Creating a New Matter from an Existing Matter

There are several features that allow users to create a new matter from an existing matter. Colloquially asked: "Can I make a copy of a case?"

Availability of these features depends on your site's configuration.

Note: Create New Case for Client, Quick Case Copy, and Create New Prescreen for Client, all associate the new matter with the existing one. See Associating Multiple Cases with a Client for more information.

Similar: Copy Outreach

In this Article:

Major Differences between Create New Case for Client and Quick Case Copy

Create New Case for Client

  • Walks you through a full intake. Some information is copied to the new case, but you review each intake form and add any missing information.
  • Does not copy, or even offer to copy, adverse parties.
  • Income, expense, and asset information is not copied, with one exception: Family member income is copied if: (a) the Financial Information block is configured to show a person on each income row, and (b) a family member has income on the source case, and (c) that family member is selected to be copied. This will be changed in the future so that no income is copied (Ref: LS-55445).

Quick Case Copy

  • Typically only displays one form, for you to pick the legal problem code and then accept the new case. Information is copied "in the background" without being shown.
  • Quick Case Copy displays a list of adverse parties with checkboxes to select which, if any, should be copied to the new case.
  • Income, expense, and asset information is copied.
  • Quick Case Copy is limited to "recent" cases, as configured by each site (see below about setting the time limit).

Create New Case for Client

Typically Actions menu > Case Copy > Create New Case for Client:

In the confirmation screen, click "Yes, continue" to create the new case for the client and statt the intake.

Complete the intake as you normally would, making changes to the copied information as needed.

Note: Changes made in the new intake do not change information in the source case.

Quick Case Copy

Typically, Actions menu > Case Copy > Quick Case Copy.

In the confirmation screen, select any adverse parties you want to copy to the new case, then click "Yes, continue".

If the intake for the original case was created too long ago (as defined by the site administrators), you will not be able to use quick case copy. You typically will want to return to the original case and use Create New Case for Client, however you have the option to start a new blank intake.

However, site administrators determine how many forms there are and what fields are displayed.

Create New Prescreen for Client

Compare to Create New Case for Client which starts an intake process, this option starts a prescreen process.

Site administrators need to select and label the process used for "Create New Prescreen from Case" in the case copy section of the site's menu boxes. You have the option to default the prescreen process you'd like to pre-populate in menu boxes in process settings.

This feature provides special handling of a few fields:

intake_date is set to null
is_case is set to null
application is set to true
case_disposition is set to prescreen

Also see "System Fields Excluded by Create New Prescreen for Client" section below.

Copy to New Member Case

This feature designates the current case as a Lead case and starts the configured intake process to create a new matter for, typically, a different client. See Lead and Member Cases for more information.

The new intake is essentially blank. The only values copied from the now-lead case are : Case Status, County of Dispute, and Legal Problem Code.

This feature was previously called "Copy to Subordinate Case". Changed as part of changing the Master/Subordinate terms to Lead/Member.

Create Case for Family Member

This feature allows you to create a new case for a family member on an existing case, or when adding a new family member to a case. Read this section before enabling this feature.

The family member and the client on the new case will have the same "person" record in the database. This means fields on the person table, like name, address, email address, etc. are the same. If you change such a field within the Family Member Information block on the original case, that will be reflected on the created case, and vice versa.

If enabled by site administrators, adding a family member will include a "Create Case" option.

The family member's new case is automatically created as a member case with the existing client's case as the lead case. This feature pairs nicely with having the Lead/Member Cases (Compact) block on case profiles.

The Intake Date for the new case will be the same as the lead case, and thus the case number prefix (like 23-xxxxxxx) will be the same.

Nothing other than the family member's information and the lead case's legal problem code is copied into the new case. Adding adverse parties, financial information, etc. to the new case must be done from that case.

Copy Prescreen

This feature allows an intake worker to quickly create another prescreen for an applicant from an existing prescreen. For example, if an applicant is screened for a divorce case, but also needs to be screened for a housing problem, the ultimate disposition of the two matters could be different, so the applicant needs to have two separate prescreens.

After 2024-02-16 the new prescreen will have the Prescreen Date set to the current date instead of copying the Prescreen date from the source record.

List of fields that are copied into a new prescreen:

Applicant address
Applicant citizenship status
Applicant date of birth
Applicant gender
Applicant language
Applicant marital status
Applicant name
Applicant phone numbers
Applicant race
Applicant Social Security number
County of dispute
County of residence
Family members over 18
Family members under 18
Family size (Application)
Gross monthly income (Application) - from the Basic Financial Information block
Prescreen date
Prescreen intake user
Prescreen office
Prescreen program
Referred by
Referred date
These fields are not copied:
Adverse party information
Applicant's preferred phone
DV present
Legal problem code
Prescreen notes

Administrative Setup

Quick Case Copy Process and Form(s)

See Quick Case Copy.

Links for these features are typically enabled in a Case Copy Custom element in the Actions menu:

The links for these features will only appear in the Actions menu if you enter something in the text boxes next to the dropdown selectors.

Setting the Time Limit for Quick Case Copy and Copy to New Member Case

To prevent users from copying outdated information into new cases with the quick case copy and copy to new Member case features, you can set a time limit beyond which these features will not be available.

View the "Case Copy Settings" section of the Admin > Process Settings page.

A value is required for this field. Leaving the field blank will effectively disable the quick case copy and copy to new member case features because the system will treat the blank field as a zero. In other words, users will never be able to copy fields with these features because the time limit will always be exceeded. The maximum value is 999.

Allow Notes to be Copied with New Case for Client and Quick Case Copy

On the Admin > Process Settings page:

The confirmation page for both processes contains a warning about which notes are not copied:

"Only non-singular notes attached directly to the case will be copied. Notes marked as singular and notes attached to services, calendar events, or other related objects will not be copied."

This may change in the future. Note that "services" here means timeslips.

Having Custom Field Values Copied

The "Case Copy Settings" section of the Admin > Process Settings page contains a "Custom Fields" selector. Search and select the custom fields that should have values copied.

Erasing or Editing Copied Values

There may be system fields copied by QCC or CNCfC that you want to erase on the new case. Let's say you use the Cause Number field, which is copied by QCC, but you want it to be blank on the new case.

Add the field to your QCC form, set the Value to blank and set "Default Overrides Existing Value", like this:

When you submit the QCC form, the above will set Cause Number to blank/empty. Alternatively, you could leave the field displayed with its current value and allow people to edit it.

For CNCfC, you could do the same on an intake form. If you typically display the field during an intake, you could leave it as is. If you want someone to affirmatively select a response, you could erase the copied value as above on an early step of the intake.

Rinse and repeat for additional fields.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I get some or all of these links on closed cases or rejected matters?

The "Show for Disposition" options in the Case Copy Custom element allows you to do this. If you are displaying your links via the legacy Link Boxes element, remove them from that element and add a Case Copy Custom element to your profile's Actions menu.

Can I add system fields that have values copied for Quick Case Copy or New Case for Client?

No. The field values that are copied are hardcoded. But see Adding Custom Fields above.

System Fields Copied by Quick Case Copy and Create New Case

Some fields are only copied by QCC, designated in the list as "(QCC only)".

Income, expense, and asset information is copied by QCC but not CNCfC.

CNP(rescreen)fC copies the same fields as CNCfC, with certain exceptions noted after the Field List.

Field List:

A Number
Additional Contact Notes
Additional Contact Type
Address 2 (CNCfC only)
Adjusted Percentage of Poverty (QCC only)
Adverse Party Conflict Status (QCC only)
Annual Adjusted Income (QCC only)
Apt#/Lot# (CNCfC only)
Approximate DOB
Asset Eligible (QCC only)
Care of (CNCfC only)
Case Status (QCC only)
Case Type
Cause Number
Citizenship Status
City (CNCfC only)
City (Additional Contact)
Client Conflict Status
Country Of Birth
Country of Citizenship
County of Dispute
County of Residence (CNCfC only)
Creating Process
Current Living Situation
Date of Birth
Date Passport Expires (2)
Date Passport Issued (2)
Did Any Staff Meet Client in Person (2023-04-21)
Did someone override the asset eligibility?
Did someone override this ever?
Disabled
Disaster (Single)
Do you have reason to believe that your income is likely to change (QCC only)
Does Applicant pay child support payments?
Does caller live in the service area? (Even though the dispute is outside the service area)
Driver's License (CNCfC only)
Duplicate Status (QCC only)
Email Address
Employment Status (QCC only)
Ethnicity (person.ethnicity)
Ethnicity (Non-HUD) (2024-09-20)
Exp Date (QCC only)
Family Size (Application) (QCC only)
Family Type (2024-09-20)
Fax
Fax Note
Fax Number
File Exists
Financial Eligibility Override Reason (QCC only)
Financial Override Advocate (QCC only)
First Name
First Name (Additional Contact)
Gender
Government Generated ID # (CNCfC only)
Gross Monthly Income (Application) (QCC only)
Group
Has Applicant been to {site abbreviation} before?
Has the Intake Specialist printed and placed a copy of the Alien Determination 
Highest Education Level (QCC only)
HIV/AIDS Status
Home Phone
Home Phone Note
How did Applicant hear about {site abbreviation}
How is the Abuser Related to the Applicant (2024-09-20)
HUD 9902 Race (QCC only)
If yes, who is the attorney and for what matter is s/he representing the Applicant?
Immigration Status
Impact
Income Eligible (QCC only)
Indigenous
Intake Office
Intake Program
Intake Type
Interpreter Needed (QCC only)
Is another attorney helping Applicant in any Matter?
Is applicant caring for a relative's child? (QCC only)
Is the caller a victim of domestic violence?
Is this matter LSC Eligible (QCC only)
Is this Needs Based Public Assistance
Language
Last Employer
Last Name
Last Name (Additional Contact)
Last Salary
Legal Problem Code (QCC only)
Limited English Proficiency (2024-09-20)
Lives With Client
Longitude
LSC Eligibility Override Date (QCC only)
LSC Eligibility Override Reason (QCC only)
Mailing Address (CNCfC only)
Mailing Address 2 (CNCfC only)
Mailing Apt#/Lot# (CNCfC only)
Mailing City (CNCfC only)
Mailing State (CNCfC only)
Mailing Town (QCC only)
Mailing Zip (CNCfC only)
Major
Marital Status
Mental Disability Description
Middle (as in client's middle name)
Middle Name (Additional Contact)
Military Service (CNCfC only)
Mobile Phone
Mobile Phone Note
Monthly Adjusted Income (QCC only)
Monthly food stamps received
Monthly rent or mortgage
Number of People 18 and Over
Number of People under 18
Organization Name
Other Contact Notes (QCC only)
Other Phone
Other Phone Note
Packet
Percentage of Median Income (QCC only)
Percentage of Poverty (QCC only)
Perm. Address Notes (QCC only)
Perm. City
Perm. Colony
Perm. State
Perm. Zip
Permanent Contact Address
Phone Ref
Physical Disability Description (CNCfC only)
Physical Disability? (CNCfC only)
Preferred Phone (QCC only)
Race
Rural?
School
Second Language
Senior Income (QCC only)
SimpleJustice User UUID (QCC only)
Social Security #
Special Characteristics (QCC only)
State (CNCfC only)
Street Address (CNCfC only)
Street Address (Additional Contact)
Street Address 2 (Additional Contact)
Suffix
Suffix (Additional Contact)
Telephone Number (Additional Contact)
Telephone Number 2 (Additional Contact)
Telephone Number 2 Note (Additional Contact)
Telephone Number Note (Additional Contact)
Total Annual Expenses (QCC only)
Total Annual Income (QCC only)
Total Assistance (QCC only)
Total Liquid Asset Amount (QCC only)
Total Monthly Expenses (QCC only)
Total Monthly Income (QCC only)
Total Non Liquid Asset Amount (QCC only)
Town (QCC Only)
Transfer
Unemployed? For how long?
Veteran
Visa Number
Work Phone
Work Phone Note
Zero Income (QCC only)
Zip (Additional Contact)
Zip Code (CNCfC only)

System Fields Excluded by Create New Prescreen for Client

'case_type',
'intake_date',
'intake_type',
'attorney_call_reason',
'attorney_hired',
'cause_number',
'confidential_verify',
'conflict',
'determination_verified',
'did_staff_meet_client_in_person',
'disaster',
'doc_number',
'domestic_violence',
'dynamic_process_id',
'how_referred',
'impact',
'is_incarcerated',
'major',
'packet',
'referring_organization',
'returning',
'transfer'
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