Creating and Managing Matters

Basic Steps

1. Click Matters in the left sidebar
2. Click the adjacent to Matters in the left navigation panel
3. Select the matter type from the dropdown
4. Fill in the required fields
5. Click Save

Matter Types

FluentCase supports multiple practice areas:

• Workers' Compensation - Work-related injury cases. You can also import an existing case directly by clicking the Import from EAMS green button.
• Personal Injury - Auto accidents, slip and fall, etc.
• Employment Law - Wrongful termination, discrimination, etc.

Each matter type has specialized fields relevant to that practice area.

Basic Required Fields

All matter types require:

• Matter Name/Title - Descriptive name for the matter
• Client - Primary client contact, either a combination of Applicant and Employer or Plaintiff and Defendant

Assigning Team Members

To assign team members to the matter, click the Edit button on the Staff dashboard widget and complete the following assignments:

• Attorney Responsible - Primary attorney on the case
• Attorney Handling - Attorney actively working the case
• Paralegal Handling - Assigned paralegal
• Assistant Handling - Assigned assistant
• Senior Associate Handling - Senior associate (if applicable)
• Hearing Representative - For WC cases
• Other Attorney - Additional attorney
• Other Staff - Additional staff member

Viewing Matter Details

1. Click Matters in the left sidebar
2. Click on a matter name to open its Matter Dashboard
3. Use the left navigation panel to open:
   • Matter Dashboard - Matter details and summary
   • Activity - All activities related to the matter
   • Files - All documents in the matter
   • Parties - Parties and contacts
   • Fees - Accounting, including Time Entries and Payments
   • Email (or your email provider's name) - Email correspondence
   • Memos - Internal memos
   • Tasks - Tasks assigned to the matter
   • Calendar - Calendar events and deadlines

Editing Matter Information

Note: Editing matter details can only take place by clicking the Edit button in the Summary & Dates matter dashboard widget.

The Summary & Dates widget is located on the Matter Dashboard. It displays key matter information at a glance — including the matter name, client, assigned staff, case status, and important dates — and serves as the central place to keep that information up to date.

To edit matter details:

1. Open the matter
2. Click Matter Dashboard in the left navigation panel if not already there
3. Locate the Summary & Dates widget and click its Edit button
4. Update the relevant fields (e.g., matter name, client, assigned attorney, open date, or other matter-specific fields)
5. Click Save

Matter name: The matter name is the Display Name field under Details. It is the name shown in the Matters list, and matter search matches it along with the File Number. The Caption field under Comments & Special Handling is separate. Changing the caption does not change the name shown in the Matters list or in search results.

Opened date: When a matter is created with, or changed to, a status named Open, FluentCase fills in the Opened date with the current date if it is blank. If Opened already has a date, the Reopened date is filled in instead. You can enter or change either date manually under Dates.

Tip: Keep the matter's assigned staff, key dates, and client information current — these fields are used throughout FluentCase for reporting, filtering, and notifications.

Note: Some fields may be restricted based on your user role.

Quick Search

Type in the search box below the Matters column header to filter the list. The search matches the matter name (Display Name) and File Number.

Column Filters

Click the filter icon in a column header, select the values or dates to include, and click Filter. Click Clear to remove the filter. You can filter by:

• Status - Matter status
• Staff - Matters assigned to specific users
• Type - Matter type. Shown when Matter Type is selected in Matter List Settings
• Opened, Sign Up, Settled, and Closed - Date ranges. Shown when the matching date column is selected in Matter List Settings

Column filters apply to the current view only. To keep status, type, or staff filters, set them in Matter List Settings.

Sorting

Click a column header to sort by that column. The list is sorted by matter name by default.

Matter List Settings

Click the button next to Matters in the left navigation panel to open Matter List Settings. Settings apply to your account only, and changes are saved as you click them.

• Filter By Status - Separate choices for On Normal Matter List and On Matter Archives List. Click Reset to clear each one
• Filter By Type - Click Reset to clear
• Filter By Staff - Click Clear All to clear
• Columns Displayed - File Number, Matter Type, Date Opened, Date Signed Up, Date Settled, and Date Closed. Click Reset to Defaults to restore the default columns

To sort matters by opening date, select Date Opened, return to the Matters list, and click the Opened column header. On narrower screens, some optional columns are hidden automatically.

Missing Matters

If a matter you have access to doesn't appear in your list, a filter is probably active. Active filters appear as blue badges, such as your initials, below the Staff, Status, or Type column headers. Click a badge to remove that filter from the current view.

Filters saved in Matter List Settings are applied again the next time you open the Matters list. To remove them permanently, clear them in Matter List Settings. If the matter still doesn't appear, it may be archived. See Viewing Archived Matters.