Case Management

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Overview

The Case Management module (Casos) allows your law firm to manage legal cases from initiation through resolution. Each case is linked to a client and can be associated with multiple process types (tipos de proceso), opposing parties (partes contrarias), and supporting documents. This comprehensive system ensures all case information is organized and accessible.

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Case Data Structure

Each case record includes the following core information:

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Creating a New Case

Follow these steps to create a new legal case:

1. Navigate to Cases Module
   • Access via route: /caso/caso
   • Click “Create New Case”
2. Select Client
   • Choose the client from the dropdown list
   • All active clients are available for selection
3. Enter Case Details
   • Case Number (n_caso): Enter a unique identifier
   • Start Date (fecha_inicio): Set when the case begins
   • End Date (fecha_final): Optional, set when case closes
   • Description: Add detailed case information
   • Status (estado): Set initial status
4. Save the Case
   • System validates required fields
   • Case is created and becomes searchable
   • You’re redirected to the case detail view

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Case Detail View

The case detail page provides comprehensive access to all case-related information:

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Case Information Section

• Case number and status
• Client information with link to client profile
• Start and end dates
• Full case description

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Process Types (Tipos de Proceso)

View and manage all legal process types associated with the case:

• Assign new process types
• View existing assignments
• Remove process types as needed

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Opposing Parties (Partes Contrarias)

Manage all parties opposing your client:

• Add new opposing parties
• View complete opposing party information
• Remove parties when no longer relevant

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Case Documents

Access all documents attached to the case:

• View document list with descriptions
• Download documents
• Upload new documents
• Edit or delete existing documents

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Assigning Process Types

Process types categorize the legal nature of your case:

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What are Process Types?

TipoProceso represents different types of legal processes, such as:

• Civil litigation
• Criminal defense
• Family law matters
• Contract disputes
• Labor law cases

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Assignment Process

1. Access Case Detail Page
   • Navigate to the specific case
2. Add Process Type
   • In the Process Types section, click “Assign Process”
   • Select from available process types
   • Submit the assignment
3. View Assigned Processes
   • All assigned process types display in a list
   • Each shows the process type name
4. Remove Process Type
   • Click “Remove” next to any process type
   • Confirmation message displays

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Managing Opposing Parties

Track all parties opposing your client in the legal matter:

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Opposing Party Information

Each opposing party (ParteContraria) includes:

• Name (nombre)
• DNI/RUC number (dni_ruc)
• Company name (empresa) if applicable
• Email address (email)
• Phone number (telefono)
• Physical address (direccion)
• Location reference (referencia)

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Adding Opposing Parties

1. Create or Select Party
   • Navigate to the case detail page
   • Select an existing opposing party from the database
   • Or create a new opposing party first via /caso/parteContraria
2. Assign to Case
   • In the Opposing Parties section, click “Assign Party”
   • Choose the party from the dropdown
   • Submit the assignment
3. View Party Details
   • All assigned parties display with full contact information
   • Click party name to view complete details
4. Remove Party Assignment
   • Click “Remove” to unassign a party from the case
   • This doesn’t delete the party record, only the association

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Searching Cases

Find cases quickly using the integrated search:

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Search Fields

The system searches across:

• Case number (n_caso)
• Case status (estado)

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Search Interface

1. Enter search terms in the search box
2. Results display in paginated format (5 per page)
3. Each result shows case number, client name, and status
4. Click any result to view full case details

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Editing Cases

Update case information as the matter progresses:

1. Access Edit Mode
   • From the case detail page, click “Edit”
2. Update Fields
   • Modify any field including status, dates, description
   • Client assignment can be changed if needed
3. Save Changes
   • All fields are revalidated
   • Success message confirms update
   • Changes are immediately searchable

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Case Status Management

The estado field tracks case progress:

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Common Status Values

• Active: Case is currently being worked on
• Pending: Awaiting client response or external action
• Closed: Case has been completed
• On Hold: Temporarily paused
• In Court: Currently in litigation

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Best Practices

1. Update status when significant changes occur
2. Use consistent status terminology across your firm
3. Set fecha_final when changing status to “Closed”
4. Review active cases regularly to ensure status accuracy

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Deleting Cases

Case deletion is protected to prevent data loss:

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Deletion Protection

• Cases with assigned process types cannot be deleted
• Cases with opposing parties cannot be deleted
• Cases with documents cannot be deleted
• System displays error: “No puede eliminar! Antes elimine sus conexiones.”

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Safe Deletion Process

1. Remove All Associations
   • Delete or unassign all process types
   • Remove all opposing party assignments
   • Delete all case documents
   • Delete any case activities from the calendar
2. Delete the Case
   • Once all associations are removed, deletion is allowed
   • Navigate to case detail page
   • Click “Delete”
   • Confirmation message appears

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Role-Based Access Control

Case management access is restricted to specific roles:

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Integration with Other Modules

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Client Relationship

• Every case must be linked to a client (id_cliente)
• View all client cases from the client detail page
• Case appears in client’s case list immediately upon creation

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Document Management

• Cases can have unlimited PDF documents attached
• Documents are stored in /public/documentoCaso/
• Each document has a UUID for secure access
• See Document Management for details

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Calendar Activities

• Create case-specific activities (ActividadCaso)
• Schedule hearings, meetings, and deadlines
• Activities appear on the main calendar
• See Calendar & Activities for details

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Process Types Catalog

• Process types are managed separately in the catalog
• Create new process types via /caso/tipoProceso
• Process types can be reused across multiple cases

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Opposing Parties Catalog

• Opposing parties are managed in a separate catalog
• Create new parties via /caso/parteContraria
• Parties can be assigned to multiple cases
• Search functionality helps find existing parties

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Workflow Example

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Best Practices

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Technical Implementation

For developers and system administrators:

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Model Location

app/Models/Casos.php

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Controller

app/Http/Controllers/CasosController.php

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Routes

• List cases: GET /caso/caso
• Create case: POST /caso/caso
• View case: GET /caso/caso/{caso}
• Edit case: PUT /caso/caso/{caso}
• Delete case: DELETE /caso/caso/{caso}
• Assign process: POST /caso/caso/{caso}/procesos
• Remove process: DELETE /caso/caso/procesos/{cas_proceso}
• Assign party: POST /caso/caso/{caso}/p_contrarias
• Remove party: DELETE /caso/caso/p_contrarias/{cas_contraria}

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Related Models

• Cliente.php - Client relationship
• TipoProceso.php - Process types
• ParteContraria.php - Opposing parties
• Caso_has_proceso.php - Process type pivot table
• Caso_has_PContraria.php - Opposing party pivot table
• CasoDocumento.php - Case documents
• ActividadCaso.php - Case activities

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Database Tables

• casos - Main case table
• caso_has_procesos - Case-process type relationships
• caso_has_p_contrarias - Case-opposing party relationships