Matter Settings

To view your firm's matter settings, start by going to the main settings page (gear icon near the top right), and then select Matter Settings from the left sidebar. Once on this page, you will see two different sections, relationship types and sub-statuses, explained below.

Matter Relationship Types

Matter relationships are a great way to capture information about other contacts involved in a particular matter. Your matters will always have one contact as the primary contact on the matter, but you can link additional contacts using relationship types.

Create your relationship types by typing the title in the box, selecting if that type is repeatable or not, and then click Add Type.

It is important to select whether each relationship type should be repeatable or not. This will determine whether or not a matter could have more than one contact assigned to that relationship. For example, Spouse would not be repeatable, but Child would be.

When relationships are added to a matter, you will find them on the matter's profile, on the left side bar underneath the Matter at Stage section. You will also see which relationship type this relationship is, as shown below.

Relationships can be added to a matter by clicking the Add button shown in the image above. You will then select the type of relationship, and search from contacts in your CRM to relate the correct contact.

Rather than adding these relationships manually as described above, you will often want to collect this relationship information from a PNC or Client while they are filling out an intake form. For example, you may ask if they have children, if they answer "yes", you will want a box to appear for them to enter the child's information, along with the option to "add another" child. You will then want that information to show up in the Matter Relationships section of the matter, circled above.

This can all be done automatically with relationship blocks in custom forms. Learn more about relationship blocks here.

Matter Sub-Statuses

Status is a standard field that comes built-in to your Lawmatics account, and every matter will fall into one of three options for their status. The 3 options for status are PNC, Hired, and Lost.

While the 3 main statuses of PNC, Hired, and Lost are standard to Lawmatics, you can create custom sub-statuses that will fall under those 3 main categories. To do this, go to settings (gear icon near the top right), and then select Matter Settings from the left sidebar.

To create a sub-status, start by typing the title of the sub-status in the box shown below. Then make sure you select which of the 3 main statuses this sub-status should fall under.

You typically won't need to create many PNC sub-statuses, since you also have your pipeline for managing the step-by-step process of your intake. 

For Hired, it may make sense to your firm to have sub-statuses to differentiate Open vs. Closed cases.

Lastly, we suggest using your Lost sub-statuses to keep track of the specific reason why a PNC did not end up hiring your firm. This is setting you up for great reporting potential down the road, since these lost reasons can be tracked with our native custom reporting.

To apply a sub-status on a matter, you'll find the status field on the Details tab, in the Matter Information section on all of your matters.

Any time a new matter is created, it will default to the PNC status. To change the status or to apply one of your custom sub-statuses to a matter, start by going to that matter's profile page, then click the Edit button in the bottom right. You will then be able to select the sub-status from a drop down list in the Status field.

Select the appropriate option from the dropdown as shown in the image above, and then click Save at the bottom.

If you select one of your Lost sub-statuses, for example, not only will that sub-statuses be applied, but the matter will also change to the Lost status overall.

FAQ's

Why is the repeatable option grayed out for one of my relationship types, so I can't adjust the repeatable option?

If a relationship type was set to repeatable, and a matter exists with multiple related contacts in that particular relationship type, then you cannot change it to non-repeatable. You would first need to locate the matter(s) that contain multiple related contacts in that type, remove one of the relationships, and then you can adjust the repeatable option on the matter settings page. If you cannot locate the matter that has multiple relationships for that type, you can email us at support@lawmatics.com for assistance.

Can related contacts be included in automated email communication?

Yes, any time you are sending an email, document, form, etc. via automation you will have the option to include any of your relationships on that correspondence. They can be CC'ed on emails and forms, and can be selected as a signer on a document.

Can I trigger an automation or drip sequence when a sub status is applied?

Yes, you would use the Match on Fields trigger, and then select Sub Status as your Target Field.