Open a Matter

What a matter is

A matter is the case or instruction everything else hangs off — time, court dates, conflict checks and case files all belong to one. Opening the matter first is what keeps that work together.

Opening a matter

1. Go to Legal → Matters and click New Matter.
2. Enter the title — the name you and your colleagues would use for the case.
3. Choose the matter type: litigation, corporate, property, family, criminal, employment, intellectual property, immigration or other.
4. Add a description if the title alone doesn't say enough.
5. Pick the client — this is a company from your CRM, so the matter is linked to a real customer record rather than a name typed into a box.
6. Pick the lead lawyer who owns the case.
7. Click Create Matter.

The matter opens with the status Open and is given a reference of its own, in the form MAT-2026-0001. You don't have to invent one — the reference is generated, is unique, and is what appears on invoices raised from the matter's time.

Working the matter

The Matters list shows the reference, type, status, client and lead lawyer, along with a count of any case files attached. Use the status filters along the top to see only Open, On Hold or Closed work.

When the case is finished, click Close on the row. The matter is marked closed and stamped with the date; its time, dates and files stay attached to it.

Tips

• Run a conflict check before you take the work on, not after
• Always set the client — time on a matter with no client cannot be billed without choosing a company by hand at invoice time
• Keep the title recognisable; the reference is for the file, the title is for people

Where to go next

• Understand the whole module → Open a Matter
• Manage Case Files
• Log Time Entries
• Record Court Dates
• Perform a Conflict Check
• See where this fits in the bigger picture → Start Here: What Plenix Is and How It Fits Together