A matter management process defines how a law firm receives, authorizes, plans, performs, records, bills, closes, and learns from legal work.
The process should prevent a matter from depending entirely on one person’s memory.
A reliable workflow creates visible answers to questions such as:
Has the firm accepted the engagement?
Is the matter authorized for work?
Who owns the next step?
What is the scope?
Which deadlines apply?
Has the budget been approved?
Is the team recording time promptly?
Is the work ready for billing?
Has the client received required updates?
Can the matter be closed?
This guide provides an operational model. Firms should adapt it to their practice areas, jurisdictions, client requirements, and technology.
Process Overview
A practical matter management process contains twelve stages:
Legal service request or client intake
Initial screening
Conflict and engagement approval
Matter opening
Scope and objective definition
Planning and budgeting
Staffing and responsibility assignment
Work execution and communication
Time, expense, and status capture
Billing readiness and invoice workflow
Completion and closure
Post-matter review and knowledge capture
The stages may overlap.
Urgent legal work may begin before every administrative step is complete, but the exception should be documented and resolved promptly.
Stage 1: Intake
Intake creates a structured record of the request.
Capture:
Requesting person
Prospective client
Contact details
Matter type
Description
Jurisdiction
Adverse parties
Urgency
Expected deadline
Documents received
How the client found the firm
Requested outcome
Commercial information
For an existing client, intake should still identify the new matter and distinguish it from existing engagements.
The ABA recommends integrating intake with practice-management tools to reduce duplicate data entry and improve accuracy.
Stage 2: Initial Screening
Initial screening asks whether the work is appropriate for the firm.
Consider:
Practice fit
Jurisdiction
Capacity
Urgency
Competence
Client expectations
Strategic fit
Fee arrangement
Ability to pay
Risk
Conflicts
Required specialists
Possible outcomes:
Proceed to conflict review
Request more information
Refer elsewhere
Decline
Escalate for risk review
Record the decision.
Stage 3: Conflict and Engagement Approval
Before work begins, confirm the firm’s authorization process.
Possible controls include:
Conflict search
Conflict clearance
Waiver
Client identity verification
Engagement letter
Fee agreement
Scope
Rates
Retainer or deposit
Outside counsel guidelines
Privacy notice
Client consent
Work authorization
An opened matter should not be confused with an accepted engagement.
Create a visible status such as:
Intake
Conflict pending
Engagement pending
Authorized
On hold
Declined
Stage 4: Matter Opening
Create the authoritative matter record.
Required fields may include:
Client
Matter name
Matter number
Matter type
Practice area
Responsible lawyer
Billing lawyer
Open date
Billing arrangement
Rate schedule
Matter status
Security level
Ethical wall
Client guidelines
Budget requirement
Document workspace
Finance-system identifier
The matter should be created once and synchronized with connected systems where practical.
Stage 5: Scope and Objectives
Translate the engagement into operational terms.
Document:
Legal question
Business objective
Deliverables
Exclusions
Assumptions
Client dependencies
Key dates
Success measures
Reporting expectations
Fee arrangement
Change process
Avoid a scope description that is too broad to manage.
Example:
Weak:
Handle dispute.
Clearer:
Assess breach allegations, prepare response strategy, conduct initial settlement discussions, and defend the matter through the close of written discovery, subject to a separate budget and approval for trial.
The exact language depends on the engagement.
Stage 6: Planning and Budgeting
Build the matter plan.
A plan may include:
Phases
Tasks
Deliverables
Dependencies
Deadlines
Staffing
Budget
Risks
Client decisions
Communication schedule
Billing milestones
Assumptions
Escalation thresholds
For repeatable work, use a template.
The plan should be proportionate. A short advisory matter does not need the same structure as multi-year litigation.
Stage 7: Staffing and Responsibility Assignment
Assign visible roles.
Possible roles:
Accountable matter owner
Responsible lawyer
Working lawyer
Paralegal
Reviewer
Billing attorney
Finance contact
Project manager
Client contact
Decision maker
For each task, identify:
Owner
Reviewer
Due date
Status
Dependency
Approval requirement
Stage 8: Work Execution
The team performs the legal work.
The matter process should support:
Task completion
Document creation
Email filing
Research
Client communication
Internal review
Decisions
Work-product approval
Deadline updates
Change control
Risk escalation
The working team should not need to search several systems to learn the current status.
Stage 9: Time, Expense, and Status Capture
Record matter activity close to when it occurs.
A strong time entry includes:
Work date
Client and matter
Accurate duration
Billing status
Clear description
Required task or activity code
Review status
The process should also capture:
Expenses
Budget use
Task completion
Matter status
Client dependency
Decisions
Next step
Delayed time entry makes matter reporting and billing less reliable.
Stage 10: Ongoing Matter Review
Matter review should occur at a defined frequency.
Review:
Scope
Client objective
Current phase
Upcoming deadlines
Task status
Work allocation
Budget
WIP
Time-entry status
Risks
Decisions
Client updates
Billing readiness
The frequency may be:
Daily for urgent work
Weekly for active matters
Monthly for stable matters
Event-driven for milestone work
Record significant decisions.
Authoritative References
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main stages of a matter management process?
The main stages are intake, engagement approval, opening, planning, staffing, execution, time and status capture, billing readiness, completion, closure, and review.
Who owns the matter management process?
The responsible lawyer usually owns legal delivery, while intake, conflicts, finance, records, and operations may own specific process stages.
When should a matter be opened?
The firm should define when work is authorized and which approvals are required before creating or activating the matter.
When is a matter ready for billing?
It is billing-ready when time, expenses, narratives, codes, rates, approvals, and client requirements are complete enough for prebill review.
Where does MIRA fit in the process?
MIRA supports time capture, time-entry preparation, lawyer review, and release of approved entries toward finance systems.
