Document templates are powerful time-savers for any firm. In conjunction with merge codes, they significantly streamline the document generation process. The documents you need for nearly every case your firm handles can be created in just a few clicks; with merge codes, the SmartAdvocate system can even automatically insert case-specific information into a document, making document templates even more versatile. The Document Templates administrative page offers some tools for managing templates and merge codes. However, many of the tools for editing and creating templates and custom merge codes are only available through the SmartAdvocate plugin for Word. See Merge Codes, Word Template Editor Plugin (Cloud), and Word Template Editor Plugin (Server) for details.

The information in Document Templates is divided into five tabs. All five tabs are visible at all times, however the contents of only one tab is visible at a time; click the heading of the tab you want to access to bring up that tab's information. The five tabs are Templates, Template Groups, Template Bundles, Custom Merge Codes, and Builder Merge Codes.

Templates

This tab contains a listing of all of the document templates in the SmartAdvocate system. The list is in the form of a table, with columns for the name of the template, the template's category and subcategory, whether or not the template is archived, when the template was created and when it was last modified, the envelope (if any) that can be generated at the same time as the template, whether it is a Word, PDF, or Excel template, the Template Group to which the template has been assigned, the Case Groups and Case Types in which the template will be available. There is also an Actions column containing a pencil icon in each row, for editing the properties of the template in that row, along with icons to delete the template, upload it, and download it. PDF templates have an additional icon for editing merge codes.

Clicking the pencil icon in a row will bring up a panel allowing you to edit the template's properties.

The name of the template.
The document category assigned to the template.
The document sub-category assigned to the template.
The envelope template attached to the template.
Whether the template is archived.
The display folder in which any documents creating using this template will be placed on the Documents page.
The Template Group into which the template has been placed.
Used with Time Tracking. If you do not track the time spent in cases, leave this field blank.
Used with Time Tracking. If you do not track the time spent in cases, leave this field blank.
Used with Time Tracking. If you do not track the time spent in cases, leave this field blank.
The Case Groups in which this template will be available.
The Case Types in which this template will be available.
The format of a document created using this template. The options for a Word template are Word by Default, PDF by Default, and PDF Forced.

Marking a template archived removes it from the document generation page, leaving it in the system but effectively making it unavailable to users. Templates can be automatically assigned to template groups based on the name of the template (see Template Groups, below), but if you select a template group for a template in this panel, it will be a member of that group regardless of whether its name would automatically make it a member. If you are careful about naming your templates, it is not generally necessary to assign them manually to template groups.

Word Templates (without Template Plugin for Word installed)

You can create Word templates without the SmartAdvocate Template Plugin for Word installed on the computer. This is particularly useful for creating Word templates on a Mac computer.

Using Word (including Word for Mac), open the form or document that you wish to utilize in SmartAdvocate as a document template. Picklist Maintenance > Document Merge Codes contains a list of all of the merge codes. Copy any appropriate merge codes and paste them into the document. See Merge Codes for a description of the use and placement of merge codes in document templates.

Once all merge codes have been inserted into the document, save the document on your computer. On the Document Templates page, click on Upload Word Template.

This will bring up a panel allowing you to browse for the file on your computer. Find and select the Word form, and more fields will appear: a text input field for the name of the template, dropdowns for the document category and sub-category of documents generated using the template, dropdowns for the display folder, the template group, and the envelope to be generated along with the template, a checkbox for whether the template is archived or not, and a dropdown to determine the format in which a document created from this template will be generated. Once the panel is filled out, click Save to save the template.

Excel Templates (without Template Plugin for Excel installed)

You can create Excel templates for use within SmartAdvocate without the SmartAdvocate Template Plugin for Word installed on the computer. This is particularly useful for creating Word templates on a Mac computer.

Using Excel (including Excel for Mac), open the form or document that you wish to utilize in SmartAdvocate as an Excel template. Picklist Maintenance > Document Merge Codes contains a list of all of the merge codes. Copy any appropriate merge codes and paste them into the spreadsheet. See Merge Codes for a description of the use and placement of merge codes in templates.

Once all merge codes have been inserted into the document, save the document on your computer. On the Document Templates page, click on Upload Excel Template.

This will bring up a panel allowing you to browse for the file on your computer. Find and select the Excel form, and more fields will appear: a text input field for the name of the template, dropdowns for the category and sub-category of spreadsheets generated using the template, dropdowns for the display folder, the template group, and the envelope to be generated along with the template, and a checkbox for whether the template is archived or not. Once the panel is filled out, click Save to save the template.

PDF Templates

The Templates tab is also used for adding PDF forms as templates. To add a PDF as a template, click the Upload PDF Template button, which will bring up a panel allowing you to browse for the file on your computer. Find and select the PDF form, and more fields will appear: a text input field for the name of the template, dropdowns for the document category and sub-category of documents generated using the template, dropdowns for the display folder, the template group, and the envelope to be generated along with the template, and a checkbox for whether the template is archived or not. Once the panel is filled out, click Save to save the template.

For PDF templates, clicking the icon to edit merge codes will bring up a panel listing each field in the PDF form, and providing lists of all merge codes and all usable date/time formats. You may enter any text, including merge codes, in the PDF form fields; when the template is generated, the entered text will be automatically inserted into the respective field in the PDF, with merge codes replaced by the appropriate information. Clicking the icon to download the base template will allow you to ensure you are entering the right text into the right field; the base template numbers each field, and the panel listing each field includes the number of the field, so you can see exactly which field in the panel corresponds to which field in the template.

Template Groups

This tab contains a listing of all template groups. Template groups are used primarily when you Generate a document, where they are displayed as folders containing templates, to make it easier to find the particular template from which to create a document. The list of groups is in the form of a table, with columns for the name of the group and the criteria by which templates are automatically assigned to the group. There is also a column containing, in each row, a pencil icon for editing the row, and an X icon for deleting the row (there will be a confirmation message first to avoid accidental deletion). Above the table is a button allowing you to create a new template group.

Clicking the pencil icon in a row will bring up a panel allowing you to change the group's name and the criteria by which templates are assigned to the group. Clicking the Create Template Group button will bring up the same panel, with the contents blank. Templates are assigned to the groups based on their names; you can choose the text that must be in a template name to assign it to the group, and whether that text must begin the name, end the name, or simply appear somewhere in the name. Click Update to save the changes or Cancel to discard them and close the panel.

Template Bundles

This tab contains a listing of all template bundles. Template bundles are collections of templates that appear in the Create Documents page alongside individual document templates. When a template bundle is selected for generation, it creates a document for each of the templates in the bundle. If there is a group of documents that are frequently created at the same time (e.g., a new case intake kit, or a Motion with an affidavit, form of Order, and cover letter), putting them in a bundle saves the time of creating each one separately, and prevents accidentally forgetting to create one of the documents in the group.

The list of bundles is in the form of a table, with columns for the name of the bundle and whether the bundle is marked archived. There is also a column containing, in each row, a pencil icon for editing the row. Above the table is a button allowing you to create a new template bundle.

Clicking the pencil icon in a row will bring up a panel allowing you to change the bundle's name and whether the bundle is marked archived. Bundles cannot be deleted outright, but marking a bundle archived removes it from the document generation page. The panel also contains a double-list that you can use to add or remove templates from the bundle. Once you are satisfied that the bundle contains all the templates you want in it, click Update to save the bundle. Clicking the Create Template Bundle button will bring up the same panel, with the contents blank.

Custom Merge Codes

This tab contains a listing of all custom merge codes. For an explanation of custom merge codes, see Creating and Using Custom Merge Codes. The list of custom merge codes is in the form of a table, with columns for the merge code's name, description, and type, as well as whether the merge code is marked archived. There is also a column containing, in each row, a pencil icon for editing the row.
Clicking the pencil icon in a row will bring up a panel allowing you to change the merge code's name, description, and type, as well as whether the merge code is marked archived. Custom merge codes cannot be deleted outright but marking a custom merge code archived removes it from the list of available codes when creating builder merge codes. Click Update to save your changes or Cancel to discard them and close the panel.

Builder Merge Codes

This tab contains a listing of all builder merge codes. For an explanation of builder merge codes, see Creating and Using Builder Merge Codes. The list of builder merge codes is in the form of a table, with columns for the merge code's name, description, and type. There is also a column containing, in each row, a pencil icon for editing the row, and an X icon for deleting the row (there will be a confirmation message first to avoid accidental deletion).
Clicking the pencil icon in a row will bring up a panel allowing you to change the builder merge code's name, description, and type. The panel also contains a double-list that you can use to add custom merge codes to the builder merge code. Once you have added all the custom merge codes you want to be in the builder merge code, click Update to save the builder merge code. Clicking the Create Builder Merge Code button will bring up the same panel, with the contents blank.

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