Template Fields

Fields define what information users enter when creating a matter. Each field has a type that determines how it’s displayed and validated.

Field Definition

Every field has these properties:

"field_name": {
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Display Label",
  "required": true,
  "help": "Optional help text shown below the field"
}

Property	Required	Description
type	Yes	The field type (see below)
label	Yes	Label shown to users
required	No	Whether the field must be filled (default: false)
help	No	Explanatory text shown below the field

Field Types

text

A single-line text input. Use for names, references, and short text.

"given_names": {
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Given Names",
  "required": true
}

In documents: {{ client.given_names }}

textarea

A multi-line text area. Use for addresses, notes, or longer text.

"notes": {
  "type": "textarea",
  "label": "File Notes",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ matter.notes }}

date

A date picker. Stores dates in ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD).

"date_of_birth": {
  "type": "date",
  "label": "Date of Birth",
  "required": false
}

In documents:

• Raw: {{ client.date_of_birth }} → “2026-01-15”
• Formatted: {{ client.date_of_birth | date("%-d %B %Y") }} → “15 January 2026”

Tip

Common date formats:

• %-d %B %Y → 15 January 2026
• %d/%m/%Y → 15/01/2026
• %B %Y → January 2026

currency

A number input formatted as currency.

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

In documents: {{ matter.purchase_price }} → “$150,000.00”

number

A numeric input (no currency formatting).

"number_of_beneficiaries": {
  "type": "number",
  "label": "Number of Beneficiaries",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ estate.number_of_beneficiaries }}

phone

A phone number input.

"phone": {
  "type": "phone",
  "label": "Phone Number",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ client.phone }}

email

An email address input with validation.

"email": {
  "type": "email",
  "label": "Email Address",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ client.email }}

select

A dropdown menu with predefined options.

"state": {
  "type": "select",
  "label": "State",
  "options": ["NSW", "VIC", "QLD", "SA", "WA", "TAS", "NT", "ACT"],
  "required": true
}

In documents: {{ client.state }}

boolean

A yes/no checkbox.

"has_will": {
  "type": "boolean",
  "label": "Deceased had a Will",
  "required": false
}

In documents: {{ estate.has_will }} → “true” or “false”

Note

For conditional text in documents, use Jinja2 conditionals:

{% if estate.has_will %}The deceased left a Will dated...{% endif %}

Optional Properties

help

Explanatory text shown below the field:

"re_line": {
  "type": "text",
  "label": "Re: Line",
  "help": "Brief description used in folder naming and correspondence"
}

placeholder

Placeholder text shown in empty fields:

"email": {
  "type": "email",
  "label": "Email",
  "placeholder": "[email protected]"
}

default

Default value pre-filled in the field:

"state": {
  "type": "select",
  "label": "State",
  "options": ["NSW", "VIC", "QLD", "SA", "WA", "TAS", "NT", "ACT"],
  "default": "NSW"
}

Field Naming Conventions

Structure

Fields are organised into blocks:

{{ block_name.field_name }}

Common block names:

• client — Client information
• matter — Matter details
• estate — Estate-specific (for Estates template)
• property — Property details (for Conveyancing)

Best Practices

Do	Don’t
client.full_name	clientFullName
matter.settlement_date	settlementDate
estate.deceased_name	deceased

Use lowercase with underscores. Be descriptive but concise.

Computed Fields

Some fields are calculated from other fields:

"full_name": {
  "type": "computed",
  "label": "Full Name"
}

Computed fields aren’t shown in forms — they’re calculated when generating documents.

Common computed fields:

• full_name — Combines title, given names, and surname
• address — Combines street, suburb, state, postcode

Required vs Optional

Mark fields as required: true when:

• The field is essential for most documents
• Missing data would cause obvious problems

Mark fields as required: false when:

• The field is only needed sometimes
• Not all matters have this information

Tip

Err on the side of optional. Users can always add information later, but required fields they don’t have can block progress.

Example: Complete Client Block

"client": {
  "label": "Client Details",
  "fields": {
    "title": {
      "type": "select",
      "label": "Title",
      "options": ["Mr", "Mrs", "Ms", "Dr", "Prof"],
      "required": false
    },
    "given_names": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Given Names",
      "required": true
    },
    "surname": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Surname",
      "required": true
    },
    "full_name": {
      "type": "computed",
      "label": "Full Name"
    },
    "date_of_birth": {
      "type": "date",
      "label": "Date of Birth",
      "required": false
    },
    "street_address": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Street Address",
      "required": true
    },
    "suburb": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Suburb",
      "required": true
    },
    "state": {
      "type": "select",
      "label": "State",
      "options": ["NSW", "VIC", "QLD", "SA", "WA", "TAS", "NT", "ACT"],
      "required": true,
      "default": "NSW"
    },
    "postcode": {
      "type": "text",
      "label": "Postcode",
      "required": true
    },
    "phone": {
      "type": "phone",
      "label": "Phone",
      "required": false
    },
    "email": {
      "type": "email",
      "label": "Email",
      "required": false
    }
  }
}