> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.holace.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing Contacts

> Create, edit, link to a journey, unlink, and use the per-category contact form.

The Contacts page is your firm-wide directory of every adjuster, provider, expert, opposing counsel, and other party your team interacts with. It lives at **Sidebar → Contacts**.

\[Screenshot: Contacts list with category pills, search, and a "Create Contact" button]

## Creating a contact

1. Click **+ New Contact** in the top-right of the Contacts page.
2. Pick a [category](/admin-cross-cutting/contacts/categories) — this drives which fields the form shows.
3. Fill in the form. Required fields are marked; everything else is optional.
4. Click **Save**.

The new contact appears in the directory and is immediately available to link to any journey.

## Per-category fields

The contact form adapts to the category you pick:

| Category                 | Notable extra fields                                                                               |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Insurance** (adjuster) | Carrier, claim number, claim phone, fax, after-hours line                                          |
| **Medical Provider**     | NPI, tax ID, billing address, records request fax, preferred records method                        |
| **Lien Holder**          | Lien type, lien number, payoff contact line                                                        |
| **Court / Legal Entity** | Court name, division, courtroom, electronic filing portal URL                                      |
| **Attorney**             | Bar number, bar state, firm name, opposing-side flag                                               |
| **Expert Witness**       | Specialty, hourly rate, retained-by side, CV upload                                                |
| **Defendant**            | Date of birth, DL state/number (if known), insurer (auto-links to an Insurance contact if present) |

Every category has the universal block on top: name, company, primary email, primary phone, mailing address, preferred contact method.

## Editing a contact

Click any row to open the contact detail view, then **Edit** in the top-right. Saving re-validates required fields for the current category and updates every journey link in place — no need to update each journey separately.

## Linking a contact to a journey

From a journey's Contacts tab:

1. Click **+ Add Contact**.
2. Search the directory by name, company, or category.
3. Pick the contact.
4. Choose a **relationship type** (the options are filtered by the contact's category — a `MEDICAL_PROVIDER` can be added as Treating Provider, IME, or Records-Only; a `DEFENDANT` can be added as Defendant or Adverse Party).
5. Optionally add a note (e.g., "primary surgeon for L4-L5 fusion").
6. Click **Link**.

The contact now appears on the journey, and the journey appears on the contact's detail page (so you can see "what cases is Dr. Smith involved in across the firm").

## Unlinking

From the journey's Contacts tab, hover the contact card and click the **Unlink** menu item. Unlinking is reversible — the contact still exists in the directory, just no longer attached to this matter.

Don't delete the contact when you mean to unlink. Deletion removes them from every journey and breaks audit history.

## Searching and filtering

The Contacts page top bar has:

* **Free-text search** — name, company, email, or phone substring match.
* **Category pills** — click any of the 12 to scope the list.
* **Recently used** filter — contacts touched in the last 30 days, useful for daily work.
* **Inactive** toggle — show or hide deactivated contacts.

## Deactivating

When a contact is no longer relevant (a closed-down medical practice, a retired adjuster), click **Deactivate** in their detail view. They're hidden from the default list but their journey links remain, preserving history.

<Note>
  Contacts attached to a Journey: [Case Management → Journey Tabs → Contacts](/case-management/journey-tabs/contacts).
</Note>