Working with Case Dynamics objects

You can use objects in Case Dynamics to store information related to your case. Object types include:

  • Entities - functions as the central location for people, companies, organization groups, and their metadata. Case Dynamics, Legal Hold, Processing, and Analytics all leverage the Entity object. See Case Dynamics entities.
  • Facts - statements that can be shown to be real or true. You can link other objects and documents to your facts to help build out your case.
  • Issues - disputed topics within the case. You can link other objects and documents to your issues to help build out your case.
  • Interview Questions - compose questions and link them to facts and documents in preparation of depositions.
  • Report Set - enables you to view Case Dynamics objects without internet access or export Case Dynamics views into an Excel document. See Creating Case Dynamics reports.
  • Outlines - a rich text editor where you can build case narratives, create free-form outlines, and link to existing or create new Case Dynamics objects and documents. See Working with Outlines.

The following tabs can also be used to store information related to your case:

  • Printing Profiles - allows you to specify what Case Dynamics information you would like to print. You can print facts, issues, interview questions, and outlines along with associated information, such as documents and excerpts. See Printing from Case Dynamics.
  • Report Set - enables you to view Case Dynamics objects without internet access or export Case Dynamics views into an Excel document. See Creating Case Dynamics reports.
  • Timeline Builder - displays the facts of a case in chronological order. See Working with the Timeline Builder.

Importing Case Dynamics objects

You can import a .csv file with facts, key people, or issues with assigned numeric order and color coding to the corresponding Case Dynamics object. For example, you might import a contact list to the Key People object or a list of issues to the Issues object.

We recommend using Import/Export with Express Transfer because there is no data limit on an import. Before you begin, ensure that the .txt or .csv load file is in a standalone folder. Otherwise, Express Transfer may upload other documents in that folder.

The import file must be either a .txt or .csv file and it should include headers for each field type that you would like to include with your fact.

The workflow described below can be used for other Case Dynamics objects such as issues and interview questions.

To import issues into Case Dynamics using Import/Export:

  1. Install the Import/Export application to your workspace. To learn more, see Installing Import/Export.
  2. Download and install the Express Transfer application. To learn more, see Installing and updating Express Transfer desktop application.
  3. Navigate to the Import/Export Jobs tab.
  4. Click New Import/Export Job.
  5. Select the Structured (Processed) Data option.
  6. Select the RDO option.
  7. Fill out the Import/Export modal, including:
    • Enter a Name for the job.
    • For the Relativity Object Type field, select Fact.
    • Click the Load File field, and select a .csv or .txt file that contains headers for each field associated with your Case Dynamics object.
  8. Click Continue.
  9. Set Delimiters and Encoding values as desired and review the File Column Headers Preview to ensure accuracy.
  10. Click Continue.
  11. Either click Auto Map Fields to automatically map the Load File Fields to Workspace Fields or manually assign them.
  12. Click Continue.
  13. Enter your Start Line. This option can be left blank if the headers are in Row 1.
  14. For the Import Mode field, select Append/Overlay.
  15. For the Overlay Identifier field, select Facts.
  16. Click Import.
    The facts are loaded into the Facts tab.

Viewing a Case Dynamics object

Note: The following illustrates screen content based on the Facts sub-tab. The data entry screens and practices for other objects are similar.

To view a Fact:

  1. Click the Case Dynamics tab.
  2. Click the Facts tab.

The Facts tab with a number of facts displayed in the list.

  1. To view additional details, click the View icon.

To streamline the inline coding process, Case Dynamics caps how many linked objects display in a field in inline views. If you hover over the number below the last linked object for a field, a pop-up dialog box displays the additional linked objects. You can click on an object's name to see the object's info in a pop-up window. You can also create new issues, entities, and interview questions, or link facts and documents from the pop-up dialog box.

Items linked to an object in the inline view

Setting a default viewing mode

Click Parent Mode or List Mode to set the default inline view.

Default viewing mode

Inline view considerations:

  • You can add reflective fields to inline views.
  • To streamline the inline coding process, Case Dynamics caps how many linked objects display in a field in inline views.

Adding and editing a fact

To add a new fact, use one of the following methods:

  • Keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A
  • Click New Fact.

Add or edit fact information from the Fact Detail screen. See Working with Case Dynamics objects.

In the Fact field, type the "@" symbol followed by one or more letters to bring up the type ahead feature. Case Dynamics presents a pop-up list of Entities based on the letters you type. Click the name of the Key Person or Key Organization to add them to the details of your Fact. You can use the type ahead feature on the Facts tab, the Timeline Builder, and the Case Dynamics coding pane.

Adding a new fact

If an existing entity option displays warning icon, go to the Entities tab, and edit the entity with the warning icon. Be sure to fill out all required fields.

Click the X to the right of a key entity to remove an auto-filled key person or key organization from your fact.

To edit an existing fact, use one of the following methods:

  • Click a row.
  • Click the View icon, then click Edit.

To save a fact, use one of the following methods:

  • From a layout, click Save.
  • From a row, use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl + S.

To browse between facts on the Fact Detail layout, use the navigation bar in the top right corner. Click the arrows to go to the first, previous, next, or last fact.

Navigation bar

Note: Facts are referred to as records in the navigation bar.

Adding and editing an issue

To add a new issue, use one of the following methods:

  • Keyboard shortcut Ctrl + A
  • Click New Issue.
  • Click the Add icon in the inline view pop-up dialog box.

To edit an existing issue, use one of the following methods:

  • Click a row.
  • Click the View icon, then click Edit.
  • Click an issue from the pop-up dialog box, then click Edit in the pop-up window.

To save an issue, use one of the following methods:

  • From a layout, click Save.
  • From a row, use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl + S.

Adding a Child

You can nest or add a Child Fact to Facts, Issues, and Interview Questions.

To add a Child:

  1. Click the Add icon next to the Parent Fact name in the row.
  2. Save the child using shortcut keys Ctrl + S once you populate the fields.
  3. Once you've created a Child Fact, the Expand icon appears next to the Parent Fact. Click the arrow to collapse or expand the Child Facts.

Issues views

By default, the Case Dynamics Issue view is configured to correctly display Issues. If creating a new Issue view, ensure that the following Set Sort fields are in this order:

The Set Sort fields order for a new issue view

  • Family Order - This whole number field contains the numeric value of parent issues only.
  • Order - This fixed-length text field contains the numeric values for parent and child issues.
  • Family Structure Order - This whole number field helps create the outline structure of all the issues.

Attaching supporting documents to an object

When viewing an object, you can use the Attachments field to attach documents directly from your desktop without importing them into Relativity via Import/Export.

Note: Custom fields of type File, Currency, Decimal, and User are not supported in Inline Edit lists.

To attach a document to an object:

  1. Click the object's tab, for example, the Facts tab.
  2. Select a Fact and click the View icon. The Fact Basic layout appears.
  3. In the Attachments field, click New.
  4. The Fact Attachment Layout appears. Click Choose File.
  5. Navigate to and select the file you want to upload.
  6. Click Save. The document appears in the Attachments field.

To delete an attached document:

  1. Click the object's tab, for example, the Facts tab.
  2. Select a Fact and click the View icon. The Fact Basic Layout appears.
  3. In the Attachments field, select the checkbox next to the appropriate documents and click Delete.

The Attachments section with a document in the list.

  1. A pop-up confirmation appears. Click Delete again.

Linking a document to an object

To link a document to an object from the inline list:

  1. Click the Add icon in the inline view document pop-up dialog box.
  2. In the pop-up window, select the document(s) you would like to link.
  3. Click Set.

If there are no documents linked to the object, you will see Ellipsis icon. Click Ellipsis icon and select the documents you would like to link from the pop-up window.

Once the document is linked, you can click on the document name, and the Standalone Document Viewer will appear.

Inline coding keyboard shortcuts and icons

Use the following shortcuts and icons when inline coding.

Keyboard shortcut Action
Ctrl + S Save
Ctrl + A New fact
Esc Cancel
Add child icon Add Child. See Working with Case Dynamics objects.
View icon View full details of object
Expand and Collapse icon Expand/ Collapse

Parent mode

Shows nested relationships

List mode

Removes nesting