole control and horizontal scrollbar will be added it columns do not fit on the screen.

• Resize Mode Next Column - The default resize mode (same as in the previous version). When column is resized the next column is resized as well leaving the width of the control fixed. No horizontal scrollbar.

Ability to Define UDFs at the Case Group (Incident Type) Level

Added ability to define UDF for all screens at the Case Group (Incident Type) Level. UDFs defined for the specific Incident Type will appear for all Case Types that belong to Case Groups using this Incident Type. The Group Level questions will appear in front of the Case Type Level questions.

New Medical Chronology Page

Added new Medical Chronology Page. It works with the visits from the Medical Provider page, but allows you to see them in a single grid.

Visit dialog was updated to include rich-text Description field, as well as plain text Attorney Notes.