diff --git a/src/components/forms/custom-form-builder.tsx b/src/components/forms/custom-form-builder.tsx
index 053efbc..8b837d3 100644
--- a/src/components/forms/custom-form-builder.tsx
+++ b/src/components/forms/custom-form-builder.tsx
@@ -59,8 +59,10 @@ import {
   applyVariables,
   fetchFirm,
   fetchCustomFieldDefs,
+  fetchClientCustomFieldDefs,
   fetchAccessibleCases,
   fetchCaseCustomValues,
+  fetchClientCustomValues,
   savePdfToDocuments,
   SYSTEM_VARIABLES,
   type ClientLite,
@@ -259,6 +261,8 @@ export function CustomFormBuilder() {
   const [firm, setFirm] = useState<FirmInfo | null>(null);
   const [search, setSearch] = useState("");
   const [customDefs, setCustomDefs] = useState<CustomFieldVar[]>([]);
+  const [clientCustomDefs, setClientCustomDefs] = useState<CustomFieldVar[]>([]);
+  const [clientCustomValues, setClientCustomValues] = useState<Record<string, string>>({});
   const [fontFamily, setFontFamily] = useState("Bookman Old Style");
   const [fontSize, setFontSize] = useState(12);
   const [lineHeight, setLineHeight] = useState(1.5);
@@ -314,9 +318,19 @@ export function CustomFormBuilder() {
   useEffect(() => {
     fetchFirm().then(setFirm);
     fetchCustomFieldDefs().then(setCustomDefs);
+    fetchClientCustomFieldDefs().then(setClientCustomDefs);
     loadTemplates();
   }, []);
 
+  // Load client custom field values whenever the selected client changes.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!client?.id) {
+      setClientCustomValues({});
+      return;
+    }
+    fetchClientCustomValues(client.id).then(setClientCustomValues);
+  }, [client?.id]);
+
   const loadTemplates = async () => {
     const { data } = await supabase
       .from("custom_form_templates")
@@ -662,11 +676,17 @@ export function CustomFormBuilder() {
     if (selectedCaseId) {
       customValues = await fetchCaseCustomValues(selectedCaseId);
     }
+    // Always re-fetch the latest client custom values at render time so edits
+    // made in another tab show up without needing to reselect the client.
+    const freshClientCustomValues = client?.id
+      ? await fetchClientCustomValues(client.id)
+      : {};
     return {
       client,
       homeowner,
       firmName: firm?.company_name ?? "",
       customValues,
+      clientCustomValues: freshClientCustomValues,
       fieldValues,
     };
   };
@@ -1172,6 +1192,11 @@ export function CustomFormBuilder() {
         description: d.label + (d.description ? ` — ${d.description}` : ""),
         kind: "custom" as const,
       })),
+      ...clientCustomDefs.map((d) => ({
+        key: `{{client.custom.${d.key}}}`,
+        description: `Client: ${d.label}` + (d.description ? ` — ${d.description}` : ""),
+        kind: "client-custom" as const,
+      })),
       ...formFields.map((f) => ({
         key: `{{field.${f.key}}}`,
         description: `${f.label} (${f.type})`,
@@ -1183,7 +1208,7 @@ export function CustomFormBuilder() {
         v.key.toLowerCase().includes(search.toLowerCase()) ||
         v.description.toLowerCase().includes(search.toLowerCase()),
     );
-  }, [customDefs, formFields, search]);
+  }, [customDefs, clientCustomDefs, formFields, search]);
 
   const filteredCases = useMemo(() => {
     const s = caseSearch.toLowerCase();
diff --git a/src/lib/forms-shared.ts b/src/lib/forms-shared.ts
index f123154..2749753 100644
--- a/src/lib/forms-shared.ts
+++ b/src/lib/forms-shared.ts
@@ -134,6 +134,15 @@ export async function fetchCustomFieldDefs(): Promise<CustomFieldVar[]> {
   return (data ?? []) as CustomFieldVar[];
 }
 
+export async function fetchClientCustomFieldDefs(): Promise<CustomFieldVar[]> {
+  const { data } = await supabase
+    .from("custom_client_fields")
+    .select("key,label,description")
+    .eq("active", true)
+    .order("sort_order");
+  return (data ?? []) as CustomFieldVar[];
+}
+
 // Case modifiers usable in templates as {{var|modifier}}.
 // Supported: upper, lower, title, sentence, capitalize (alias for sentence).
 export type CaseModifier = "upper" | "lower" | "title" | "sentence" | "capitalize";
@@ -189,6 +198,7 @@ export function applyVariables(
     homeowner?: HomeownerLite | null;
     firmName?: string;
     customValues?: Record<string, string>;
+    clientCustomValues?: Record<string, string>;
     fieldValues?: Record<string, string>;
   },
 ): string {
@@ -206,11 +216,12 @@ export function applyVariables(
 
   let out = body;
 
-  // System variables: {{name}} or {{name|modifier}}
+  // Client custom-field variables: {{client.custom.key}} or {{client.custom.key|modifier}}
+  // Must run BEFORE the generic {{custom.key}} pattern so the prefix isn't swallowed.
   out = replaceWithModifier(
     out,
-    /\{\{\s*([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_]*)\s*(\|\s*([a-zA-Z]+)\s*)?\}\}/g,
-    (name) => systemValues[name],
+    /\{\{\s*client\.custom\.([a-zA-Z0-9_]+)\s*(\|\s*([a-zA-Z]+)\s*)?\}\}/g,
+    (name) => ctx.clientCustomValues?.[name],
   );
 
   // Custom case-field variables: {{custom.key}} or {{custom.key|modifier}}
@@ -227,6 +238,13 @@ export function applyVariables(
     (name) => ctx.fieldValues?.[name],
   );
 
+  // System variables: {{name}} or {{name|modifier}} — run LAST so dotted vars above win.
+  out = replaceWithModifier(
+    out,
+    /\{\{\s*([a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_]*)\s*(\|\s*([a-zA-Z]+)\s*)?\}\}/g,
+    (name) => systemValues[name],
+  );
+
   return out;
 }
 
@@ -337,3 +355,16 @@ export async function fetchCaseCustomValues(caseId: string): Promise<Record<stri
   });
   return map;
 }
+
+export async function fetchClientCustomValues(clientId: string): Promise<Record<string, string>> {
+  const { data } = await supabase
+    .from("client_field_values")
+    .select("value, field:custom_client_fields(key)")
+    .eq("client_id", clientId);
+  const map: Record<string, string> = {};
+  (data ?? []).forEach((row: any) => {
+    const k = row.field?.key;
+    if (k) map[k] = row.value ?? "";
+  });
+  return map;
+}