How to run Settlement Allocator in DocketMath for North Carolina

Step-by-step

This guide walks you through running Settlement Allocator in DocketMath for North Carolina (US-NC). The goal is to help you produce a reusable allocation workflow—while keeping clear that this is not legal advice.

• Select North Carolina in the Settlement Allocator tool.
• Enter the trigger dates and any caps or rates.
• Run the calculation and save the output.

1) Start at the correct DocketMath tool

1. Open DocketMath Settlement Allocator:
   **Open Settlement Allocator
2. Confirm you’re viewing the North Carolina (US-NC) configuration (jurisdiction-aware rules).

2) Identify the items you want allocated

Settlement Allocator typically works best when you have clear “buckets” to allocate across (for example: categories of damages, costs, or other settlement components). Before you enter anything, make a quick list of what you want in the output.

Use this checklist:

3) Set the jurisdiction-aware time window (North Carolina)

For North Carolina, the tool’s default time window uses the general statute of limitations (SOL) period of 3 years.

A key constraint for this workflow: No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found. That means the calculator will use the general/default period rather than a different SOL tailored to a specific claim category. In other words:

The jurisdiction data you’re working with also references the SAFE Child Act. The North Carolina Department of Justice provides supporting victim information under that initiative here:
https://www.ncdoj.gov/public-protection/supporting-victims-and-survivors-of-sexual-assault/

If your real-world scenario depends on a different limitations rule tied to a specific claim type, you may need to adjust your inputs or process outside the calculator logic. The key point: the calculator output will follow what it is configured to do for US-NC using the available rule set.

4) Provide the inputs the calculator expects

Within the Settlement Allocator interface, you’ll typically see fields such as:

• Jurisdiction (select US-NC if not already set)
• Total settlement amount
• Component amounts (if you’re allocating directly) or inputs that let the tool compute allocation weights
• Relevant dates (when the calculator needs to align amounts with time-related logic)

If the tool offers a choice for the date basis (for example, filing date vs. injury date), choose the option that best matches your dataset and your internal documentation.

Practical tip:

• Keep a record of what each date represents (e.g., “date of event,” “date of demand,” “date of agreement”) so you can explain the result later.

5) Run the calculation and review the allocation output

After you enter the data:

1. Click Calculate (or the equivalent action in the tool).
2. Review outputs using at least two checks:

• Totals check: Do the allocated component amounts sum to the total settlement amount (allowing for rounding)?
• Time-window check: Do the results reflect the 3-year general SOL period behavior consistent with the tool’s US-NC rules?

A fast sanity-check approach:

• Change one input (such as the relevant date), rerun, and confirm the output moves in the way you would expect given the calculator’s time-window logic.

Also reconfirm:

• You stayed on US-NC
• You edited the exact date field the tool actually uses

6) Export or document the results

Many teams need to reuse the allocation in a spreadsheet, case notes, or settlement documentation. If DocketMath provides export options (PDF/CSV/copyable breakdown), use them.

To make the output easier to understand and review internally, capture:

• Jurisdiction: US-NC
• Default time window: general SOL = 3 years
• Confirmation that no claim-type-specific SOL sub-rule was applied in this workflow
• Inputs you entered (total amount, component amounts/weights, and relevant dates)

If you’re building a broader litigation analytics workflow, you can also cross-check assumptions with other DocketMath tools as needed:

• Review DocketMath tools

Common pitfalls

Settlement Allocator is only as reliable as the inputs you provide. Watch for these common issues in the North Carolina (US-NC) workflow.

• missing a required input
• using a stale rate or rule
• ignoring calendar or holiday adjustments
• skipping documentation of assumptions

Misunderstanding which SOL rule is applied

Because this workflow does not use a claim-type-specific SOL sub-rule, the output may differ from an argument you might make in another context. The calculator output follows the configuration available for US-NC.

Entering dates inconsistently

Small date mistakes can create outsized changes. Common examples:

• Using “event date” in a field expecting “agreement date”
• Entering dates in the wrong format
• Leaving a date blank so the tool falls back to an unintended default

Checklist before you run:

Failing to reconcile totals after allocation

Always verify:

Overstuffing categories without clear definitions

Too many components can make review harder. Instead:

Reusing prior runs without re-checking jurisdiction and defaults

If you reuse a prior case template, confirm these each time:

Try it

Use this quick dry run in DocketMath to see how the output changes when you adjust one input.

1. Go to Settlement Allocator
2. Ensure jurisdiction is set to North Carolina (US-NC)
3. Enter:

   • A total settlement amount
   • At least 2 allocation components (so you can see a split)
   • A relevant date that the tool uses in its logic

Then do two runs:

Run A: baseline

• Keep everything the same except use Date 1.

Run B: changed date

• Change only the relevant date to Date 2 (for example, move it forward by 6 months).

Compare outputs:

• Does the time-sensitive part of the allocation update?
• Does the overall allocation still reconcile to the total (within rounding)?

Finally, validate your workflow against this US-NC setup:

• Default SOL period in this configuration: 3 years (general/default)
• No claim-type-specific SOL sub-rule was identified for this workflow
• SAFE Child Act context is referenced via the NC DOJ supporting victim materials, while the calculator’s SOL logic here remains anchored to the general 3-year default

Related reading

• Settlement Allocator Guide for Alabama
• Settlement Allocator Guide for Arizona
• Settlement Allocator Guide for Colorado