Matter status and lifecycle
Every matter has a status that reflects where it is in its life. Status keeps your matter list organized and determines which cases count as active.
The statuses
Section titled “The statuses”- Intake — a prospective or just-opened matter, still being set up. A new matter you create from an intake starts here.
- Open — an active, ongoing case. This is where most of your matters live day to day.
- On Hold — a matter that is paused but not finished — waiting on a client, stayed, or otherwise inactive for now.
- Closed — a matter whose work is done.
- Archived — a closed matter you have put away. Archived matters stay searchable but are tucked out of your everyday views.
In your matter list, Closed and Archived matters are collapsed by default so your active work is front and center.
Which matters count as active
Section titled “Which matters count as active”Intake, Open, and On Hold all count as active matters. Closed and Archived do not. This matters because your plan includes a number of active matters — closing or archiving a finished case frees it from that count. See Your plan and usage.
Changing a status
Section titled “Changing a status”You set a matter’s status as it progresses — moving it to On Hold when it pauses, to Closed when the work is done, and Archived when you want it out of the way. Reopening is just as easy: a closed matter can move back to Open if the case comes back to life.
Common questions
Section titled “Common questions”Does closing a matter delete it? No. Closing and archiving only change where a matter shows up and whether it counts as active. The matter, its synopsis, timeline, and documents remain searchable.
I’m at my active-matter limit — what should I do? Close or archive matters whose work is finished. Intake, Open, and On Hold count toward the limit; Closed and Archived do not.