Getting to Know the Matter Home Page

In this article:

• How-To Video
• Exploring the Matter Navigation Options
• Matter Home Page Panels

When you first select a matter to view it, you will be taken to the matter's Home tab. This tab displays summary information about the matter in a set of configurable panels. As an administrator, you can create custom sets of panels for the various Matter Types and System Roles. A customized home page allow users to see the most important information about a matter at a glance.

How-To Video

Exploring the Matter Navigation Options

1. This area shows the matter matter type icon as well as the matter name, type, and ID. You can click the information icon to edit the details about the matter. Additionally, an admin can customize the icon by going to Admin > Matter types > [select the matter type] > Matter type settings.
   NOTE: You may see another option called Related Matters. This option is included when a matter type has related matters configured in Admin > Matter types > [select the matter type] > Related matter types.
2. This area shows the primary participant, which is usually the client. It is configured in the Parties section of Admin > Matter Types > [select the matter type] > Matter Type Settings.
3. The workflow ribbon shows you the steps you need to go through to close your matter. The workflow steps are configured for each matter type in Admin > Matter Types > [select the matter type] > Workflow.
4. The menu bar uses icons to show the different areas of the matter you can access:
   1. Home: This tab shows a high-level view of the matter, including outstanding fees, calendar appointments, file notes, and so forth. See Matter Home Page Panels (below) to learn more. 
   2. Parties: This tab shows the different roles associated with this matter. (Roles are configured by going to Admin > Matter types > [select a matter type] > Matter type settings.) You can use the drop-down lists to add multiple contacts to each role for the matter. If a contact doesn't exist, you can click Create Contact at the bottom of the drop-down list. 
   3. Steps: This tab shows the steps that you have gone through in the workflow, how long you have spent on individual steps, and when you changed steps.
   4. File Notes: On this tab, you can create and view file notes. You can filter file notes by tags, or change them to a list view. You can also choose to include file notes from related matters.
   5. Appointments: This tab shows a list of all of the appointments associated with the matter.
   6. Tasks: This tab shows a list of all of the tasks for a matter. You can also create new tasks here.
   7. Comms: This tab contains all of the emails that have been assigned to or sent from a matter. You can create an email here.
   8. Alerts: This tab contains a list of alerts that have been created for the matter. You can also create alerts here.
   9. View: This tab lets you view a list of all the files (documents, emails, notes, etc.) associated with the matter. You can also preview each document. 
   10. Documents: This is where you access the documents associated with the matter. You can generate and upload documents from this tab. 
   11. Reports: This tab gives you access to reports associated with the matter.
   12. Billing: Here you can see fees, invoices, disbursements, payments & write-offs. You can generate invoices and also customize the billing settings for the specific matter in question.
   13. Wiki: The wiki can be used to direct staff to files, links, and articles that you've written to assist them when they're moving through the workflow.
   14. Portal: The client portal can be set up as an alternative to exchanging emails with a client. For example, you can upload a document to the portal and they will get a notification to download the document.
       NOTE:  If the matter type is configured for trust accounting (Admin > Trust Accounting), you will also see the Trust account menu icon. This tab shows the trust accounting options for the specific matter. 
5. Custom data panels can be configured on a matter type to collect additional data that doesn't necessarily come with Actionstep. These can be configured under Admin > Matter types > [select a matter type] > Matter data.

Matter Home Page Panels

The Home tab shows a high-level view of the matter, including outstanding fees, calendar appointments, file notes, and so forth. Which panels are available depends on the matter type. You can use the Configure Panels button (bottom of the page) to add and remove different panels, which you can then drag and drop so they're in the order that you prefer. The setup that you configure is specific to the matter type and to your user preferences. 

Related Articles:

• Matter Overview Panel Explanations
• Creating and Editing Matter Templates