Use the Same Variable or Clause in Two or More Dialogs

When you add a variable to a dialog, HotDocs creates a link between the two so that when HotDocs processes the variable during the interview, it knows to display the dialog to which the variable is linked. However, this linking limits your ability to use a variable in more than one dialog. To use a variable in two different dialogs, one of the dialogs must not be linked to its variables.

One reason you may want to include variables in two or more dialogs is so you can have two different versions of a dialog, only one of which should be displayed, based on answers a user enters. Otherwise, when you add the variable to the second dialog, it is automatically removed from the first dialog. This is because a variable can be linked to only one dialog. You can, however, specify an option that allows the variables and clauses in that dialog to be used in another dialog.

To use the same variable or clause in two or more dialogs

1. Open a dialog for editing. (See Edit a Custom Dialog.) HotDocs displays the Dialog Editor. (At the Components list of the Dialog Editor, variables and clauses that are already linked to other dialogs are grayed out.)
2. Click the Options tab. The window changes to show several custom options.
3. Clear Link variables to this dialog.

If you clear this option for a dialog, you must specifically ASK the dialog in the template or else it will not be displayed during the interview. (See Control Whether Dialogs are Asked Automatically.)