The Defendant Summary page allows you to view and manage the information from the Defendant Insurance and Defendant Attorneys case pages, and to view the defendant-centric SOLs from the Critical Deadlines case page. It also allows you to view and manage the defendants' roles and inclusion in the case. Managing defendants' insurance and attorneys can be done either on this page or the respective specialized case pages; the Defendant Summary page simply collects those functions in a single place. By contrast, adding or removing defendants after the case is created can only be performed on this page.

The Structure of This Page

Note: The Add Insurance Company button, Insurance Companies table, Add Law Firm button, Law Firms table, and SOLs table are all associated with an individual row of the Defendants table, and only appear if the row is set to display subtables. For that reason, whether these tables appear in your Defendant Summary page, and where in the Defendants table they appear, will depend on which row, if any, of the Defendants table is set to display subtables. See Subtables and the Open/Closed Column.

1. Add Defendant button. Used to add a new defendant to the case file. See Adding a Defendant.
2. Defendants table. Contains the defendant details and allows various actions to be performed on them. See Defendants Table.
3. Add Insurance Company button. Used to add a new insurance policy to the case file. See Adding an Insurance Policy.
4. Insurance Companies table. Contains the insurance policy details and allows various actions to be performed on them. See Insurance Companies Table.
5. Add Law Firm button. Used to add a new law firm to the case file. See Adding a Law Firm.
6. Law Firms table. Contains the attorney details and allows various actions to be performed on them. See Law Firms Table.
7. Add Defendant SOL button: Used to add a new defendant SOL to the case file. See Adding an SOL.
8. SOLs table. Contains the details of defendant-centric SOLs. See SOLs Table.
9. Add Non-Party Contacts (Defendants): Used to add a new individual connected to the case but not named as a defendant or other party to the case file. See Adding a Non-Party Contacts (Defendants).
10. Non-Party Contacts table (Defendants): Contains the details of non-party individuals and allows various actions to be performed on them. See Non-Party Contacts Table (Defendants).

Defendants Table

The Defendants table is where the details of defendants are stored. Each row of the table represents an individual defendant. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Defendants table contains the following columns:

1. [column with no title]: A plus sign in this column indicates that additional information is available for the row in which the plus sign is located (in this instance, Insurance Companies, Law firms, and SOLs for that defendant). Clicking on the plus sign opens the subtables for that defendant. The plus sign then turns into a negative sign which, when clicked, closes the subtable.
2. Defendant Name: The defendant in the case, whether the defendant is the primary one in the case, the SOL deadline or date of compliance, and the answer due or received date.
3. Role: The defendant's role in the inciting incident of the case.
4. Claims: Whether the defendant has initiated a counter-claim or a third-party claim in connection with the case.
5. Insurance: The insurance company and adjuster associated with the defendant's insurance policy.
6. Law Firm: The law firm and primary attorney representing the defendant.
7. Comments: Any comments about the defendant.
8. Docs: he number of documents associated with the defendant and a link to the documents in the Documents case page.
9. Group: The defendant group to which the defendant belongs.
10. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; right-click menu contains Edit, Delete, Add New Insurance Co., and Add New Law Firm.

Editing a Defendant

To edit a defendant:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the defendant you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for defendants, with the existing information filled in.
3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Defendant Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Defendant

To delete a defendant:

1. Make sure the defendant you wish to delete is not the primary defendant; if you attempt to delete the primary defendant, the SmartAdvocate system will display an error message instead of deleting the defendant. If the defendant you wish to delete is the primary defendant, you must edit that defendant and deselect the Primary Checkbox, or edit another defendant and select that defendant as primary, to remove the primary designation from the defendant you wish to delete.
2. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the defendant you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
3. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).
4. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.
   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the defendant, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.
   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Defendant

To add a new defendant:

1. Click the Add Defendant button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for defendants, completely blank.
2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Defendant Panel for details about the fields.
3. Click Save to save the defendant and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the defendant, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Removing a Defendant from the Case

You can remove a defendant from the case without deleting the defendant. This can prevent significant confusion and loss of data, since at the time of removal, there may be substantial information in the case file associated with the defendant. Summarily deleting this data would potentially destroy important information, while leaving it as-is may give a mistaken impression about the defendant's continued involvement in the case. Removing the defendant from the case, as opposed to deleting the defendant, maintains the data but crosses out information to clearly indicate that the defendant is no longer involved. To remove a defendant from the case, simply edit the defendant and select the Remove From Case checkbox. You cannot remove the primary defendant from the case; you must first designate another defendant as the primary defendant.

The Add/Edit Defendant Panel

The Add/Edit Defendant Panel allows you to fill in the details of a defendant. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Defendant: The defendant in the case.
2. Role: The defendant's role in the inciting incident of the case.
3. Order/Grouping: The defendant group to which the defendant belongs.
4. Primary: Whether the defendant is the primary defendant in the case.
5. Client: Whether your firm represents the defendant.
6. Remove from case: Whether the defendant has been released from the case.
7. Comments: Any comments about this defendant.

Insurance Companies Table

The Insurance Companies table contains the details of a defendant's insurance policies. It contains the same information as the Insurance Companies Table in the Defendant Insurance case page, but only for a single defendant. The Insurance Companies table is a subtable of the Defendants Table, which means that each row of the Defendants table has an individual Insurance Companies table associated with it, which is specific to the defendant in that row; open a row of the Defendants table using the open/close icon to reveal the associated Insurance Companies table. Each row of the table represents an individual insurance policy. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Insurance Companies table contains the following available columns:

1. Insurance Company: The insurance company offering the policy and the company's address.
2. Insurance Type: The type of the insurance and whether it is the defendant's primary insurance.
3. Adjuster: The insurance adjuster for the policy and the adjuster's phone number.
4. Policy Info: The details of the policy (the named insured, the policy number, the policy dates, the claim number, and the policy limits).
5. 3rd Party Insurance: The details of the third-party administrator of the policy (the company administering the policy, the administrator's adjuster for the policy, the adjuster's phone number, and the claim number).
6. Comments: Any comments about the policy.
7. Docs: The number of documents associated with the policy and a link to the documents in the Documents case page.
8. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; right-click menu contains Edit, Copy, and Delete.

Editing an Insurance Policy

To edit an insurance policy:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the policy you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for insurance policies, with the existing information filled in.
3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting an Insurance Policy

To delete an insurance policy:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the policy you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).
3. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.
   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the policy, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.
   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding an Insurance Policy

To add a new insurance policy:

1. Click the Add Insurance Companies button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for insurance policies, completely blank.
2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.
3. Click Save to save the policy and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the policy, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Copying an Insurance Policy

You can add a new insurance policy by copying the information of an existing one. This can be useful if a policy applies to multiple defendants in the case, or if a defendant has multiple types of policies from the same insurer. To copy an insurance policy:

1. Click the right-click icon in the Action column of the row representing the policy you wish to copy, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Copy option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for insurance policies, with the information from the policy being copied filled in.
3. Make any changes necessary to the information in the fields. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the policy and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the policy, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the copying and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Insurance Panel

The Add/Edit Insurance Panel allows you to fill in the details of an insurance policy. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Defendant: The defendant covered by the policy.
2. Insurance Company: The insurance company offering the policy.
3. Primary: Whether the policy is the defendant's primary insurance. No defendant can have more than one primary policy; if this field is selected when the policy is saved, it will automatically be deselected in every other policy covering the same defendant.
4. Insurance Type: The type of the insurance.
5. Adjuster: The insurance adjuster for the policy. If the Show All checkbox in the dropdown is not selected, the dropdown will only show adjusters employed by the contact in the Insurance Company field; otherwise, the dropdown will show all adjusters.
6. Name of Insured: The named insured of the policy. If the Select from Plaintiffs and/or Select from Defendants checkbox in the dropdown is selected, the dropdown will only show the plaintiffs and/or the defendants in the case, respectively.
7. Policy Number: The identification number of the policy.
8. Claim Number: The identification number of the claim on the policy related to the case.
9. Group Number: The identification number of the group plan.
10. ID Number: The identification number of the defendant in the plan.
11. Policy Start Date: The start date of the policy.
12. Policy End Date: The end date of the policy.
13. Policy Limits [Individual]: The maximum payment per individual event or injured person.
14. Policy Limits [Aggregate]: The maximum payment per policy period or across all injured people.
15. Comments: Any comments about the policy.
16. Amount to be Added to Total Coverage: Whether the coverage available under this policy should be considered part of the total available coverage in the case. If this field is selected, the value of the Current Coverage Amount field is part of the sum listed in the Liability Coverage line in the Case Summary page.
17. MV Leased: Whether the vehicle covered by the policy is leased.
18. Current Coverage Amount: The amount of coverage currently available through this policy. Unless the Amount to be Added to Total Coverage field is selected, this field is uneditable.
19. Organization [TPA]: The organization serving as third-party administrator of the insurance policy.
20. Adjuster [TPA]: The third-party administrator's insurance adjuster for the policy. If the Show All checkbox in the dropdown is not selected, the dropdown will only show adjusters employed by the contact in the Insurance Company field; otherwise, the dropdown will show all adjusters. When the selection in this field changes, the Phone Number [TPA] field is automatically set to the primary phone number of the selected adjuster.
21. Phone Number [TPA]: The phone number of the third-party administrator's insurance adjuster.
22. Claim Number [TPA]: The third-party administrator's identification number for the claim on the policy related to the case.

Law Firms Table

The Law Firms table contains the details of a defendant's attorneys. It contains the same information as the Attorneys Table in the Defendant Attorneys case page, but only for a single defendant. The Law Firms table is a subtable of the Defendants Table, which means that each row of the Defendants table has an individual Law Firms table associated with it, which is specific to the defendant in that row; open a row of the Defendants table using the open/close icon to reveal the associated Law Firms table. Each row of the table represents an individual law firm. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Law Firm table contains the following available columns:

1. Law Firm: he law firm representing the defendant, the address of the firm, and the type of representation.
2. Attorneys: The attorneys representing the defendant. The primary attorney is listed at the top, in bold text.
3. File No.: The law firm's identification number for the case file.
4. Insurance: The insurance company directly retaining the law firm, the adjuster for the insurance company, and the adjuster's phone number.
5. Comments: Any comments about the law firm.
6. Documents: The number of documents associated with the law firm and a link to the documents in the Documents case page.
7. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; right-click menu contains Edit, Copy, and Delete.

Editing a Law Firm

To edit a law firm:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the law firm you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for law firms, with the existing information filled in.
3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Law Firm

To delete a law firm:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the law firm you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).
3. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.
   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the law firm, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.
   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Law Firm

To add a new law firm:

1. Click the Add New Law Firm button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for law firms, completely blank.
2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.
3. Click Save to save the law firm and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the law firm, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Copying a Law Firm

You can add a new law firm by copying the information of an existing one. This can be useful if a firm represents multiple defendants in the case, or if a defendant is represented by multiple law firms or different attorneys at one firm for different aspects of the case. To copy a law firm:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the law firm you wish to copy, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Copy option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for law firms, with the information from the firm being copied filled in.
3. Make any changes necessary to the information in the fields. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the law firm and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the law firm, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the copying and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Law Firm Panel

The Add/Edit Law Firm Panel allows you to fill in the details of a law firm. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Defendant: The defendant represented by the law firm. When adding a new law firm, this field is a Checkbox-select dropdown; when editing an existing firm, it is a Dropdown. As a dropdown, the field cannot be left blank; as a checkbox-select dropdown, leaving it blank is equivalent to selecting only the defendant associated with this subtable.
2. Law Firm: The law firm representing the defendant.
3. Type: The type of representation.
4. Attorney: The attorneys representing the defendant.
5. Paralegal: The paralegal associated with the defendant law firm.
6. File No: The law firm's identification number for the case file.
7. Insurance Co.: The insurance company directly retaining the law firm.
8. Comments: Any comments about the law firm.

SOLs Table

The SOLs table contains the details of statutes of limitations that govern actions directed at a particular defendant. It contains nearly all of the information found in the Defendant Statutes of Limitation Table in the Critical Deadlines case page, but only for a single defendant. The information in each column of the SOLs table comes from the column of the same title in the Defendant Statutes of Limitation table. The SOLs table is a subtable of the Defendants Table, which means that each row of the Defendants table has an individual SOLs table associated with it, which is specific to the defendant in that row; open a row of the Defendants table using the open/close icon to reveal the associated SOLs table. Each row of the table represents an individual statute of limitations. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The SOLs table contains the following columns:

1. SOL: The details of the SOL (the deadline date, the SOL type, and the date of compliance).
2. Summons and Complaint: The details of the summons and complaint (the filing deadline for a summons and complaint, and the date the summons and complaint was filed).
3. Service: The details of serving the summons and complaint (the deadline to serve the summons and complaint, the date the summons and complaint was delivered to a process server, and the date the summons and complaint was served).
4. Answer: The details of the answer (the deadline for the defendant to serve an answer, and the date the answer was received).
5. Comments: Any comments about the statute of limitations and subsequent deadlines.

 
Non-Party Contacts (Defendants) Table
The Non-Party Contacts (Defendants) table is where the details of individuals in the case who act on behalf of a defendant, but are not themselves named in the case, are stored. Each row of the table represents an individual Non-Party Contact. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.
Columns in the Table
The Non-Party Contacts table contains the following columns:

1. Non-Party Contacts: The name of the Non-Party Contacts.
2. Defendant: The defendant on whose behalf the Non-Party Contacts is acting.
3. Comment: Any comments about the Non-Party Contacts.
4. Action: Action icon; the menu contains Edit and Delete.

Editing a Non-Party Contacts
To edit a Non-Party Contact:

1. Click the Edit icon in the Action column of the row representing the party you wish to edit. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for non-party contacts, with the existing information filled in.
2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts (Defendant) Panel for details about the fields.
3. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Non-Party Contacts
To delete a Non-Party Contacts:

1. Click the Delete icon in the Action column of the row representing the party you wish to delete. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).
2. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.
   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the party, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.
   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Non-Party Contacts
To add a new Non-Party Contacts:

1. Click the Add Non-Party Contacts button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for non-plaintiff parties, completely blank.
2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts Panel for details about the fields.
3. Click Save to save the party and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the party, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts (Defendants) Panel
The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts (Defendants) Panel allows you to fill in the details of a Non-Party Contacts. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Non-Party Contacts: The name of the Non-Party Contacts.
2. Defendant: The defendant on whose behalf the Non-Party Contacts is acting.
3. Comment: Any comments about the Non-Party Contacts.

The Defendant Attorneys page allows you to view and record the details of defendants' attorneys.

The Structure of This Page

1. Add New Law Firm button. Used to add a new law firm to the case file. See Adding a Law Firm.
2. Attorneys table. Contains the attorney details and allows various actions to be performed on them. See Attorneys Table.

Attorneys Table

The Attorneys table is where the details of defendants' attorneys are stored. Each row of the table represents an individual law firm. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Attorneys table contains the following available columns:

1. Defendant: The defendant represented by the law firm.
2. Law Firm: The law firm representing the defendant, the address of the firm, and the type of representation.
3. Attorneys: The attorneys representing the defendant. The primary attorney is listed at the top, in bold text.
4. Paralegals: The paralegals assigned to the case. The primary paralegal is listed at the top, in bold text.
5. File No: The law firm's identification number for the case file.
6. Insurance: The insurance company directly retaining the law firm, the adjuster for the insurance company, and the adjuster's phone number.
7. Comments: Any comments about the law firm.
8. Docs: The number of documents associated with the law firm and a link to the documents in the Documents case page.
9. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; right-click menu contains Edit, Copy, and Delete.

Editing a Law Firm

To edit a law firm:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the law firm you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for law firms, with the existing information filled in.
3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Law Firm Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Law Firm

To delete a law firm:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the law firm you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).
3. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.
   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the law firm, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.
   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Law Firm

To add a new law firm:

1. Click the Add New Law Firm button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for law firms, completely blank.
2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Law Firm Panel for details about the fields.
3. Click Save to save the law firm and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the law firm, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Copying a Law Firm

You can add a new law firm by copying the information of an existing one. This can be useful if a firm represents multiple defendants in the case, or if a defendant is represented by multiple law firms or different attorneys at one firm for different aspects of the case. To copy a law firm:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the law firm you wish to copy, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Copy option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for law firms, with the information from the firm being copied filled in.
3. Make any changes necessary to the information in the fields. See The Add/Edit Law Firm Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the law firm and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the law firm, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the copying and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Law Firm Panel

The Add/Edit Law Firm Panel allows you to fill in the details of a law firm. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Defendant: The defendant represented by the law firm.
2. Law Firm: The law firm representing the defendant.
3. Primary: Whether the law firm is primary.
4. Type: The type of representation.
5. Attorney: The attorneys representing the defendant. This field allows multiple attorneys to be selected; click the Add hypertext in the dropdown to select an attorney, and it will appear in the table below the dropdown. Click the Delete hypertext in the table to remove an attorney. If there is a contact in the Law Firm field, the dropdown will only show attorneys employed by that contact; click the Show All button to make the dropdown show all attorneys, then click the Show Only Firm's Attorney button to go back to showing only attorneys employed by the law firm.
6. Paralegal: The assigned to the case. This field allows multiple paralegals to be selected; click the Add hypertext in the dropdown to select a paralegal, and he or she will appear in the table below the dropdown. Click the Delete hypertext in the table to remove a paralegal. If there is a contact in the Law Firm field, the dropdown will only show paralegals employed by that contact; click the Show All button to make the dropdown show all paralegals, then click the Show Only Firm's Paralegals button to go back to showing only paralegals employed by the law firm.
7. File No: The law firm's identification number for the case file.
8. Insurance Co.: The insurance company directly retaining the law firm.
9. Comments: Any comments about the law firm.

The Defendant Vehicles page allows you to view and record the details of defendants' vehicles that are relevant to the case.

The Structure of This Page

1. Add Vehicle button. Used to add a new vehicle to the case file. See Adding a Vehicle.
2. Vehicles table. Contains the vehicle details and allows various actions to be performed on them. See Vehicles Table.

Vehicles Table

The Vehicles table is where the details of vehicles are stored. Each row of the table represents an individual vehicle. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Vehicles table contains the following available columns:

1. Defendant: The defendant connected to the vehicle.
2. Parties: The operator, owner, and registrant of the vehicle.
3. License Info: The operator's driver's license information (the license number, the license state, the expiration date of the license, and any restrictions on the license).
4. Operator: The operator of the vehicle.
5. Registrant: The registrant of the vehicle.
6. Owner: The owner of the vehicle.
7. Vehicle Info: The physical details of the vehicle (the model year, color, make, model, and body type).
8. Vehicle Registration: The legal details of the vehicle (the license plate number and type, the VIN, and the registration expiration date).
9. Search History (Received): The dates that various documents searched for in connection with the vehicle were received.
10. Comments: Any comments about the vehicle.
11. Actions: Actions Column; Edit icon, Delete icon

Editing a Vehicle

To edit a vehicle:

1. Click the right-click icon in the Action column of the row representing the vehicle you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
   • Alternatively, you can click the Edit icon in the Actions column of the row representing the vehicle you wish to edit. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for vehicles, with the existing information filled in. Skip to step 3.
2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for vehicles, with the existing information filled in.
3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Vehicle Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Vehicle

To delete a vehicle:

1. Click the right-click icon in the Action column of the row representing the vehicle you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
   • Alternatively, you can click the Delete icon in the Actions column of the row representing the vehicle you wish to delete. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions). Skip to step 3.
2. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).
3. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.
   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the vehicle, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.
   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Vehicle

To add a new vehicle:

1. Click the Add Vehicle button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for vehicles, blank except for defaults.
2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Vehicle Panel for details about the fields.
3. Click Save to save the vehicle and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the vehicle, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Vehicle Panel

The Add/Edit Vehicle Panel allows you to fill in the details of a vehicle. The information in this panel is divided into two tabs: Owner/Vehicle Info and Search History. The headings of the tabs are always visible in the upper left of the panel, but only one tab's contents are visible at a time; click the heading of the tab you wish to access to bring up that tab's information. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage.
The Owner/Vehicle Info tab contains the following fields:

1. Defendant: The defendant connected to the vehicle.
2. Owner: The owner of the vehicle.
3. Pick From Case [Owner]: The owner of the vehicle. When the selection in this field changes, the Owner field is automatically set to the selection in this field. The selection in this field is ignored when saving changes to the panel.
4. Registrant: The registrant of the vehicle.
5. Pick From Case [Registrant]: The registrant of the vehicle. When the selection in this field changes, the Registrant field is automatically set to the selection in this field. The selection in this field is ignored when saving changes to the panel.
6. Operator: The operator of the vehicle.
7. Pick From Case [Operator]: The operator of the vehicle. When the selection in this field changes, the Operator field is automatically set to the selection in this field. The selection in this field is ignored when saving changes to the panel.
8. License #: The operator's driver's license number.
9. License state: The state that issued the operator's driver's license.
10. Restrictions: Any restrictions on the operator's driver's license.
11. Lic.Exp: The expiration date of the operator's driver's license.
12. Make: The make of the vehicle.
13. Model: The model of the vehicle.
14. Year: The model year of the vehicle.
15. Body Type: The body type of the vehicle.
16. Plate #: The license plate number of the vehicle.
17. Color: The color of the vehicle.
18. Plate Type: The type of the vehicle's license plate.
19. Vehicle State: The state in which the vehicle is registered.
20. VIN: The Vehicle Identification Number of the vehicle.
21. Reg.Exp: The expiration date of the vehicle's registration.
22. Lease: Whether the vehicle is leased.
23. Comment: Any comments about the vehicle.

The Search History tab contains the following fields:

1. Operator License History Search: Whether your firm has requested the operator's driving record.
2. Operator License History Requested Date: The date your firm requested the operator's driving record.
3. Operator License History Received Date: The date your firm received the operator's driving record.
4. Plate Search Search: Whether your firm has requested a search of the license plate number.
5. Plate Search Requested Date: The date your firm requested a search of the license plate number.
6. Plate Search Received Date: The date your firm received the results of the search of the license plate number.
7. Title Search Search: Whether your firm has requested a title search on the vehicle.
8. Title Search Requested Date: The date your firm requested a title search on the vehicle.
9. Title Search Received Date: The date your firm received the results of the title search on the vehicle.
10. MV104 Search: Whether your firm has requested a copy of the MV-104 accident report.
11. MV104 Requested Date: The date your firm requested a copy of the MV-104 accident report.
12. MV104 Received Date: The date your firm received a copy of the MV-104 accident report.

The Defendant Insurance page allows you to view and record the details of defendants' insurance policies that are relevant to the case.

The Structure of This Page

1. Add Insurance Companies button. Used to add a new insurance policy to the case file. See Adding an Insurance Policy.
2. Insurance Companies table. Contains the insurance policy details and allows various actions to be performed on them. See Insurance Companies Table.
3. Add New Note button. Used to add a new Defendant Insurance note to the case file. See Adding a Note.
4. Defendant Insurance Notes table. Contains Defendant Insurance notes and allows various actions to be performed on them. See Defendant Insurance Notes Table.

Insurance Companies Table

The Insurance Companies table is where the details of insurance policies are stored. Each row of the table represents an individual policy. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Insurance Companies table contains the following available columns:

1. Defendant: The defendant covered by the policy.
2. Insurance Company: The insurance company offering the policy and the company's address.
3. Insurance Type: The type of the insurance and whether it is the defendant's primary insurance.
4. Adjuster: The insurance adjuster for the policy and the adjuster's phone number.
5. Policy Info: The details of the policy (the named insured, the policy number, the policy dates, the claim number, and the policy limits).
6. 3rd Party Insurance: The details of the third-party administrator of the policy (the company administering the policy, the administrator's adjuster for the policy, the adjuster's phone number, and the claim number).
7. Comments: Any comments about the policy.
8. Docs: The number of documents associated with the policy and a link to the documents in the Documents case page.
9. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; right-click menu contains Edit, Copy, and Delete.

Editing an Insurance Policy

To edit an insurance policy:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the policy you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for insurance policies, with the existing information filled in.
3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting an Insurance Policy

To delete an insurance policy:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the policy you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).
3. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.
   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the policy, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.
   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding an Insurance Policy

To add a new insurance policy:

1. Click the Add Insurance Companies button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for insurance policies, completely blank.
2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.
3. Click Save to save the policy and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the policy, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Copying an Insurance Policy

You can add a new insurance policy by copying the information of an existing one, even from a different case. This can be useful if a policy applies to multiple defendants in the case, if a defendant has multiple types of policies from the same insurer, or if the same policy covers one or several defendants in different cases. To copy an insurance policy:

1. Click the right-click icon in the Action column of the row representing the policy you wish to copy, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Copy option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for insurance policies, with the information from the policy being copied filled in. One additional field is provided, "Copy to different case". By default, this field is set to the current case you are in, however you can choose any other case and copy the policy to that case.
3. Make any changes necessary to the information in the fields. See The Add/Edit Insurance Panel for details about the fields.
4. Click Save to save the policy and close the panel.
   • If you decide you do not wish to save the policy, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the copying and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Insurance Panel

The Add/Edit Insurance Panel allows you to fill in the details of an insurance policy. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Defendant: The defendant covered by the policy.
2. Insurance Company: The insurance company offering the policy.
3. Primary: Whether the policy is the defendant's primary insurance. No defendant can have more than one primary policy; if this field is selected when the policy is saved, it will automatically be deselected in every other policy covering the same defendant.
4. Insurance Type: The type of the insurance.
5. Adjuster: The insurance adjuster for the policy. If the Show All checkbox in the dropdown is not selected, the dropdown will only show adjusters employed by the contact in the Insurance Company field; otherwise, the dropdown will show all adjusters.
6. Name of Insured: The named insured of the policy. If the Select from Plaintiffs and/or Select from Defendants checkbox in the dropdown is selected, the dropdown will only show the plaintiffs and/or the defendants in the case, respectively.
7. Policy Number: The identification number of the policy.
8. Claim Number: The identification number of the claim on the policy related to the case.
9. Group Number: The identification number of the group plan.
10. ID Number: The identification number of the defendant in the plan.
11. Policy Start Date: The start date of the policy.
12. Policy End Date: The end date of the policy.
13. Policy Limits [Individual]: The maximum payment per individual event or injured person.
14. Policy Limits [Aggregate]: The maximum payment per policy period or across all injured people.
15. Comments: Any comments about the policy.
16. Add to Total Coverage: Whether the coverage available under this policy should be considered part of the total available coverage in the case. If this field is selected, the value of the Current Coverage Amount field is part of the sum listed in the Liability Coverage line in the Case Summary page.
17. MV Leased: Whether the vehicle covered by the policy is leased.
18. Current Coverage Amount: The amount of coverage currently available through this policy. Unless the Amount to be Added to Total Coverage field is selected, this field is uneditable.
19. Organization [TPA]: The organization serving as third-party administrator of the insurance policy.
20. Adjuster [TPA]: The third-party administrator's insurance adjuster for the policy. If the Show All checkbox in the dropdown is not selected, the dropdown will only show adjusters employed by the contact in the Insurance Company field; otherwise, the dropdown will show all adjusters. When the selection in this field changes, the Phone Number [TPA] field is automatically set to the primary phone number of the selected adjuster.
21. Phone Number [TPA]: The phone number of the third-party administrator's insurance adjuster.
22. Claim Number [TPA]: The third-party administrator's identification number for the claim on the policy related to the case.

Defendant Insurance Notes Table

The Notes table displays the details of notes that have the Defendant Insurance type. Each row of the table represents an individual note. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below. See the Notes case page for viewing notes of all types.
Columns in the Table
The Defendant Insurance Notes table contains the following available columns:

1. Date: The date and time the note was created.
2. Staff: The staff member who created the note.
3. Notes: The content of the note, including formatting.
4.  [Priority]: The priority level of the note.
5. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; right-click menu contains Edit, Email, Print, Copy, and Delete.
6. Type: The note's type.

Editing a Note
To edit a note:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the note you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for notes, with the existing information filled in.
3. Fill out the note and save it. See Add a Note for how to fill out and save notes.

Emailing a Note
To email a note:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the note you wish to email, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Email option in the menu. This will open the Case Email panel with the note's creator, date and time of creation, and content automatically entered in the body of the email.
3. Fill out the email with any desired additional content.
4. Click Send to send the email.
   • If you decide you do not wish to send the email, click the white X at the upper right of the panel to close the panel without sending the email.

Printing a Note
To print a note:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the note you wish to print, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Print option in the menu. This will open a new tab containing the details of the note, and immediately bring up your browser's print options for that tab.
   • The details of the note include the number, name, type and status of the case the note is part of; the note's type and priority level; the date the note was created; the staff member who created the note; the date the note was modified; the staff member who modified the note; and the contents of the note.
3. Select the print options you desire and print the note. (Since the printing is performed by the browser and not by SmartAdvocate, different users may have different printing interfaces. Consult your browser's help if you need further details at this point.)
   • Note that after printing, the tab containing the note will remain open. You may close this if you wish.

Copying a Note
To copy a note:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the note you wish to copy, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Copy option in the menu. This will bring up a panel allowing you to choose which case file to copy the note to. The panel contains a Radio button group for the last ten cases you have visited (including the case the note is already in, in case you wish to put an additional copy of the note in the same file). It also includes a Text input field for the case's case number, in case you wish to copy the note to a case other than the ten listed.
3. If you wish to copy the note to one of the last ten cases you have visited, click the radio button associated with that case. If you wish to copy the note to some other case, instead type that case's case number in the text input field.
4. Click Copy to copy the note to the chosen case file.
   • If you decide you do not wish to copy the note, click Cancel instead of clicking Copy to cancel the copying and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Note
To delete a note:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the note you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.
2. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).
3. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.
   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the note, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.
   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Note
To add a new note:

1. Click the Add New Note button. This will bring up The Add/Edit Note Panel with the Defendant Insurance type already selected.
   • The note type will still be editable; in theory, you could add any type of note starting from the Defendant Insurance page. However, it is generally better practice to use the Add Note icon for notes of arbitrary types.
2. Fill out the note and save it. See Add a Note for how to fill out and save notes.

The Defendant Notes page provides a shortcut for viewing all notes with Defendant in the note type. It is identical to the Notes case page in every way, except that Defendant is automatically entered into the filter for the Type column when the page is opened. For all instructions on interacting with this page, see Notes.

The Defendant UDFs page contains all user-defined fields for the case's case type that have Defendant as their Screen value. It is used to store any information about the defendant that is not otherwise covered by some page in SmartAdvocate. See the UDF Editor page for creating and managing user-defined fields, for a description of the available field formats, and for an explanation of how user-defined fields are organized on this and other UDF pages.