Date Field automations in Lawmatics are a powerful tool that let you trigger actions relative to the start or end time of a scheduled appointment. These automations are ideal for:
Sending reminders like "1 month before" or "1 week before"
Sending follow-ups like "1 year after" the for an annual update
Using custom HTML emails for confirmations or reminders
Triggering other non-email actions tied to the date field
When to Use Date Field Automations
Use date field-based automations if:
You want to send a custom HTML email as a confirmation or reminder
You need to trigger other actions (e.g., tasks, forms, documents) around the date field
How to Set Up a Date Field-Based Automation
Step 1: Create a New Automation
Go to the Automations > Workflows tab.
Click + New Automation.
Select Date Field as the automation type
Enter in the Name, Target type, Eligible Matter Status (if applicable,) and Folder (if applicable.)
Choose the Date Field this automation will be based on
Step 2: Create Time-Relative Entry Condition
Once you create this new automation, you will be prompted to choose the timeframe relative to the date field:
Examples: “6 months before,” “1 week before,” “1 year after”
Click the green checkmark to Save this condition.
The time-based trigger can be used in conjunction with additional entry conditions or a shared rule, if necessary.
Step 3: Add Actions to the Automation
Click the plus icon to open the list of Automation Actions
Add your action(s), just like in a standard automation:
Send Email
Assign Task
Send Form
etc.
Repeat this process to add multiple time-relative automations for the same date field (e.g., 1 month before, 1 week before, 1 year after). You can easily duplicate the original and edit the duplicates' time-relative trigger by clicking the pages icon to the right of your new automation:
Activating Your Automation
After you've set up all time-based automations and actions:
Turn the Status toggle at the top of the page to ON to Activate.
If there are current matches, you can choose "Activate" to schedule all current matches to run through the automation when they meet the relative timeframe.
If you do not want the current matches scheduled, you can choose “Future Matches Only” to only schedule newly added or updated date field values to run
Rescheduling & Cancelations
If a date field is updated:
All date field automation triggers will adjust automatically to the new date and time.
Example:
Date Field originally set to March 18th, "1 day before" reminder triggers on March 17th.
If rescheduled to March 20th, the reminder will adjust to trigger on March 19th.
If a date field value is removed:
All date field automations linked to that date field will be canceled and will not run.
FAQ's
What are the benefits of using date automations?
These automations can be extremely useful for sending out automated time-relative reminders/updates for items that do not require a calendar appointment. For consultations or meetings with the client, you will use an appointment-based automation since those ARE appointments you will have on your calendar. Items like client anniversary dates, court dates, etc. do not necessarily require appointments on your calendar, but you still may wish to trigger an automation based on those dates. Date Field Based Automations allow you to do just that.
How are date field based automations different from appointment based automations?
Appointment based automations require an appointment booked on your Lawmatics calendar in order to trigger. Date field based automations only require that a date be populated into a date field. This could be one of the standard date fields in Lawmatics (such as birthdate) or any custom date field you have created.
Can I create an automation triggered by a date field but not use the time-relative date automations?
Yes, the time-relative date automations are simply an additional and optional piece of automations. You may absolutely have an automation that is triggered by a date field, but not need to use the time-relative date automation piece. This is perfectly acceptable. In this situation, You'll use a Trigger Automation with the entry condition "Date Field has any value." This automation will run at the time the date field is filled, not relative to the actual date/time.