External v. Internal Custom Forms
When creating a custom form you will see a toggle button labeled "Internal Use", see below.
The difference between the two is very important to understand and is described in detail below.
External Forms
External forms are forms that can be shared with individuals outside your Lawmatics platform, i.e. leads, clients, contacts, etc. There are many ways to share forms such as via automations, email, or simply copying the share link to the form and sharing it. The bottom line is that anyone with the link to an external form can access, fill and submit that form.
External forms can also be embedded onto your website or connected to another software using Zapier our public API.
Internal Forms
Internal forms are different in several ways, but the most important is that they CANNOT be shared with individuals outside of your Lawmatics platform. This means that the form can only be opened by users of Lawmatics; you must be signed into Lawmatics in order to open, fill, and submit the form.
Internal forms work great as a "phone intake script" for new leads calling into your firm. When a call comes in, your staff can easily pull up the internal form and input the lead's information while on the phone with them to create them as a new matter. It is also handy to save your internal intake form as a quick use form.
When you view an internal form, you will see a box in the top right with your internal form shortcuts. Here you can choose to update an existing matter, or create a new matter for an existing company. If you choose one of these options, that person's data will be pre-filled into the form.
If you do not wish to use the form to update an existing matter or contact, then simply fill out the form with the new information without selecting any options from the shortcuts dropdown.
Internal forms also give you access to certain fields that you will not have access to in an external form. All contact or matter lookup fields are only available for use in an internal form, since these contain contact information from your CRM.
You also have access to the Appointment object on internal forms only. You will find this in the Advanced section on the left sidebar when editing the form:
When used on an internal form, the appointment object allows the user filling out the form to book an appointment for any of the firm's Lawmatics users. This is the equivalent of booking a time right on that person's calendar, and does not limit booking based on availability or prevent double-booking. Hence, this option is only available in internal forms.
When filling out the form, you will see the option to set an appointment, when toggled on you will then be able to book your appointment, as shown below.
If you wish to book an appointment from a form that DOES prevent double-booking, we have that option as well for both internal and external forms. You will do this using the Booking Request object, also found in the Advanced section on the left sidebar when editing the form.
FAQ's
Can I change a form from internal to external after it has been created?
No, once a form has been created you cannot change the type of it. Our support team may be able to change that particular form for you from the back end, but keep in mind if you are going from internal to external you will need to make sure that any internal-use only fields have been removed. Email us at support@lawmatics.com to check if we can switch a form for you.
Can an internal form be sent to another Lawmatics user?
No, internal forms cannot be shared whatsoever, even to another Lawmatics user. You must sign into Lawmatics and open the form directly from the platform to open an internal form.
How do I make a copy of a form?
If you would like to make a copy or duplicate of a form, simply go to the main Custom Forms page, and then click the ... icon on the far right, and select Duplicate.