To download an assembled document, you must first create a work item.
A work item is a named location in HotDocs Advance where you choose a template, enter and edit answer data, and assemble documents from that template and answer data.
For example, if a lawyer needs to create a will for a client, they would create a new work item for their client using their will template. The choice of template, answer data from the interview, and the assembled will document are stored together as a work item. From the work item, the lawyer can change the answers used to assemble the document or download the assembled document.
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Depending on the sector in which you work, you may know a work item as a "matter", "claim", "document request" or another term. Regardless, the idea of a distinct piece of work for a client remains the same.
In Advance, a work item stores:
Among others, the work items feature enables you to perform the following common tasks:
Before you open an interview for a template you first create and name a work item. This groups the data and the assembled documents together, enabling you to access the work as a whole if you need to revisit it. Once you have completed the interview, you can download the assembled document. If required, you can later access the work item, open the interview, edit the data and download an updated document. You can set a work item to private or accessible within your work group for collaboration. You can copy a work item and reuse the answer data.
When you log in to Advance, you see Work groups in the Work groups pane on the home page. Click on a work group to access the work items area. From there you can create a new work item and view a table containing existing work items in that work group, sorted by the most recently updated. You can also view the work item and download any assembled documents created for the work item. You can collaborate on work items with other members of your work group or set a work item as private.
Each work item has a detail pane that contains the following information:
You access the detail pane by selecting a work group from the menu and clicking the work item name in the work items list.
Each work item is assigned an owner, by default the creator of the work item. The owner has the ability to rename the work item and edit the privacy settings. If a work item is set to private, it will only be visible to the owner and administrators. You can change the owner of a work item.
When you create a work item, you can choose the privacy settings. By default, a work item is visible to all users of the work group. If you want your work item to be visible only to the work item's owner and administrators, for example when working on confidential documents, you can set the privacy setting to private when you create the work item. You can also edit the privacy setting of an existing work item which you own or administrate.
External systems can add new work items to your works items list. For example, another system run by your organization might create a work item for a contract you need to review. If an external system has created a work item for you to use, you will see a blue New icon next to the work item in the work items list. Work items with this icon have not yet been updated by you and require attention. The New icon disappears when you update the work item.
Each work item displays the title of the HotDocs template used to create the work item, under the Template heading in the work items list and work item detail pane. This title reflects the title of the template as it appeared when the work item was last updated.
If the title of the template changes, the work item will not display the new template title until the work item is updated.
The following example sequence of steps explains when Advance updates a work item template title: