Managing Matter Parties

Parties are Rolodex entries (individuals or companies) linked to a specific matter. Each party carries a Party Type that describes its role on that matter, such as Applicant, Employer, or Carrier. This article covers the matter-side workflow. For creating and maintaining the underlying Rolodex entries, see Managing Rolodex Entries.

Table of Contents

Viewing a Matter’s Parties

  1. Open a matter
  2. Click Parties in the left navigation panel
  3. Review the party cards. Each card shows the party’s name, Party Type, and primary contact details

The Parties heading shows the total number of parties on the matter, with the number of hidden parties listed below it. The matter dashboard also displays the party count (for example, 2 Parties).

Helpful Tip: When you create a matter, the applicant and employer you enter are added as parties automatically with the Applicant and Employer party types. See Creating Matters.

Party History

  1. On the Parties page, click History
  2. Review the User, Description, Party, and When columns
  3. Click Close to hide the history

Adding a Party

  1. Open a matter
  2. Click Parties in the left navigation panel
  3. Click Add Party. You can also click the + button next to Parties in the left navigation panel
  4. On the Add a Party page, enter a name in the search field, select a type from Filter by People Type, or both. The search covers both contacts and companies across your entire Rolodex
  5. Review the results. Each result is labeled Individual or Company
  6. Click one of the following buttons next to the correct result:
    • Add - Links the entry and returns to the Parties page
    • Add & Search Again - Links the entry and keeps you on the search page so you can add another party
    • Add & View Details - Links the entry and opens the party’s details so you can set its Party Type right away

Click Cancel to return to the Parties page without adding a party.

How Party Search Works

  • Whole-word matching - Each word you enter is matched as a whole word
  • Any word can match - Words are combined with an implied “or”. Searching Acme Insurance Group returns entries that match Acme, Insurance, or Group
  • People type filter - Select one or more types to narrow the results

Adding a New Contact or Company as a Party

If the entry is not in your Rolodex, create it from the search page:

  1. Search for the name as described in Adding a Party
  2. Click the Didn’t find what you were looking for? Add … link below the search field
  3. Review the pre-filled form and complete any additional fields
  4. Click Save

The new Rolodex entry is created and linked to the matter as a party in one step.

How Search Text Is Pre-filled

  • Company names - Text containing company terms such as Inc, Corp, LLC, LLP, APC, Company, or Insurance is treated as a company. For example, Acme Insurance becomes a company
  • Single name - One word without a company term is entered as a contact’s last name
  • Multiple names - Words are split into first, middle, and last name
  • Salutations - A leading word that matches a salutation option, such as Mr., is entered as the salutation. Otherwise, it is entered as the first name

Party Type vs. Default People Type

A Rolodex entry has a Default People Type (or Default Company Type for companies) that applies everywhere. A party’s Party Type applies only to the matter where it is set.

  • The same entry can be an Employer on one matter and a different type on another
  • Changing a Party Type does not change the entry’s Default People Type in the Rolodex
  • The Party Type section appears only when you open an entry from inside a matter. It does not appear when you open the entry from Rolodex
  • A party without a type shows (No Party Type Set) on its card

Editing Party Details

  1. On the Parties page, click the party card
  2. Review the summary, which shows the Party Type on this matter and the party’s Rolodex details
  3. Click Edit Party Details
  4. Update the fields:
    • Party Type - The party’s role on this matter
    • Party Type Details - Optional description shown under the party type
    • Hidden - See Hiding a Party
    • Notes - Matter-specific notes about this party
  5. Click Save

Note: On matters other than workers’ compensation matters, the form also includes Testimony, plus Insurance and Alternate Insurance sections with Policy Number, Claim Number, Claim Status, and Policy Notes.

Hiding a Party

Hidden parties remain attached to the matter but are not displayed by default in the party list. Use this for entries you want to keep for reference that are no longer active on the matter.

  1. Open the party and click Edit Party Details
  2. Select the Hidden checkbox
  3. Click Save

To view hidden parties:

  1. On the Parties page, click Show All
  2. Hidden parties appear with an eye-slash icon () on their cards
  3. Click Hide to remove them from view again

Note: The Show All button appears only when the matter has at least one hidden party. Hidden parties are not shown in the matter dashboard’s party list.

Adding the Same Entry More Than Once

You can link the same Rolodex entry to a matter more than once, with a different Party Type each time. For example, a self-insured employer can be both the Employer and the Carrier, and a party may also be added later as a lien claimant.

  1. Add the entry again using the steps in Adding a Party
  2. Click Add & View Details to go straight to its details
  3. Click Edit Party Details and select the new Party Type
  4. Click Save

Detaching a Party

  1. On the Parties page, click the party card
  2. Click Detach

The party is removed from the matter, and the Rolodex entry remains in your system. For more detail, see Linking Rolodex Entries to Matters.

Helpful Tip: On California workers’ compensation matters, the Parties page includes a Court Lookup button for importing injuries, events, and parties. See EAMS Lookup Integration.

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