In a matter (say an estate administration matter for example) we do not want the file name or matter name that prints on invoices and shows at the top of the Smokeball window and that appears as “Client” to be “Smith | Jones | Roberts” (say if there are 3 personal representatives). What we want is for this to say “Estate of Jane Smith”. Can we edit our own file names/matter names?
Best answer by JG3
View originalWe also don’t like the default matter naming in SB for Estate Admin work (and also for other matters especially guardianships, with 87 words in the matter name!).
As you know, tor Estate Admin work, the client, usually the executor, is baked-into the name along with “decedent’s estate”, but the matter name is missing the name of the deceased. That makes it difficult to know, at a glance, which estate is involved as the client doesn’t necessarily share the same last name with the deceased.
The workaround is to click on the ‘Info” line in the matter details...
Then override the file matter description name...
Doing that will embed the revised description at the top of the SB matter window in the way you want to see it.
It will also appear as you wish on your invoices as long as you customized the invoice to provide the matter description.
Doing the above helps for seeing the matter description on the SB window and individual printed invoices, but it still doesn’t help with the clunky naming issue when creating batch invoices or when listing invoices. SB billing doesn’t allow us to see that field when viewing lists. I’ve submitted an feature upgrade request a while back to help correct this.
We also don’t like the default matter naming in SB for Estate Admin work (and also for other matters especially guardianships, with 87 words in the matter name!).
As you know, tor Estate Admin work, the client, usually the executor, is baked-into the name along with “decedent’s estate”, but the matter name is missing the name of the deceased. That makes it difficult to know, at a glance, which estate is involved as the client doesn’t necessarily share the same last name with the deceased.
The workaround is to click on the ‘Info” line in the matter details...
Then override the file matter description name...
Doing that will embed the revised description at the top of the SB matter window in the way you want to see it.
It will also appear as you wish on your invoices as long as you customized the invoice to provide the matter description.
Doing the above helps for seeing the matter description on the SB window and individual printed invoices, but it still doesn’t help with the clunky naming issue when creating batch invoices or when listing invoices. SB billing doesn’t allow us to see that field when viewing lists. I’ve submitted an feature upgrade request a while back to help correct this.
Thanks. It does add that estate to the SB window in small font below the personal representatives’ names. It appears that the “Matter Title” is the field I want to be able to modify. With 3 personal representatives, we do not want to see all their names in that field (I am aware they are our firm’s clients). I want to see “Estate of Jane Smith” like you would write on a paper file. It is too confusing otherwise, especially when one of my partners is one of the personal representatives. Matter Title does not always need to be the client name. Hopefully the change can be made by SB, and thanks for putting in the request/suggestion.
+1
Hello David,
Matter Title is going to always pull from Internal Reference Number - Client last name(s) - Matter type. You can choose to not pull the matter title onto the invoice and just use description to be the Invoice Title. You are not required to have an Invoice title or subtitle on your invoice template. You can have none, either or both.
Hello David,
Matter Title is going to always pull from Internal Reference Number - Client last name(s) - Matter type. You can choose to not pull the matter title onto the invoice and just use description to be the Invoice Title. You are not required to have an Invoice title or subtitle on your invoice template. You can have none, either or both.
It can be fixed on an invoice, but not in Smokeball itself. This needs a fix - like being able to edit/customize the matter title.
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