Client and Matter Records

The feature Client and Matter Record structure was specifically designed for customers dealing with legal matters.

Content Manager enables you to manage your legal clients and matters, the people involved in them and their records by using specifically designed Record Types.

As a result, for example, when users create a new matter record in Content Manager, it can automatically and without any further user action create all subfolders that are required for the new matter record, for example:

  • Invoices
  • Billing
  • Documents
  • Budgets

Additionally, you can record all the people involved in your matters, like your in-house counsel staff, as well as the people belonging to outside legal and other Organisations or legal service providers, like expert witnesses, copy services, court reporters, claimants or defendants.

This enables you to carry out searches in Content Manager to identify conflicts of interest, for example.

Content Manager uses three levels of records by default, a Client Record, Matter Records under the Client Record, and contained in a Matter Record, 'standard'  Content Manager Records. You can use more levels in your structure, if needed.

Typically, to create and manage a matter in Content Manager, you should create:

  1. A new Client Record, if there is no Record for that Client yet.
  2. The new Matter Record using the Client Record.
  3. Using the Matter Record, create Records for the Matter as needed.

Creating Client and Matter Records

Client Records represent the legal client in Content Manager. You only need to create a new client record if there is no existing record for your client in Content Manager.

Matter Records represent a folder that contains all information and materials about a legal matter in Content Manager. You only need to create a new matter record if there is no existing matter record for this matter in Content Manager.

The process to create Client and Matter Records is the same as creating other Records in Content Manager (see Creating New Records for details), with the following exceptions:

Client Records - all Client Records have a Client field, this field is for the Client Name.

To complete this field type in the Client name into the field and confirm the selection from the displayed list. To move through the list of Locations, you can press the DOWN or UP arrow keys on the keyboard and press Enter to confirm the selection.

NOTE: If the Location field requires a person's name, type their last name in first, then select the required name from the displayed list.

If the Location does not exist in the Content Manager database, a new Location can be added from the Record Entry Form. For details on creating a Location using the Content Manager Web Client see Creating Locations.

Matter Records - all Matter Records have a Client Record field, this field is the link between the Matter Record and the Client Record.

To add a Client Record, if the Client Record Number is known, type the number into the Client Record field and confirm the selection from the displayed list.

If the Client Record Number is not known, to search for a Client Record, type in a Title Word to display a search results list and select the required Client Record from the displayed list. To move through the list of Client Records, you can press the DOWN or UP arrow keys on the keyboard and press Enter to confirm the selection.

Client records represent the legal client in Content Manager.

  1. On the Masthead menu, click Records.

    The Records panel will be displayed.

  2. From the Records panel, click + New; or

    On the Keyboard, press CTRL + ALT + c

  3. Select a Client Record Type from the displayed list of Record Types. If the Client Record Type is not listed, type in the name of the Client Record Type and then select it from the displayed list.

    The Record Entry form will be displayed. This form will look different depending on what Record Type you are creating. Depending on how the Content Manager Administrator setup the Record Type there may be several sections that require completing, these will be indicated by a Section title with a drop-down arrow next to it. To expand or collapse a section, click the drop-down arrow.

  4. Complete the Record Entry form (see Record Entry Form Fields for further details).

    On a Client Record Entry form, there is always a Client field. This field is mandatory. To complete this field, type in the Location name into the field and confirm the selection from the displayed list.

    NOTE: If the Location field requires a person's name, type their last name in first, then select the required name from the displayed list.

    If the Location does not exist in the Content Manager database, a new Location can be added from the Record Entry Form. For details on creating a Location using the Content Manager Web Client see Creating Locations.

  5. Click Save.

The newly created Record will be added to the user's Created Records tray on the Records panel.

Matter records represent a folder that contains all information and materials about a legal matter in Content Manager.

  1. On the Masthead menu, click Records.

    The Records panel will be displayed.

  2. From the Records panel, click + New; or

    On the Keyboard, press CTRL + ALT + c

  3. Select a Matter Record Type from the displayed list of Record Types. If the Matter Record Type is not listed, type in the name of the Matter Record Type and then select it from the displayed list.

    The Record Entry form will be displayed. This form will look different depending on what Record Type you are creating. Depending on how the Content Manager Administrator setup the Record Type there may be several sections that require completing, these will be indicated by a Section title with a drop-down arrow next to it. To expand or collapse a section, click the drop-down arrow.

  4. Complete the Record Entry form (see Record Entry Form Fields for further details).

    On a Matter Record Entry form, there is always a Client Record field. This field is mandatory. To complete this field, type in a Client Record Name or Number and confirm the selection from the displayed list.

  5. Click Save.

Depending on the structure your Content Manager Administrator has set up, there may be subfolders automatically created in your Matter structure when you save the Matter Record.

Working with Client and Matter Records

See Working with Records for details.  Additionally, there are two navigation options on Client and Matter Records:

  • Navigate to Matters - this option is available on Client Records. This option will display all Matter Records that are associated to the selected Client Record.

  • Navigate to Client Record - this option is available on Matter Records. This option will display the Client Record that is associated to the selected Matter Record.

  • Navigate to:

    • Matter Folders - this option is available on Matter Records. This option will display all Matter Folders that are associated to the selected Matter Record.
    • Search contents - this option is available on Matter Records. This option will display all Records that are associated to the selected Matter Record.