The Top Bar is the information strip displayed at the top of every Matter, Lead, or Contact. It provides quick access to important information, helping users understand a record at a glance without scrolling.
By default, each record type has one layout shared across your firm. With Practice Area Rules, you can create unique layouts for specific practice areas while keeping a standard layout for everything else.
Note:
Practice Area Rules are available for Matters and Leads.
You must be a Firm Admin to configure this
Contacts are not associated with Practice Areas and always use a single default layout.
How Practice Area Rules Work
Every record type has a Default Configuration.
For Matters and Leads, you can optionally create Practice Area Rules that replace the default layout for a specific practice area.
Each practice area can have one custom layout.
If no rule exists, Lawcus automatically uses the default configuration.
To learn how to customize the default Top Bar layout, see Configuring Top Bar Fields.
Important: Practice Area Rules are independent layouts. Updating the default configuration does not update existing Practice Area Rules.
Access Top Bar Settings
Navigate to Settings.
Select Firm Settings.
Open Formatting Rules.
You’ll see separate tabs for:
Matter Top Fields
Lead Top Fields
Contact Top Fields
Open Matter Top Fields. The page has two sections.
Default configuration — a live preview of the current firm-wide layout, with an edit icon on the right.
Practice area rules — where every practice area can have its own layout.
Create a Practice Area Rule
To create a custom Top Bar layout for a specific Matter practice area:
Navigate to Settings > Firm Settings > Formatting Rules.
Open the Matter Top Fields tab.
Click + Add Rule.
Select the Practice Area you want to customize.
Only practice areas that do not already have a rule are available to select.
Configure the Top Bar by adding, removing, or rearranging fields as needed.
Click Apply Changes to save your layout.
The new rule will appear under Practice Area Rules with a preview of the customized layout.
Changes are applied immediately and are visible to all users in your firm.
Edit or Delete a Practice Area Rule
You can modify or remove an existing Practice Area Rule at any time from the Practice Area Rules section.
Edit a Rule
Select the Edit (pencil) icon next to the Practice Area Rule to reopen the Top Bar editor. Make your changes and click Apply Changes to save them.
Changes are applied immediately and become available to all users in your firm.
Delete a Rule
Select the Delete (trash) icon next to the Practice Area Rule to remove it.
When a rule is deleted:
The practice area immediately reverts to the Default Configuration.
The rule is removed from the Practice Area Rules list.
The customization counter updates automatically.
Note: Practice Area Rules can only be deleted from the Practice Area Rules section, not from within the Top Bar editor.
Deleting a rule only changes how information is displayed—it does not modify or delete any Matter or Lead data.
Configure Lead Top Bars
Lead Top Bars work the same way as Matter Top Bars and can also be customized by Practice Area.
To configure Lead Top Bars:
Navigate to Settings > Firm Settings > Formatting Rules.
Open the Lead Top Fields tab.
From here, you can:
Edit the Default Configuration.
Create Practice Area Rules for specific Lead practice areas.
Edit or delete existing Practice Area Rules.
Note: Matter and Lead Top Bar configurations are managed independently. Changes made to Lead Top Bars do not affect Matter Top Bars, and vice versa.
FAQ Section
FAQ 1: Can one Practice Area have multiple rules?
No. Each Practice Area can have only one custom Top Bar layout.
FAQ 2: What happens if a Matter has no Practice Area?
The Matter uses the default configuration.
FAQ 3: If I change a Matter’s Practice Area, will the Top Bar update?
Yes. The Top Bar automatically updates to match the layout configured for the new Practice Area.
FAQ 4: If I edit the default layout, will Practice Area Rules update?
No, practice area rules are independent layouts and must be updated individually.
FAQ 5: Can users customize their own Top Bar?
No, top bar layouts are managed by Firm Admins and apply to all users.
FAQ 6: Can I use custom fields?
Yes, supported custom fields can be added when configuring your Top Bar layout.
FAQ 7: Does changing the Top Bar affect my data?
No, the top bar only changes how information is displayed. Your records and field values remain unchanged.