Standard Blocks vs. Relationship Blocks
In the custom forms editor you will see options for Blocks as well as Relationship Blocks.
Relationship blocks are specifically used for creating a separate contact related to a matter, such as a spouse, co-client, child, co-defendant, etc. Learn more about creating relationship blocks here.
Standard blocks do not create contacts like relationship blocks do. Instead, they allow you to group a selection of fields into a single block, that can easily be added to any of your forms with a single drag and drop.
Blocks are used for groupings of fields that may repeat across multiple of your different forms. For example, you may have a standard list of questions regarding a client's financial asset information, and this list of questions may be needed on several of your forms. As opposed to dragging and dropping each individual field onto every one of your forms that requires this section, you can simply build the block once, and then add the block to each form that requires it.
To create a block start by expanding the Blocks section on the left sidebar of the form editor. Here you will see any blocks that have already been created, as well as the option to create a new block.
Simply drag and drop any available blocks, such as the Company Info block shown above, onto the form to add it.
When creating a new block, you will be prompted to give the block a name, and you will then be able to build your block. You will see all of your same field options listed on the left sidebar, drag and drop them into the block canvas to add them to the block, as shown below.
Note that you can also apply conditional logic within your block, and use Instructions fields as needed inside the block.
Once you have added all of your fields to your block, click Save and Close at the bottom of the page. You can then drag and drop this block onto the form.
Another benefit of using a block is that you can easily apply conditional logic to the block as a whole, when necessary, as opposed to applying conditional logic to each individual field. Simply click on the block in the form to open the right side menu, where you can change the label of the block and/or add conditional logic.
Also notice in the image above that since we have added the Financial Asset Information block to this form, it appears grayed out on the left sidebar. You cannot add a block to a particular form more than once, since each field can only be used on a form once.
By that logic, you also cannot use a block if any fields that are inside that block are already on the form. For example, in the sample above if the "Do you own property?" field was already added to the form, independent of the block, then the block would appear grayed out on the left sidebar even though it hadn't been added to the form. We would simply need to remove that field from the form, and then we would be able to add the block to the form.
Remember that after creating a block, you will see it available in the left sidebar to be used in any of your forms.
When the form is submitted, this data will populate into the matter's profile just like any other fields on your form.
FAQ's
Can I make a standard block repeatable like I can with relationship blocks?
No, standard blocks cannot be repeatable. Relationship blocks are allowed to repeat because each repetition would simply create a new contact. With standard blocks, you are not creating any contacts, you are simply populating fields on the matter. They cannot repeat because the fields themselves will not repeat in the CRM.
Will my client see the name of the block when filling out the form?
No, the name of the block does not appear within the form. The name is purely for your reference to differentiate between your different blocks.
Can I use custom fields in blocks?
Yes, just make sure you create the fields before creating the block. Once you have created your custom fields, you will be able to add them to the block.