Workflows

Automated Workflows

Purpose: Trigger actions when a specific set of conditions are met.

Status: Available

Cost: $4,200 one time cost and then $100/month


Viewing Workflows

There is a Current Workflows listview available on the Home Page, or Case Profiles. In addition, there are a few static pages that might be useful. Similar to the Current Assignments list view.

Includes a "Current Step Result" column that is a link into the workflow for that case.

Static Pages

  • /matter/workflows/view/matter_id

Displays all workflows on a case, with a default filter of "Status = In Progress". Shows the date and time the workflow started, the number of completed and total steps, the current status, the date and time of the last update and who updated it.

  • /workflow/my_cases

My = Primary Assignment?

Displays the date and time each workflow was started, the workflow name, the case/matter it is linked to, and the number of steps completed and total steps.

List Views

There are two Workflow related Listviews that can be added to cases. One lists "active" workflows that have not yet been completed. The other lists all workflows triggered on behalf of that case.

Admin View of All Workflows on a Site

Admin > Workflows allows you to create, modify, and oversee any workflows that are in the system. This is behind a User Role Permission for "Workflow Admin".

Displays each workflow name, whether it is active, an icon to edit active status, and an icon to edit the workflow.

Clicking a workflow name displays the workflow profile, with an Actions menu > Edit this Workflow link.

Current Workflows will display workflows that have triggered but are not yet completed. You can click on that workflow timestamp to see the details of that Workflow Run. This then shows details about the workflow and then the different steps in place. 

Settings

(This tab is new as of 2023-10-06)

Workflow Time-Based Trigger Selection Limit: The number of records the workflow job runner checks when comparing a date field. If a date has enough matches on the same day the runner will not be able to process a workflow if that number is higher than this limit.

Workflow Trigger Fields: This is a cached list of the fields used in all current workflows. It will automatically be updated. By storing this list, we're only checking for workflows when this list of fields is changed as opposed to checking to see if workflows match any change that is triggered.

Building Workflows

In creating a new workflow, you have to determine the module that it will examine for new items.

Available modules are:

  • Case/Matter
  • Activity
  • Bundle
  • Document
  • Calendar Event
  • Note

Workflow Triggers

Different modules will present different triggers. The Trigger is what is checked to see if the workflow should run. When Workflows are enabled, there is a hardcoded date in the backend that is the earliest date a trigger can be launched.

Current options:

  • Disposition Change - choose any change to disposition, or one or more specific dispositions
  • Field Value Change
  • New Case Current Client - Create New Case for Client and Quick Case Copy 
  • Time Since Event - This has a feature where you can specify the site time of the workflow to trigger. This is so that you are not sending an email to a client at 5am. The new field "Time of Day" takes any valid time value. There is no validation on this field as of yet, so you'll have to be careful in how you enter the time. "10:00" and "3:00 PM" are both valid options. If no time is set, noon is the default. 
    • Note: this trigger first selects all of the cases that meet the time since event criteria following the date the Workflows were enabled. As of 2023-07-06 on Demo and 2023-07-14 on Live, this is a set of 1000 cases. Only after this set is selected are the Logic Filters applied. Cases in this initial selection are not excluded if they have previously been included in prior selections. This behavior will likely change to allow for more flexibility.
  • Activity Created (where you can specify the Activity, Item, and Venue that would need to match.  
  • Case Calendar Event Passed
  • Event Created
  • Case Copied - when a case is copied for a new case, this triggers for the original case.
  • New Case From Pending Case Transfer - whenever a new case is created from a pending case transfer.
  • New Case Document from Pending Case Transfer - whenever a new case is created from a pending case transfer that contains a transferred document.

Trigger timing. Triggers are checked hourly in the background. If the trigger has passed, but the workflow has not yet run, the workflow will run on the next pass of the checks. 

Workflows will only run once on a case. If you want a workflow to run multiple times over the course of the case, you'll need multiple workflows with different logic.

Triggers can also utilize a logical Expression to further limit the triggers on the case. The fields present in this filter will match the module that is being applied. 

Workflow Steps

Workflow steps can be limited based on what the workflow module and trigger are. You can add multiple steps that will be run consecutively. 

Current options.

  • Add Note - set the Note Type, Subject, and Body of the note.
  • Add Related Module Note - set the Note Type, Subject, and Body of the note.
  • Create Alert - set Message and the trigger date for the alert.
  • Create Deadline - set Title, Task Type, Completed, Private, and Due Date as a number of days after created.
  • Create Reminder - This is only available for the creation of Calendar Events. It will create either an Email or SMS reminder 1 hour in advance of the event. For an email, you can set the Subject, Body, and Recipient Types (Client, Scheduler, All Attendees) and then any Additional Recipients. For an SMS, you can set the Text and Recipient Types.
  • Create Task - set Title, Task Type, Completed, Private, and Due Date as a number of days after created.
  • Launch External Process - choose from a list of active external processes on a site to be sent to the client. The contact method for the client can be set to either SMS or Email. The expiration date can be configured and the text message can be customized. 
  • Launch NLU Process - choose from a list of active NLU ready processes to be sent to the client. This must be sent via SMS. This requires NLU to be enabled on the site.
  • Launch Process - choose from a list of active auxiliary processes. The user to run the process can be notified via email, SMS, LegalServer Message or Case/Matter Alert
  • Send Survey - choose from a list of active external processes on a site to be sent to the client. The contact method for the client can be set to either SMS or Email. The expiration date can be configured and the text message can be customized. 
  • Send Message - Either an email or SMS can be sent. The message body and subject (if an email) can be specified. It is worth adding a logic filter that checks if the client email is not null if planning for that. This will not work for any email addresses configured (currently or previously) to use LegalServer's S/MIME email encryption. The recipient is determined by a multi-select that includes:
    • Client
    • Family Member
    • Non-Adverse Party
    • Real Party in Interest
    • Assignment 
    • Adverse Party
    • Common Adverse Party
    • Case Contact
  • Set Value - This allows you to set the value of a specific field automatically as part of a Workflow. When using this to set a date value you can set the date value to today. All other value options are hardcoded values.
    • These changes overwrite any existing data in the field.
    • Multiselects are treated as single selects.
    • Selecting no value is treated as a null and will erase any existing value in the field.

Potential future workflow steps include:

  • Create a Service record
  • Create Event

Reports

A top level Workflows table is available.

Example Workflows

  • Text survey questions to former clients based on problem codes 30 days after the case closing date;

  • Automatically create a task to check for all required documentation 10 days after the case open date;

  • Create a case alert when the case is flagged for affirmative litigation; 

  • Create a client alert when the phone or address changes on a case;

  • Create  a client alert when a new case associated to a current client is created.

  • If the Legal Problem Code is Eviction, prompt the user to upload the eviction notice (a document). 


  • If the Legal Problem Code is Foreclosure, prompt the user to send an external form requesting more information and the mortgage documents. 

  • If a case is closed, send the client a link to the agency's satisfaction survey 30 days after closing.


  • Automatically schedule a task once a certain calendar event has passed in a case. 

  • Automatically schedule a deadline on a specific activity is entered in a case.

  • Create a Reminder for the client once they confirm a Calendar Appointment.

The Meeting Scheduled field is only set once the client has been scheduled for the appointment. This can then be followed by the Workflow Step for Create Reminder:

Additionally, any number of hardcoded email addresses can be added to this as well.

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