Creating Templates

This guide walks you through creating a new template type from scratch.

Before You Start

You’ll need:

• Access to the Templates folder
• Microsoft Word (or compatible app) for editing documents
• A text editor for matter.json (or use any JSON editor)

Step 1: Create the Folder Structure

1. Open your Templates folder in Finder
2. Create a new folder with your template name (e.g., “Family Law”)
3. Inside it, create a Precedents folder for documents

• DirectoryTemplates/

  • DirectoryFamily Law/

    • DirectoryPrecedents/

      • …

Step 2: Create matter.json

Create a file called matter.json in your template folder. This file defines what information to collect.

Here’s a minimal example:

{
  "version": "2.0",
  "name": "Family Law",
  "description": "Family law matters",
  "workflow_stages": ["Intake", "Drafting", "Settlement"],
  "blocks": [
    {
      "name": "Client Details",
      "workflow_stage": "Intake",
      "fields": [
        {
          "key": "client.full_name",
          "label": "Full Name",
          "type": "text",
          "required": true
        },
        {
          "key": "client.address",
          "label": "Address",
          "type": "textarea",
          "required": true
        },
        {
          "key": "client.phone",
          "label": "Phone Number",
          "type": "phone"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Matter Details",
      "workflow_stage": "Intake",
      "fields": [
        {
          "key": "matter.file_reference",
          "label": "File Reference",
          "type": "text"
        },
        {
          "key": "matter.re_line",
          "label": "Re: Line",
          "type": "text",
          "required": true,
          "help_text": "Brief description for folder naming"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Note

blocks is an array of block objects, not a dictionary. Each block has a name, an optional workflow_stage (must match a string in the top-level workflow_stages array exactly), and an array of fields. Each field requires a key (dot-notation, e.g. client.full_name) and a type.

See Matter Configuration for all available options.

workflow_stages must be a flat array of strings

workflow_stages must be ["Intake", "Drafting", ...] — not an array of objects like [{"id": "intake", "label": "Intake"}]. The strings are used directly as tab labels and must match each block’s workflow_stage exactly (case-sensitive).

This has broken templates silently before — the form decodes to empty when the shape is wrong.

Step 3: Define Default Folders

Add a folders section to create subfolders when a matter is created. If folders is omitted, the user’s configured default folder list (set in Preferences) is used.

{
  "version": "2.0",
  "name": "Family Law",
  "folders": [
    "Correspondence/Incoming",
    "Correspondence/Outgoing",
    "Documents",
    "Court Documents",
    "Financial"
  ],
  "blocks": [
    ...
  ]
}

Step 4: Create Document Templates

Now create Word documents with placeholders.

Placeholder Syntax

Use double curly braces with the block and field name:

{{ client.full_name }}
{{ client.address }}
{{ matter.file_reference }}

Example Letter Template

[Your Firm Letterhead]

{{ client.full_name }}
{{ client.address }}

Dear {{ client.full_name }},

Re: {{ matter.re_line }}

...

Yours faithfully,

Tip

Keep placeholder names consistent with your matter.json fields. If the field is client.full_name, use exactly {{ client.full_name }} in documents.

Save Documents

Save your Word documents in the Precedents folder:

• DirectoryFamily Law/

  • matter.json
  • DirectoryPrecedents/

    • DirectoryLetters/

      • Initial Client Letter.docx
      • Costs Agreement.docx
    • DirectoryCourt/

      • Application.docx

Step 5: Test Your Template

1. Open Certum Draft and ensure your Templates folder is set in Settings → Templates
2. Create a new matter from the New Matter wizard and pick your template — confirm the fields and workflow stages appear correctly
3. Fill the required fields and generate a test document to check placeholders resolve
4. If the template doesn’t appear, restart Certum Draft to force a fresh template scan

Common Patterns

Standard Client Block

Most templates use similar client fields:

{
  "name": "Client Details",
  "workflow_stage": "Intake",
  "fields": [
    {
      "key": "client.title",
      "label": "Title",
      "type": "select",
      "options": ["Mr", "Mrs", "Ms", "Dr"]
    },
    {
      "key": "client.given_names",
      "label": "Given Names",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "key": "client.surname",
      "label": "Surname",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "key": "client.full_name",
      "label": "Full Name",
      "type": "text",
      "computed_from": "{client.title} {client.given_names} {client.surname}"
    },
    {
      "key": "client.street_address",
      "label": "Street Address",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "key": "client.suburb",
      "label": "Suburb",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true
    },
    {
      "key": "client.state",
      "label": "State",
      "type": "select",
      "options": ["NSW", "VIC", "QLD", "SA", "WA", "TAS", "NT", "ACT"],
      "required": true,
      "default_value": "NSW"
    },
    {
      "key": "client.postcode",
      "label": "Postcode",
      "type": "text",
      "required": true
    }
  ]
}

Note

There is no "type": "computed" — computed fields are normal-typed fields (usually text or date) with a computed_from formula. The value recalculates whenever any source field changes.

Date Fields

For dates, use the date type:

{
  "key": "matter.settlement_date",
  "label": "Settlement Date",
  "type": "date",
  "required": true
}

In documents, you can format dates with the date filter:

Settlement is scheduled for {{ matter.settlement_date | date("%-d %B %Y") }}

Currency Fields

For money amounts:

{
  "key": "matter.purchase_price",
  "label": "Purchase Price",
  "type": "currency",
  "required": true
}

Troubleshooting

Template doesn’t appear in the list

• Check that matter.json exists and is valid JSON
• Ensure the file is named exactly matter.json
• Try Preferences → Templates → Reload Templates

Placeholder shows [MISSING: field_name]

• The field name in the document doesn’t match matter.json
• Check for typos and case sensitivity
• Ensure the field is defined in the correct block

Fields don’t show in the form

• Verify the field is in a blocks section
• Check that the JSON syntax is correct (no missing commas or brackets)
• Use a JSON validator to check for errors

What’s Next?

Beyond the minimal example, matter.json supports:

• overview — custom cards for the Matter Workspace Overview tab (each card has title, icon (SF Symbol), and fields with label/key/copyable).
• hidden_fields — computed/helper fields not shown in the form but available in document templates.
• scales — named fee schedules used by computed_from: "scale(field, scale_name)" for tiered calculations (e.g. NSW transfer duty).
• calendar — critical-dates rules with anchor and derived dates plus notification schedules.
• visible_when on blocks and fields — conditional visibility based on form data.
• quick_entry on fields — surface the essential fields in Quick Entry mode for fast data capture.

See:

• Template Fields — All field types and options
• Conditionals — visible_when and document-side {%p if %}
• Matter Configuration — Complete matter.json reference