Managing Client Files

Matters (client files) are the central unit of work in Divorcepath. Each matter represents a family law file and contains all of the information, calculations, and documents related to it. This article covers how to create, organize, and manage your matters effectively.

Creating a New Matter

To create a new matter:

1. Click Matters in the sidebar, then click the New Matter button.
2. Choose a file type: Standard (separation and divorce), Alternative Dispute Resolution, Acting as Mediator, Adoption, or Child Protection. The file type configures the matter profile and document flow.
3. In the New Matter form, check the assigned office and jurisdiction, then enter the client's name and, if you have them, their date of birth, phone number, and email. Select the legal issues and add any intake notes.
4. Optionally, tick Run conflict search before creating the matter.
5. Click Confirm to create the matter.

Once created, the matter opens on its Overview page and appears in your matter list. You can then begin adding detailed information in each section of the matter.

Matter List View

The Matters page is your central hub for managing all of your matters. From this view, you can:

• Search for matters by client name using the search bar.
• Filter the list by choosing Your Matters, Potential, All Firm, or Unassigned, and by Status (Potential, Retained, Not Retained, or Closed/Archived), team member, or location.
• Sort matters by first or last name, or by the oldest or newest created. Use the settings icon to show names as First Name, Last Name or Last Name, First Name.

Each matter card shows the parties' names, how complete the profile is, the matter status, the matter number, province, number of children, documents and calculations, and the responsible lawyer, allowing you to stay on top of your caseload at a glance.

Matter Overview

When you open a matter, the Overview page provides a summary of the file. It shows profile completion for each party, recent calculations and documents, disclosure progress, next actions, the matter essentials (parties, matter number, children, relationship, court, counsel, and team), finances, and recent activity. The overview is designed to give you a quick snapshot of the matter without needing to open each section.

Editing Matter Details

To edit matter details:

1. Open the matter you wish to edit.
2. Select the relevant section in the sidebar (for example, Parties, Children, Finances, Relationship, or Court).
3. Update the information as needed.
4. Changes are saved automatically as you make them.

You can update matter information at any time. When information changes after a calculation was run, Divorcepath flags the calculation as out of date so you can update it.

Matter Status and Legal Issues

Status and legal issues help you organize and categorize your matters:

• Status shows where the matter stands: Potential Client, Retained, Did not Retain, or Archived. Change it from the status menu next to the matter name, or from Client status in Matter Settings.
• Legal issues record what the matter is about, such as separation and divorce, custody and parenting, child support, spousal support, or matrimonial property. You can assign several legal issues to a single matter.

You can set legal issues from the Matter Settings page within a matter. Use the Status filter in the matter list to display only matters with a particular status.

Making Matters Private

If you need to restrict access to a particular matter, you can mark it as private. When a matter is private, only the organization users assigned to it and organization admins can access it. To make a matter private:

1. Open the matter and navigate to Matter Settings.
2. Make sure every team member who needs access is listed under Professionals.
3. Toggle the Private option on.

Private matters will not appear in the matter list for team members who do not have access.

Sharing Matters with Team Members

Divorcepath makes it easy to collaborate on matters with your team. Assign the lawyers and staff who work on a matter in the Professionals field of Matter Settings. In the matter list, Your Matters shows the matters assigned to you, All Firm shows every matter in your organization that you can access, and Unassigned shows matters with no one assigned. This is especially useful for firms with multiple lawyers or support staff working on different matters.

Archiving and Deleting Matters

When a matter is concluded, you can archive it to keep your active matter list clean while preserving the record:

• Archiving removes the matter from your active matter list but retains all of the data. To archive a matter, set its status to Archived. To find archived matters, select Closed/Archived in the Status filter of the matter list; to restore one, open it and change its status back.
• Deleting erases the matter and all associated data. This action cannot be undone, so use it with caution. To delete a matter, open Matter Settings and click Delete client.

It is recommended to archive matters rather than delete them, as archived matters can be restored if needed in the future.

Matter Settings

The Matter Settings page contains additional configuration options for each matter:

• Matter number and description — identify the file.
• Legal issues — record what the matter is about.
• Professionals and office location — assign your team and office.
• Default client label — choose how the parties are labelled.
• File type — set the type of family law matter (Standard, ADR, Acting as Mediator, Adoption, or Child Protection).
• Client status — Potential, Retained, Did not Retain, or Archived.
• Private — control who can access the matter.
• Remote signing — turn remote document signing on or off for the matter, or use your organization's default.

Taking the time to configure your matter settings properly helps keep your caseload organized and ensures the right team members have access to the matters they need.