> ## 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.

# Glossary

> HoLaCe-specific terms defined in plain English.

HoLaCe uses some specific vocabulary for the case-management model. This page defines each term in plain English so the rest of the docs make sense. Skim it once on day one — you'll come back to it as needed.

## Avenue

One of the **four fixed lifecycle phases** a client matter can be in. Every journey is in exactly one Avenue at a time, and the Avenues are the same for every firm:

* **Prospect** — a potential client who hasn't signed a fee agreement yet
* **Pre-Litigation** — a signed client whose case is being worked toward demand and settlement
* **Litigation** — a case that has filed suit
* **DNQ** ("Did Not Qualify") — a closed-out matter that's no longer being pursued

Avenues are the highest-level concept in HoLaCe and they cannot be customized. If your firm uses different language ("intake," "active," "litigation," "closed"), the Avenues are still the truth underneath — your firm-name overlay can be set in admin settings.

\[Screenshot: Pipeline view with the four Avenue columns labeled]

## Workflow

The **fixed structure** under each Avenue. Every Avenue has exactly one Workflow, defined by HoLaCe and the same across all firms. Firm admins can rename the displayed label of a Workflow but cannot add new ones or change the Stages inside.

You don't usually think about Workflows directly — you think in terms of Stages. The Workflow is the container.

## Stage

A **phase within a Workflow** — for example, the Pre-Litigation Workflow has Stages like "Investigation," "Treatment," "Demand," "Negotiation." Stages are fixed by HoLaCe (so reporting and AI can be consistent across firms) and a journey moves linearly forward through the Stages of its current Avenue.

Each Stage holds up to 10 **Steps**.

## Step

A **customizable checklist item within a Stage**. Steps are where firms personalize the workflow to match how they actually run cases. Examples in a "Demand" Stage might be:

* Confirm all medical records received
* Verify damages calculation
* Attorney reviews draft demand
* Send demand to adjuster

Each firm can customize its Steps (max 10 per Stage). Completing all required Steps in a Stage usually advances the journey to the next Stage automatically — this is **auto-advancement**.

\[Screenshot: Stage detail view with a Steps checklist on the left]

## Journey

**A single client matter as it moves through the Avenues, Workflows, Stages, and Steps.** A Journey is the central record in HoLaCe — every document, note, medical record, task, demand letter, and negotiation entry is attached to exactly one Journey.

Journeys are unique per client matter, not per client. A client with two unrelated incidents has two Journeys.

## ServiceInstance

A **parallel add-on** running alongside a Journey. While a Journey moves linearly through its Avenue, a Journey can also have multiple **Service Instances** running at the same time — for example, an investigation, an expert witness retention, or a property-damage adjuster service.

Each Service Instance has its own Stages and Steps (defined by the service provider, not the law firm). The Service catalog is managed at the platform level; your firm picks which services to use.

This is the **core difference** between Avenues and Services: a Journey is in **one** Avenue at a time, but **has many** Service Instances at once.

## Demand Letter

A formal **settlement demand drafted from a Journey's data**. HoLaCe pulls medical records, damages, treatment summaries, and case narrative into a draft demand letter. An attorney reviews and approves before it's sent.

Demand Letters are versioned — each revision is captured so you can see how the demand evolved during negotiation.

## Negotiation Log

The **adjuster offer/response history** for a Journey. Once a demand letter is sent, every counter-offer, response, and call note is logged here in order. Auto-generated reminders fire if the adjuster goes silent past a configurable threshold.

The Negotiation Log is structured (offer amounts, dates, parties) so HoLaCe's AI can summarize trends and surface negotiation tactics that have worked on similar carriers in the past.

\[Screenshot: Negotiation Log timeline view with offers and responses in chronological order]

## Disbursement Statement

The **final 3-page client closeout PDF** generated when a settlement is finalized. It itemizes:

* Page 1 — Settlement amount, attorney fee, costs
* Page 2 — Medical liens, lien reductions, third-party payouts
* Page 3 — Net to client, signature line

Disbursement Statements integrate with DocuSeal for e-signature so the client can sign without a paper round-trip.

## A few more terms you'll see

* **Pipeline** — the at-a-glance view of every active Journey across Avenues
* **Tag** — a free-form label you can apply to a Journey for filtering (e.g. "MVA," "premises liability," "wrongful death")
* **Lien** — a medical provider's claim against settlement proceeds
* **Reduction** — a negotiated decrease in a lien before disbursement
* **Auto-advancement** — the rule engine that promotes a Journey to its next Stage when its Steps complete
* **Firm** — your law firm organization in HoLaCe (also called an "org" in some places)