Copy Service Overview

FluentCase includes comprehensive copy service order management, allowing you to request, track, and manage copy service orders for medical records, employment records, and other documents.

What is Copy Service?

Copy service is the process of requesting copies of records from third parties, typically:

  • Medical Records - Hospital, clinic, and doctor records
  • Employment Records - Personnel files, payroll records
  • Insurance Records - Policy information, claims history
  • Educational Records - School and university records
  • Government Records - DMV, court records, etc.

Copy Service Types

FluentCase supports two types of copy service:

Standard Copy Service

Traditional copy service workflow:

  • You manage the process - You contact vendors directly
  • Track in FluentCase - Record orders and status
  • Document storage - Store received records in FluentCase
  • Status tracking - Monitor order progress

Premium Copy Service

Enhanced copy service with vendor integration:

  • Vendor portal - Vendors access orders through FluentCase
  • Automated notifications - Vendors receive automatic alerts
  • Direct upload - Vendors upload records directly to FluentCase
  • Real-time status - Live status updates
  • Matter creation - Vendors can create matters in their system
  • Party linking - Link contacts to matter parties

Premium copy service includes vendor access, automated notifications, direct uploads, and real-time status updates for order management.

Creating a Copy Service Order

Basic Steps

  1. Open a matter
  2. Click Copy Service tab
  3. Click + New Copy Service Order
  4. Fill in order details:
    • Record Type - Type of records requested
    • Custodian - Who has the records
    • Date Range - Date range of records needed
    • Special Instructions - Any special requests
  5. Add contact information for custodian
  6. Click Save

See Creating Copy Service Orders for detailed instructions.

Copy Service Order Fields

Required Information

  • Matter - Associated matter
  • Record Type - Medical, employment, insurance, etc.
  • Custodian Name - Organization or person holding records
  • Custodian Address - Where to send the request
  • Date Range - Dates of records needed

Optional Information

  • Custodian Phone - Contact phone number
  • Custodian Fax - Fax number
  • Custodian Email - Email address
  • Special Instructions - Additional details
  • Rush Order - Expedited processing
  • Cost Estimate - Expected cost

Workers’ Compensation Specific

For WC cases, additional fields:

  • Applicant Name - Injured worker
  • Date of Injury - DOI
  • Employer - Employer at time of injury
  • Insurance Carrier - WC insurance carrier
  • Claim Number - WC claim number

Order Status

Copy service orders progress through statuses:

Status Workflow

  1. Draft - Order being prepared
  2. Pending - Order created, not yet sent
  3. Requested - Request sent to custodian
  4. In Progress - Custodian is processing
  5. Received - Records received
  6. Complete - Order complete, records uploaded
  7. Cancelled - Order cancelled

Status Updates

Update order status:

  1. Open the copy service order
  2. Click Edit
  3. Change Status field
  4. Add notes about the status change
  5. Click Save

Managing Copy Service Orders

Viewing Orders

All Orders:

  1. Click Copy Service in left sidebar
  2. View all orders across all matters
  3. Filter by status, matter, or date

Matter Orders:

  1. Open a matter
  2. Click Copy Service tab
  3. View orders for this matter only

Editing Orders

  1. Open the copy service order
  2. Click Edit
  3. Update fields as needed
  4. Click Save

Cloning Orders

To create a similar order:

  1. Open an existing order
  2. Click Clone
  3. New order is created with same details
  4. Edit as needed
  5. Click Save

Useful for requesting records from multiple providers with similar information.

Deleting Orders

  1. Open the copy service order
  2. Click Delete
  3. Confirm deletion
  4. Order is soft-deleted (can be recovered)

Attaching Documents

Uploading Received Records

When records are received:

  1. Open the copy service order
  2. Click Upload Documents
  3. Select files to upload
  4. Documents are automatically:
    • Associated with the order
    • Linked to the matter
    • Processed with OCR
  5. Update order status to “Received” or “Complete”

Document Organization

Documents attached to copy service orders:

  • Appear in the order’s document list
  • Appear in the matter’s document list
  • Are tagged with “Copy Service”
  • Include reference to the order

Second Sets

Request additional copies of the same records:

Creating a Second Set

  1. Open the copy service order
  2. Click Request Second Set
  3. Enter:
    • Recipient - Who needs the records
    • Recipient Address - Where to send
    • Special Instructions - Any special requests
  4. Click Save

Managing Second Sets

  • View all second sets in the order
  • Track status separately
  • Update when sent/received
  • Delete if no longer needed

Copy Service Vendors

Vendor List

Maintain a list of copy service vendors:

  1. Go to Settings → Vendors
  2. Click + Add Vendor
  3. Enter vendor information:
    • Name
    • Contact information
    • Services provided
    • Pricing
  4. Click Save

Assigning Vendors

Assign a vendor to an order:

  1. Open the copy service order
  2. Click Edit
  3. Select Vendor from dropdown
  4. Click Save

Vendor Portal

For Premium Copy Service, vendors can:

  • Access assigned orders
  • View order details
  • Upload documents
  • Update status
  • Communicate with your firm

These vendor workflow features are available as part of the Premium Copy Service experience.

Tracking and Reporting

Order Tracking

Track order progress:

  • Dashboard Widget - View pending orders
  • Status Filters - Filter by status
  • Date Filters - Filter by date range
  • Matter View - View orders by matter

Reports

Generate copy service reports:

  1. Go to Reports → Copy Service
  2. Select report type:
    • Orders by status
    • Orders by matter
    • Orders by vendor
    • Cost summary
  3. Configure date range and filters
  4. Export to PDF or Excel

Best Practices

Organization

  • Consistent naming - Use standard naming conventions
  • Complete information - Fill in all relevant fields
  • Timely updates - Update status promptly
  • Document everything - Upload all received records

Communication

  • Track correspondence - Save all emails to the matter
  • Note phone calls - Add notes for phone conversations
  • Follow up - Set reminders for follow-ups
  • Confirm receipt - Verify records are complete

Quality Control

  • Review records - Check for completeness
  • Verify dates - Ensure date range is correct
  • Check quality - Ensure records are legible
  • Request missing - Follow up on missing records

Cost Management

  • Track costs - Record actual costs
  • Compare vendors - Track vendor pricing
  • Budget - Estimate costs upfront
  • Bill clients - Track for client billing

Permissions

Who Can Create Orders

  • Power User and above
  • Matter Admin and above
  • General Manager
  • All Access

Who Can Edit Orders

  • Creator - User who created the order
  • Assigned staff - Staff assigned to the matter
  • Matter Admin and above

Who Can Delete Orders

  • Matter Admin and above
  • General Manager
  • All Access

See User Roles and Permissions for details.

Related Articles

Creating Copy Service Orders Workers' Compensation Uploading Documents Documents Workers' Compensation Matters Matters