While a case can be used to record all details of a single incident, investigation, or complaint, you may need to add another case that is concerned with or the result of another case in any way. The Related Cases functionality allows you to create a connection between two or more cases and all of their associated records for quick reference to each linked case. 

There are three methods to link related cases in Case IQ:

1. Manual links are added directly by a user.
2. Suggested links are automatically generated recommendations by the system to users, based on similarities in case's child records. However, a user must confirm the suggestion before the cases are linked.
3. Similar to manual links, automatic links are added directly by a user. However, the user selects the case to link using a "Case Selection" field when adding or editing a case.

While automatic links are set via the case form, you can create manual and suggested links from the Related Cases sub-tab of the Details tab on a case's page. After adding a manual or suggested case link, you can click its row in the Related Cases grid to edit the “Reason” field. You can delete any case link type by checking the link's row and then clicking the Delete button that appears in the grid header.

Manually Link a Case

1. On a case's page, click the Related Cases sub-tab. 
2. Click the Link Case button.
3. The Linked Case Search pop-up will be displayed, where you can enter search criteria to find an existing case recordin the system to link to the original case. 
   1. To conduct a search for specific text in any case field, use the “Search content…” search box. 
   2. To narrow down your search based on case fields, see Searching in Case IQ: Create Search Criteria Statements for guidance on the search criteria filters below the “Search content…” box.
4. Click a case record in the search results to link it to the original case. The case number will be populated. You may type in an explanation for linking the cases in the “Reason for Link” text box. 
5. To proceed with creating the manual link between the cases, click the Add Link button. If you need to return to the search results and choose a different case, click the Back button.
6. Once you have linked the case, the linked case will be displayed in the Related Cases sub-tab grid as a Manual type case link.

See Suggested Case Links 

When you click the Related Cases sub-tab, Case IQ automatically looks for child records of other cases with similar details. Use the steps below to create a link between cases based on suggestions from Case IQ: 

1. In the Related Cases sub-tab, you can click either the View Now button on the possible case link banner or the Suggested Links button to review the suggested case links.
2. The “Suggested Links” pop-up will be displayed. The pop-up shows and highlights the similar fields or records between the original case and at least one other case, alongside a calculation of the case relevance as a percent. 
3. If a suggested case is not relevant to the original case, click the Dismiss Link button. To connect a case, click Approve Link. If there are multiple suggested cases, the next case in the list will be displayed after clicking either button.
4. You may add an explanation for linking cases in the text box. Click Link Cases with [#] record(s) to connect the cases.
5. After linking the case, it will be displayed in the Related Cases sub-tab grid as a Suggested type case link. 

How Case IQ Searches for Links

As child record fields contain different kinds of data, Case IQ reviews fields for matching values in two ways when looking for connections between cases. 

1. The system searches short text fields, called “search fields”, for an exact match in the same field on another child record. For example, Case IQ will suggest a link between two cases if their party records have the same text entered in their “Address” fields.
2. Case IQ will check if long text fields on child records, called “narrative fields”, contain keywords entered in another child record’s search fields. It will not look for an exact match of text in both the narrative and search fields, nor will it search for similar text in another narrative field. For example, if a note’s “Details” field contains the phone number entered in a party’s “Home Phone Number” field, Case IQ will suggest a link between the cases with which the note and party records are associated.

The chart below outlines the child record fields Case IQ uses to make case link suggestions.

Add an Automatic Link

You can add an automatic link for a case if your application's case form contains a case selection field set up for case linking. If a case selection field is available on the case form, you can add an automatic link when adding a new case or editing an existing case using the following steps.

1. On the New Case form or a case's page in edit mode, click the case selection field, which will appear as a text box containing "Search cases...". In the example below, the case selection field is called "Related Case". 
2. Begin typing in the field to search for cases and click the case with which you want to create a link. 
3. Click the Save button on the New Case form or a case's page  to create the automatic case link.

You will be able to see the automatic case link you added on the case's page in the case selection field and the Related Cases tab. The “Reason” field will be populated with the text set by your System Administrator.

System Administrators can read the Edit a Standard Form or Use the Form Builder articles for details on adding a case selection field to your application's case form. 

Remove a Case Link

You can unlink cases by deleting a case link. Select the case link row on the Related Cases grid, then click the Delete button that appears in the grid header.