Setting Up/Customizing Intake & Case Forms + Conditional Logic Follow
Legal CRM has a powerful intake/case form builder that allows you to create and edit customized from (AKA "questionnaires") for each practice area that your firm is handling. If you need to create custom fields or build out intake/case forms, then this is the right tutorial for you.
Video Tutorial - Build an Intake Form
How to Edit, Delete, Move, or Copy Existing Fields
How to Setup Online Intake Form Header and Thank You Page
How to Configure Conditional Logic
How to Create Custom Printed Forms
Only users with Admin Rights will have access to make the changes mentioned in this article. If you do not have administrative access, then please contact your IT department or the firm administrator.
How to Setup an Intake Form
Using the blue menu on the left-hand side of the screen, click on "Setup".
Navigate to the “Intake/Case Form Builder” page.
From the “Select Case Type” dropdown, choose the case type for which you’d like to build an intake/case form. Please note that any fields created under the “All” case type will display inside of every record in the portal.
Viewing Your Different Forms/Fields
Once you have a selected a case type, you will see a ribbon at the top of your page for the different forms/views offered for each intake form:
All Questions: This will display all questions configured for the specific case type selected.
Intake Form: This will display questions that are configured to show on your intake form only.
Case Form: If using Legal CRM's Cases module, this will display all questions that are configured to show on your case form only.
Intake Vitals: This will display all fields you have chosen for your vitals section in an intake record for this specific case type.
Case Vitals: If using Legal CRM's Cases module, this will display all fields you have chosen for your vitals section in a case record for this specific case type.
💡 To learn more about vitals, click here.
Creating New Fields
The “ADD NEW FIELDS” menu on the left will be used to create any new fields in the intake/case form. When creating a new field, you can either choose from the dropdown of Existing Fields or you can create a Custom Field using any of the several Field Types available.
Description of Field Types:
- Label (No Input): This field type is for any headers, labels, and/or additional scripting you’d like to add to your form.
- Single-Line Text: This field type is for questions with shorter answers, such as “Relationship to the Injured Party”.
- Paragraph Text: This field type is for questions with lengthier answers, such as “Describe the accident”.
- Drop Down Text: This field type is for questions that need to show a list of choices, where only one choice can be selected, such as "Do you own or rent your home?".
- Yes or No Question: This field type is for questions that only require either a “Yes” or “No” answer, such as “Are you married?”.
- Pick List (Multi-Select): This field type is for questions that need to show a list of choices, where more than one choice can be selected, such as “Select any of the following medical conditions that you have been diagnosed with”.
- Date: This field type is for questions that require a date-only value to be entered, such as “Date of Marriage”. It is not recommended to use this field type for questions where a complete date (MM/DD/YYYY) cannot be provided.
- Time: This field type is for questions where a time of day needs to be selected, such as “Time of Incident”. This field type will only allow you to select a time in 15-minute increments (10:00 AM, 10:15 AM, 10:30 AM, 10:45 AM, 11:00 AM, etc.)
- Phone: This field type is for phone numbers only, such as “Emergency Contact Phone Number”. This field type only allows for numeric entries of 10-digits. It is not recommended to use this field type if a complete phone number cannot be provided or if multiple phone numbers need to be entered in the same field.
- SSN: This field type is for Social Security Numbers only, such as “Spouse’s Social Security Number”. This field type only allows for numeric entries of 9-digits.
- Radio Button: This field type is for questions that need to show a list of choices, where only one choice can be selected, such as "Do you own or rent your home?".
- File Uploader: This field type is used for uploading documents and files. Any files uploaded will be found in the Documents tab of the lead/case record. This field type should only be used if you are sending the intake/case form online.
- U.S. States Dropdown: This field type is used to create a custom U.S. State dropdown to collect address information. This field type will populate with the same state values as Legal CRM's default State field. It is not recommend to change the values of this dropdown. If you need to create custom state values, it is recommended to use the standard Dropdown field type.
Whether you choose to create an Existing Field or a Custom Field, a pop-up will appear that will allow you to make edits to the appearance of the new field that will be added. In this pop-up, you will be able to edit the label for your field and apply text formatting.
You can also choose where the field should appear under the Field Location setting:
- Intake Form: The field will appear under the “Intake Form” tab inside of Lead records.
- Case Form: The field will appear under the “Case Form” tab inside of Case records.
- Intake Vitals: The field will appear in the "Vitals" section inside of Lead records. This is useful for quick reference fields that you would like to highlight at the top of the lead/intake screen.
- Case Vitals: The field will appear in the "Vitals" section inside of Case records. This is useful for quick reference fields that you would like to highlight at the top of the case screen.
In addition, you can select the “Mark field as mandatory” setting which will make this a required field (if the online form is sent, the recipient will need to fill out this field to be able to submit the form). By selecting the “Invisible to client, internal use only” setting, the field will not appear to the lead/client in the online form that is sent to them.
Viewing/Copying Mail Merge Codes
After you create a custom field in Legal CRM, you can view/copy the mail merge code for that field at any time. Each custom field in Legal CRM will have a corresponding mail merge code that will allow you to reference that field on documents or post to that field via Legal CRM's API.
To learn more about mail merge codes, click here. To learn more about Legal CRM's API, click here.
This information can always be viewed next to the "Mapped to:" section in the preview screen and edit screen as shown below. To copy the mail merge code, click the blue clipboard icon to the right of the mail merge code.
💡 Please note, mail merge codes for default fields can be found using the mail merge field picker located throughout the system.
How to Edit, Delete, Move, or Copy Existing Fields
Once you have configured an intake form, Legal CRM will allow you to edit or delete any configured fields, as well as move or copy those fields to other intake forms in the system.
Editing/Deleting Existing Fields
To edit an existing field, click on that field in the Intake/Case Form Builder screen and hover over the 3 dots on the upper-right corner of the field until you see the green pencil and red X icons.
Click on the green pencil icon to open up the field editor.
To delete an existing field, repeat the same steps described in the paragraph above but this time you will click on the red X icon.
⚠️ Be careful deleting fields since it a permanent action.
Moving Fields Around
Moving fields around a form are as simple as drag and drop. To rearrange fields in your form, click on the hamburger icon at the top-center of the field that you wish to move and point your cursor over the 3 lines on the top center of the field. When the cursor changes, click on the field and drag it to the location on the form that you would like, and drop it by unclicking.
You can select multiple fields to move around by clicking on the small square that appears in the upper-left corner when you click on the field.
Copying and Moving Fields Across Case Types
The form builder also allows you to copy and move fields from one practice area to another. This is a time-saving feature that allows you to reuse forms/fields across case types.
Select any fields you’d like to copy or move and then scroll near the top of the page until you see the “Copy/Move Selected Fields to” setting.
When copying fields, you must choose the source/destination case type and which form tab the fields should be placed under. By clicking the “Copy” button to the right, any selected fields will be copied over to the selected case type form.
However, by clicking the “Move” button, the fields will be relocated from the current form to the one selected. The “Move” option does not create a copy of the fields, but instead completely relocates the field(s) from one form to another so be mindful of how this feature works.
How to Setup Online Intake Form Header and Thank You Page
The same form you have configured for internal use is also available publicly online via your Online Intake Form. Each online form has a customizable header and thank you page that can be configured to personalize each of your forms.
💡 Please note, your online intake is specific to each customer in your portal. This form can be generated via the Form section of your customer record using the Display Form Link button.
Thank You Page (For Online Forms)
If you are sending the form to be completed online, you could customize the “Thank You” message that appears to the lead/client once the form has been submitted.
To get started, click on the icon titled "Select an Option" in the upper-right corner to select the option for “Edit Thank You Page”.
A new tab will open up where you will see a file uploader and a textbox. The file uploader can be used to upload an image for the Thank You page, such as the firm’s logo. The textbox can be used to type out a message, such as “Thank you for completing the form!” Don’t forget to click the “Save” button to save any changes you make.
Form Header (For Online Forms)
Want to customize messages for online forms? For online forms, you could edit the header that will appear at the very top of the page when the lead/client clicks on the link to fill out the form.
To get started, click on the icon titled "Select an Option" in the upper-right corner to select the option for “Edit Form Header”.
A new tab will open up with a textbox where you can type in anything, such as a title for the form and/or instructions for filling out the form. This textbox allows you to apply text formatting and also supports the use of any Legal CRM mail merge codes. Don’t forget to click either of the “Save Questionnaire Header” buttons to save your changes.
How to Configure Conditional Logic
Legal CRM supports configuring conditional logic for your intake forms. This will allow your intake form to conditionally show/hide fields as well as trigger automation campaigns, based on the answers inputted into the form.
💡 Please note, before configuring your conditional logic all intake fields needed for your form should already be configured. In addition, the following field types are not supported with conditional logic: Label (No Input), Pick List (Multi-Select), File Uploader.
To get started, navigate to the specific form you would like to configure conditional logic for, and click the "Set Up Logic" button at the bottom of the Add New Fields section:
If you do not have any logic statements configured, the system will display the conditional logic setup screen for you to get started:
First, you will need to pick your parent question. For example, let's say the logic statement you are attempting to configure is:
IF Marital Status IS EQUAL TO Married SHOW Spouse Name
Here we can see our parent question, is "Marital Status". Thus, we would select this question for the IF statement.
Next, we need to choose a STATE. Legal CRM offers the following states to be used in your conditional logic statements:
Is Empty - This state will trigger the logic statement if the field is empty/has no value
Is Filled - This state will trigger the logic statement if the field is filled with any data
Is Equal To - This state will trigger the logic statement if a specific value is selected
Is Not Equal To - This state will trigger the logic statement if a specific value is not selected
💡 Please note, any field type other than Drop Down Text, Yes or No Question, and Radio Button will only have STATE options for Is Empty and Is Filled.
If you have chosen a question with a field type for your IF statement that supports Is Equal To or Is Not Equal To and would like to use that state, you will need to select the correct value in the VALUE field.
Next, we can choose to pair 2 statements together using an AND operator or OR operator. When using the AND operator, all statements must be true for the logic statement to trigger. For example:
IF Marital Status Is Equal To Married AND Do you have children? Is Equal To Yes SHOW Number of children
Here you will see that in order to show the field "Number of children" both statements have to be true, i.e. the customer must be married and have children.
When using an OR operator, if either statement is true, the logic statement will trigger. For example:
IF Marital Status Is Equal To Married OR Do you have children? Is Equal To Yes SHOW Number of children
Here if either statement is true, the logic statement will trigger, i.e. the customer can be married or have children and the question will show.
To use the AND or OR operator, choose the operator you would like to use using the OPERATOR field. Then, click the "+" icon to add your next statement.:
Next, you will want to choose what the statement does once it's met. Legal CRM offers the following options for your logic statements:
Hide - Hides a single field when the logic statement is true
Show - Shows a single field when the logic statement is true
Hide Multiple - Hides multiple fields when the logic statement is true
Show Multiple - Shows multiple fields when the logic statement is true
Filter - Only supported with Drop Down Text fields; Shows specific values in a drop down field to be chosen from. For example, if you have a drop down of cities for all states in the nation, you could filter the drop down to only show Florida cities if the customers fills out they live in Florida.
Once you have chosen what you'd like the statement to do, set the proper condition in the DO field. Next select the field(s) you will hide/show/filter in the FIELD drop down.
Here is an example of a finalized conditional logic statement:
Once you have setup your statement click Save to save your changes. You will then be redirected to the main conditional logic page where you can review all existing statements, edit/delete those statements, or add new ones. This is also the page you will see moving forward any time you click the "Set Up Logic" button in the Intake/Case Form Builder screen.
If you need to add new conditional logic statements, click the Add New button at the top of the screen. To edit or delete an existing statement, click the Edit or Delete buttons:
If you ever need to return to the form builder from this page, click the link in the upper-left corner Back to Form Builder:
Lastly, Legal CRM will allow you to trigger an automation campaign via conditional logic. First, you must setup your statement completely meaning all required fields must be filled out, i.e. IF, STATE, VALUE, DO, and FIELD.
Once this is completed, you can then select the option to Trigger Campaign and select the appropriate automation campaign from the Select a Campaign drop down:
How to Create Custom Printed Forms
Legal CRM offers a default PDF for printing your intakes. When inside of a lead or case record, you may navigate to the Form section and utilize the option for Print Form to print a copy of the form related to the specific intake or case you are viewing. The default option for printing is PDF and Legal CRM's default PDF will be printed, which will always be in 2 column format and will include all form tabs and form fields configured for the records specific form.
However, if you need to customize the way your form is printed, Legal CRM offers the ability to create and upload custom printed forms in either Word or Excel format. Examples of this may include firms who want to print their intake forms for attorneys to review. However, even though the internal intake form is 45 questions, the attorney only needs to see 10 questions to determine if the firm will want the case.
To get started, click on the icon titled "Select an Option" in the upper-right corner to select the option for “Edit Printed Form Layout”.
A new page will open and you will have the option to upload either a Word or Excel file by pressing "Add Template":
Configuring your custom Word or Excel file for printing will be the same as creating a document template, i.e. you will need to create field labels in your Word or Excel document and utilize mail merge codes to have the data entered into your form print on your custom printed form next to each field label. To learn more about how to configure document templates, click here.
Once you have uploaded your custom Word and/or Excel file, make sure to set that file as the Default Layout.
💡 Please note, you can have multiple custom forms uploaded, but only one can be set as the Default Layout at any given time.
To use your custom printed forms in a customer record, ensure that you select either Word or Excel in the popup that is presented:
How to Export Intake Fields
Legal CRM offers an option to export your currently configured questions to a CSV file.
⚠️ Please note, this will not export the data entered into these fields, just the field labels themselves.
The benefit of utilizing this feature is the CSV file that is exported is import ready, meaning if it is used to import data into Legal CRM, the system will auto map your fields for the import, allowing you to finish your import much faster.
This option is highly recommended for any firms that take advantage of collecting intake data outside of Legal CRM and need to utilize Legal CRM's Import Wizard to update the intake or case data for their records.
To utilize this feature, click on the icon titled "Select an Option" in the upper-right corner to select the option for “Export Form Fields”.
This will download the CSV file to your local storage. From there, you can use this document to provide your questions to a 3rd party and as long as none of the headers are renamed, the file will be import ready.
Support/Assistance
If you need further assistance with your Legal CRM system, then please contact Support.
🤗 Thank you very much for choosing Legal CRM!