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Matters

What a Firm Does During the Life of a Matter

Tracker provides a system to help your clients keep track of the matters that your firm is managing. It is helpful to understand the three phases of the life cycle of the matter:
  1. Matter Creation Phase
  2. Matter in Progress
  3. Closing the Matter

Matter Creation Phase

Your client initiates the process for creating a new matter by filling out their portion of the matter profile. The matter profile includes fields to identify the lead firm and lead outside counsel for the matter. If you and your firm are selected, you will receive an email notifying you that a new matter was created.
Complete the following tasks when a matter is created:
  • Finish completing the matter profile.
  • Grant matter access to any other law department personnel.
Sometimes companies also provide a budget for the matter.
If you believe that a matter needs to be created that is not in Tracker, contact the lead attorney at your client compan to request that the matter be created.

Matter in Progress

After the matter is created, work may proceed. There are many different tools that are available for use during the working phase of a matter. An important point is that it is up to your client and you to decide which (if any) of these tools to use to best help your client. The tools you can use include:
  • Status reports-Submit them if required by your client or if appropriate.
  • Notes-Post notes or review notes posted by law firm users.
  • Budgets-Enter budgets if required by your client or if appropriate.
  • Dates/Events-Both you and your client can provide a list of important dates/events for a matter.
  • Invoices-Submit invoices and review invoice approval activity.
  • Unbilled Amounts-If required by your client, enter periodic unbilled amounts for the client's accrual reports.
  • Documents, Contracts and Service of Process-Both you and your client can post documents, contracts and respond to Service of Process.
If at any time you are not sure what needs to be done, use your Action Items to identify your list of items that may require your action or merit your attention. These items may include:
  • Matter profile(s) that are incomplete.
  • Budget(s) that are due or modified.
  • Status report(s) that are due.
  • Invoice(s) that were rejected or reduced.
  • Unbilled amounts that are due.
  • Document(s) for which a review was requested.
  • Service of Process for which a response is required.

Closing the Matter

When all of the work on a matter is complete, the matter is ready to be closed. There are several important features in Tracker relating to closed matters:
  • Only a company user who is a matter administrator for the matter can close the matter.
  • Company users specify how many days after a matter is closed that the firm can still post invoices.
  • Closed matters can still be viewed on the system.
  • Closed matters can be reopened by a matter administrator for the matter or a system administrator.
From the firm perspective, the only thing that firms need to do during the closing phase is to notify the Lead Company Person that the matter needs to be closed.

This article applies to:

  • PRODUCT: Legal Tracker
  • Subject: Matter
  • Audiences: Firm