Contacts in Matters — Complete User Guide

The Contacts feature allows you to centralize all stakeholders involved in your Matters: individuals, companies, law firms, insurers, experts, and more. This guide explains how to manage your contact repository and how to use those contacts inside the Matter Management module.

✨ What Are Contacts?

Contacts represent any person or organization involved in a matter. They can be:

• Individuals (e.g., a lawyer, a judge, an employee)
• Companies (e.g., law firms, insurance companies, suppliers)

You can store and manage them centrally in the dedicated Contacts area before using them in your matters.

This centralization helps you:

• Access contact information quickly ☝
• Avoid searching through emails or notes ⭐
• Ensure consistency and reduce duplicate entries ✨
• Streamline collaboration across your legal team

? Where to Find Contacts

You can access the Contacts repository from the main navigation menu under:

Contacts → Individuals / Companies

Both screens offer:

• A searchable list
• Actions such as Add, Edit, Delete, Export
• Indicators such as Status (Active / Deactivated) and Last Used in a Matter

➕ Adding a New Individual

To add an individual, select Add an individual in the Individuals tab.

? Step 1 — Information

• First Name* ✍
• Last Name* ✍
• Email (automatically validated) ✔️
• Phone number
• Related company (select from existing companies)
• Is a Legal Service Provider? (Yes / No)
• Comment (optional)

Note: If another contact has the same email or same full name, a warning appears but you can still proceed.

? Step 2 — Address

• Country
• Address
• City
• Postal code

Click Confirm to finish. A success message will appear (e.g., “New individual added”).

? Adding a New Company

To add a company, go to the Companies tab and click Add a company.

? Step 1 — Information

• Name* ✔️
• Email
• Phone number
• Is a Legal Service Provider? (Yes / No)
• Comment

Duplicate name or duplicate email will trigger a warning banner, but you may continue.

? Step 2 — Address

• Country
• Address
• City
• Postal code

Click Confirm. You’ll see a confirmation toast (“New company added”).

✏️ Editing a Contact

To update a contact, click the Edit icon next to its row.

You may edit:

• Names
• Email
• Phone
• Related company (for individuals)
• Legal Service Provider status
• Comment
• Full address

Click Confirm to save changes.

⛔ Deactivating or Deleting a Contact

⏸️ Deactivating

Deactivated contacts:

• Remain visible in existing matters
• Cannot be selected for new matter entries or field updates
• Still appear in filters

❌ Deleting

When you delete a contact:

• It is replaced by [Former contact] in all matters where it was used
• You lose all associations for companies (ex: related individuals)
• The system displays a confirmation dialog explaining the consequences

Tip: If you want historic visibility but no future use, prefer Deactivation ♻️.

? Importing Contacts

Admins can import contacts from an XLSX file.

The import supports:

• Validation of required fields
• Email format validation
• Country-based address formats
• Success / Error messages

Imports are available for both Individuals and Companies.

? Exporting Contacts

You can export the currently displayed list via Export (Individuals or Companies).

The exported file includes:

• All visible columns in the grid
• Contact details exactly as shown
• Status and Last used in matter (when applicable)

The file name follows the pattern:
YYYY-MM-DD_Contacts_Individuals.xls

? Using Contacts Inside Matters

Once contacts exist in the repository, they can be used inside matter details through fields with the new type: Contact.

? Configuration

• Admins add “Contact” fields in a Matter Type configuration
• These fields can hold one or multiple contacts
• Only active contacts can be selected

? In Matter Details

• Select one or several contacts
• Deactivated contacts remain visible but not selectable
• Deleted contacts appear as [Former contact]

⚖️ Special Case: Legal Service Provider in Spends

• Only contacts marked as Legal Service Provider = Yes can be selected
• Only one LSP contact can be assigned

? Matter List (Columns & Exports)

• You can add contact fields in the column manager
• Filtering by contact is supported
• Exports show multiple contacts separated by commas (e.g., “Bruce Wayne, Wayne Corp.”)

? Permissions Overview

Permissions determine who can:

• Create contacts
• Edit contacts
• Deactivate contacts
• Delete contacts
• View the Contact Repository

Admins generally have full rights. Contributors and Readers may have restricted access depending on your configuration.

⚠️ Duplicate Contact Rules

If you add a contact with:

• the same email
• or the same full name

The system displays a warning banner, but the operation is still allowed.

☝️ Tips & Best Practices

• Use consistent naming (e.g., “ABC Law Firm” instead of multiple variants).
• Deactivate contacts instead of deleting them to preserve historical visibility.
• Always set the Legal Service Provider flag correctly for Spend workflows.
• Regularly review duplicate warnings to keep your repository clean.

❓ Need Help?

If you encounter any issues or have questions about Contact Management, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or consult your DiliTrust Help Center.