A quick tour of everything that makes up a matter in MatterSuite

Matters are at the heart of MatterSuite, giving you one place to manage every detail of a case, from documents and billing to tasks and communication. This article walks you through the different parts of a matter so you know exactly where to find what you need.

In this article:

• Matters list

• Matter header

• Matter details

• Tabs within a matter

• Financial info

• Activity log

• Filtering matters

• Creating a new matter

Open the Matters tab from the top menu to see every matter in your firm's workspace. You can switch between List and Board views using the icons at the top left, and filter matters by All, Active, or Archived using the tabs, or the dropdown for a more specific selection.

In list view, each matter shows its Client, Practice Area, Responsible Attorney, Status, Open Date, and any Comments attached to it. In board view, matters are grouped into columns by stage such as Pre-Filing, Discovery, In Trial, On Hold, Pleading, or Planning so you can see at a glance where each case currently stands.

At the top of every matter, you'll find:

• Matter Name and ID – Click the name to rename the matter. The unique matter ID is generated automatically.

• Location – Shows which office or entity the matter belongs to.

• Action Icons – Quick access to edit, delete, view analytics, preview, or send the matter.

The Details tab is the main source of information for the matter, and includes:

• Status and Stage – Track where the matter currently sits, such as Open and Planning.

• Key Dates – Open Date, Close Date, Actual Trial Date, and Originally Set Trial Date.

• Matter Information – Practice Area, Client Reference Number, Court Name, Court Case No., Responsible Attorney, Originating Attorney, Paralegal, Matter Opened Date, and Subscribers following the matter.

• Description – A free-text field giving context about what the matter involves.

Each matter is organized into tabs across the top, giving you quick access to everything related to it: Details, Documents, Communication, Comments, Workflow, Tasks, Events, Billing, Transactions, Trust Requests, Lawsuite, Co-Counsel, and Leads. This keeps every piece of information tied to the matter in one connected space, rather than scattered across the system.

Financial Info

Right on the Details tab, you'll see a quick snapshot of the matter's finances:

• Total Unbilled – The amount of work done that hasn't been billed yet, with the option to create a New Quick Bill directly from here.

• Total Trust Funds – Funds held in trust for the matter, with the option to submit a New Request.

Every action taken on a matter  from creating it to logging time entries  is recorded in an activity feed, so you always have a clear history of what's happened and when. This helps you keep track of updates even if you weren't the one making them.

To narrow down your matters list, click the filter icon to open the Filter panel. You can filter by Locations, Practice Area, Matter Status, Matter Stage, Originating Attorney, Responsible Attorney, Client, Open Date, Statute of Limitation Date, and Actual Trial Date, making it easy to find exactly the matters you're looking for.

To create a new matter, click New Matter from the Matters tab. You'll be guided through several sections to set it up properly:

• Matter Details – The core information about the matter.

• Court – Relevant court details, if applicable.

• Permissions – Who can access the matter.

• Notifications – Notification preferences for updates on this matter.

• Related Contacts – Any contacts linked to the matter.

• Tags – Labels to help categorize and search for the matter later.

• Custom Fields – Additional fields specific to your firm's needs.

• Task Automation – Automatically generate tasks tied to this matter.

• Workflow – Assign a workflow to guide the matter through its stages.

• Billing Preferences – Set how this matter should be billed.