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
• Secretary Handling - Assigned secretary
• 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 it
3. The matter view shows:
   • Overview - Matter details and summary
   • Activities - All activities related to the matter
   • Documents - All documents in the matter
   • Messages - Email correspondence
   • Events - Calendar events and deadlines
   • Tasks - Tasks assigned to the matter
   • Contacts - Parties and contacts
   • Notes - Internal notes and memos
   • Time Entries - Billable time tracking
   • Payments - Payment records

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's Overview tab. 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. Go to the Overview tab 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

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.

Switching Matter Status

Note: Changing a matter's status can only take place by clicking the Edit button in the Summary & Dates matter dashboard widget.

Keeping matter status current is important — it affects how matters appear in your matters list, filters, and reports. To change a matter's status:

1. Open the matter
2. Go to the Overview tab if not already there
3. Locate the Summary & Dates widget and click its Edit button
4. Change the Case Status field to the appropriate value
5. If closing or archiving the matter, set the Date Closed field as well
6. Click Save

Common status values:

• Active - Currently active case; appears in the default matters list view
• Pending - Awaiting action, such as a client response or court date
• Closed - Case has concluded; set the Date Closed date when using this status
• Archived - Hidden from the main matters list but still fully searchable; use this for long-term storage of completed cases
• Referred Out - Case has been referred to another attorney

Tip: When closing a matter, always set the Date Closed field at the same time so your reports and date filters stay accurate.

Archiving Matters

Archiving is useful for cases that are fully resolved and no longer need day-to-day visibility, but that you want to retain for reference. Archived matters are hidden from the main matters list but remain fully searchable and accessible.

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

1. Open the matter
2. Go to the Overview tab if not already there
3. Locate the Summary & Dates widget and click its Edit button
4. Set Case Status to Archived
5. Set the Date Closed field if you haven't already
6. Click Save

Tip: Use Closed for cases that are recently finished and may still need follow-up. Use Archived for older, fully resolved matters you want to remove from your active list.

To view archived matters:

1. Go to Matters
2. Click the Show Archived filter

Deleting Matters

Warning: Deleting a matter is permanent and cannot be undone.

Only users with appropriate permissions can delete matters:

1. Open the matter
2. Click the Delete button
3. Confirm the deletion
4. All associated activities, documents, and data will be soft-deleted

Note: FluentCase uses soft deletes, so deleted data can be recovered by administrators if needed within 30 days.

Quick Search

Use the search box at the top of the Matters page to search by:

• Matter name
• Client name
• Case number
• Attorney name

Advanced Filters

Click Filters to filter by:

• Matter Type - Filter by practice area
• Case Status - Active, closed, pending, etc.
• Assigned Staff - Matters assigned to specific users
• Date Range - Date opened, date closed
• Tags - Matters with specific tags

Sorting

Click column headers to sort by:

• Matter name
• Client name
• Date opened
• Date closed
• Last activity