Matters in Unity e-Billing are records that can be created to capture/track standard information (e.g., name, dates, contacts, matter group, etc.) and facilitate invoicing projects, cases, and other matters managed by your legal department.
Here, we'll take you through the basics of navigating the Matters page.
Note: These User Guides will be updated as more features are added and revised. Check in frequently for more information.
The Matters List Page
To see the matters list page, navigate to Matters on the left-side navigation bar.
At the top of the Matters screen, you'll see cards displaying the number of Open and Closed Matters.
Matters Tabs
Use the tabs to switch between All Matters, My Matters, and Starred matters.
Searching Matters
Use the Search Matters bar to search for specific matters within the directory.
Bulk Actions (Close, Edit, Delete)
When at least one row on the main matter list is selected (through the check box), the Bulk Actions button will appear as an option (it will be grayed out if not).
Bulk action options include:
- Close the matters
- Edit the matters
- Delete the matters
When you click Close matters, this screen will appear. Click Yes to close the matters or Cancel to back out.
When you click Edit matters, this screen will appear. You can adjust the Matter Lead and the Practice Area; choose them from the drop-down menus. Click Update to save the changes or Cancel to back out.
NOTE: Modifications may affect associated data or workflows; review your changes carefully. Changing the matter lead will give that person read and write access. Additionally, the Practice Area cannot be edited when the matter template in use has a fixed Practice Area.
When you click Delete matters, this screen will appear. Click Yes to delete the matters or Cancel to back out.
Navigating the Main Matter List
The matter list is (by default) sorted by Date Opened (most recent first).
The following columns of information are shown for each matter:
| Matter Name | Click on the hyperlinked name to open the matter record. |
| Client Matter ID | The client matter identification number. |
| Date Opened | Date the matter was published or re-opened. |
| Practice Area | The practice area (litigation, privacy and data, etc.) |
|
Name of the assigned Matter Lead, if applicable. |
|
Click on the hyperlinked name to open the vendor record |
|
Click on the hyperlinked name to open the Legal Entity record. |
|
Whether a matter is in open (default), draft, or closed status. |
Use the up/down arrows next to each column to sort by that detail. Click on Manage Filters to apply available filters or reorder selected filters; you can also Reset to Default. Click Apply to adjust or Cancel to back out.
You can also use the top buttons to search within those columns; click Apply to search, Cancel to back out, or Clear to clear the text you submit.
Use this drop-down menu to choose how many records you want to display on the screen.
You can also click on Download Data to download selected record information.
Use the Plus button on the far right of the column section to Customize Table Columns. Click Apply to customize or Cancel to back out.
Click on the three dots menu to the right of each record to:
- Edit the Matter Lead
- Edit the Practice Area
- Delete the matter
Clicking on Edit Matter Lead will allow you to select the matter lead from a drop-down menu. Click Save to edit your changes or Cancel to back out.
Clicking on Edit Practice Area will allow you to select the practice area from a drop-down menu. Click Save to edit your changes or Cancel to back out.
Matters Details Page & Tabs
Clicking into an individual matter will bring up the Matter Details page. This page is divided into several different tabs:
- Overview
- Reviewers
- Vendors
- Invoices
- Contacts
- Updates
- Files
- Allocations
In this section, we’ll go through all of those different tabs.
NOTE: You can click on the Star next to the matter name to add it to your bookmarks/starred matters screen.
Overview
The Overview tab delivers key information about the matter, including:
- Matter Attributes (Name, Matter Lead, Practice Area, Legal Entity, Client Matter ID, Opened On date)
- An Activity Log outlining recent activity on the file. Click View all to see the full activity log.
Hover over the different Arttributes fields and click on the pencil Edit symbol to adjust them.
Reviewers
Use the Reviewers tab to view and assign reviewers to a mater. On the main screen, you'll see the:
- Order (broken down by reviewer, with email address and Level information)
- Reviewer Requirement
- Number of Reviewers
- Actions (click the three-dot menu to Delete the reviewer)
Use the Search bar to search through the reviewers; you can also use the Viewing drop-down menu to customize your view. Click on the up/down buttons next to each column to sort by them.
Click on the Plus sign next to actions to bring up the Customize Table Columns menu. You can search for Available Columns and move them to the Selected Columns section. Click Apply to save or Cancel to back out. Click Reset to Default to go back to the original settings.
Click on Add Reviewer to add a reviewer to the matter. You can select the Reviewer from the drop-down menu; click the X next to their name to remove. You'll have to select All Of or Any Of under Reviewer Requirement. Click Apply to add the reviewer or Cancel to back out.
Vendors
Use the Vendors tab to view and assign vendors to a matter.
On the main Vendors screen you’ll see the:
| Vendor Name | The name of the vendor |
| Lead | The lead asignee to the vendor |
| PO Number | The PO number of the vendor |
| Billed to Date | The date the vendor was billed |
| Timekeepers | Any timekeepers for the vendor |
| Budget Last Requested | The date the budget was last requested |
| Last Notified | The date the vendor was last notified |
Use the up/down arrows next to each column to sort by that detail. You can use the search bar to search for specific files; additionally, you can use the drop-down menu to customize how many files you'd like to see on screen. Use the Manage Filters option to view which vendors you'd like to see on the screen.
Use the Download Data button to download the vendor information as an .XSLX file.
Click on the Plus sign to bring up the Customize Table Columns menu. You can search for Available Columns and move them to the Selected Columns section. Click Apply to save or Cancel to back out. Click Reset to Default to go back to the original settings.
Assign Vendor
Click on the Assign Vendor button to assign a vendor to the matter.
The Add to Vendor Assignment to Matters screen will appear; you'll have to select the Assigned Vendor (required) and Vendor Lead from the drop-down menus. Click on the check box to Request A Budget From This Vendor For This Matter. Click Save to submit the vendor or Cancel to back out.
Invoices
Use the Invoices page to view invoices associated with the matter. On the main invoices screen, you can see the:
- Invoice number
- Invoice Amount
- Invoice Status
- Received date
- Invoice Date
- Vendor
- Approvable (Yes/No)
- Actions (more below)
Use the up/down arrows next to each column to sort by that detail. You can also use the top buttons to search by specific categories (click Apply to search, Clear to clear your search term, or Cancel to back out; use the Manage Filters section to choose which type of invoices you'd like to see on the screen.
You can use the search bar to search for specific files; additionally, you can use the drop-down menu to customize how many files you'd like to see on screen.
Click on the Plus sign to bring up the Customize Table Columns menu. You can search for Available Columns and move them to the Selected Columns section. Click Apply to save or Cancel to back out. Click Reset to Default to go back to the original settings.
Click on the three-dot menu underneath the Actions column to:
- Export as Excel
- Approve an invoice
- Reject an invoice
- Mark an invoice Paid
- Resume Approval
- Pause Approval
- Mark Sent to AP
- Resend Approval Emails
For more on working with invoices, view our Invoice Unity user guide.
Contacts
Use the Contacts page to view, assign, and create new contacts associated with the matter.
On the main Contacts screen you’ll see the:
- First Name of the contact
- Last Name of the contact
- Role of the contact
- Contact Email
- Contact Phone Number
- Contact Company
Use the up/down arrows next to each column to sort by that detail. You can use the search bar to search for specific files; additionally, you can use the drop-down menu to customize how many files you'd like to see on screen. Use the Manage Filters drop-down menu to choose what contacts you'd like to see on the screen. Click on the Download Data button to export the data as an .XLSX file.
Assigning a Contact
Click on the Assign Contact button to assign a vendor to the matter. When you click Assign Contact, the Add to Contact Involvement to Matters screen will appear. Select the Contact and Roles from the drop-down menu and click Save to assign the contact or Cancel to back out.
You'll see the contact and the roles appear on the Contacts screen.
Updates
Use the Updates page to view and add important text updates about the matter. You can see the Date, the date the update was Updated By, and the actual Update text.
Use the up/down arrows next to each column to sort by that detail.
You can use the search bar to search for specific updates; additionally, you can use the drop-down menu to customize how many updates you'd like to see on screen. Use the Manage Filters drop-down menu to choose what contacts you'd like to see on the screen. Click on Download Data to download the update information as an .XLSX file.
Submitting an Update
To submit an update, click on the Submit Update button in the right-hand corner.
The Add to Matter Updates screen should appear. Fill out the Update text box and click Save to add or Cancel to back out.
You'll see the new update appear on the main Updates screen.
Files
Use the Files tab to view, add, and edit files. You can see the File Type, the Name, the Current Version, date the update was Last Updated, who it was Updated By, the Size, and Actions.
Use the up/down arrows next to each column to sort by that detail. You can also use the top buttons to search by specific categories (click Apply to search, Clear to clear your search term, or Cancel to back out; use the Manage Filters section to choose which type of invoices you'd like to see on the screen.
You can use the search bar to search for specific updates; additionally, you can use the drop-down menu to customize how many updates you'd like to see on screen.
Click on the link under Name to go to the File Detail screen. More information on that here.
To view all documents within Matters, go to the Documents option in the Settings screen.
Click on the Plus sign to bring up the Customize Table Columns menu. You can search for Available Columns and move them to the Selected Columns section. Click Apply to save or Cancel to back out. Click Reset to Default to go back to the original settings.
Click on the three-dot menu under Actions to Rename, Download, Add a New Version, or Delete the file.
Clicking on Rename will bring up this screen. Edit the title and click Save to save the changes or Cancel to back out.
Clicking on Download will download the file to the desktop.
Clicking on Add New Version will bring up this screen. Upload the new version of the file; you can add a Comment and use the check box to mark it as a Major Change (if necessary). Click Save to save the changes or Cancel to back out.
Clicking on Delete will bring up this screen. Click Yes to delete or Cancel to back out.
File Detail
Click on the File Name link to open up the File Detail screen. There, you can switch between the Overview and Version History tabs.
On the Overview tab, you can see Attributes (File name, Current Version, Matter, Last Updated, and Updated By) along with an Activity Log. Click View all to see the full activity details.
On the Version History screen, you can see the details of the different versions uploaded; you'll see details on the Name, Major Version and Minor Version numbers and the Comment text. Use the up/down arrows next to each column to sort by that detail. You can also use the top buttons to search by specific categories (click Apply to search, Clear to clear your search term, or Cancel to back out; use the Manage Filters section to choose which type of invoices you'd like to see on the screen.
You can use the search bar to search for specific updates; additionally, you can use the drop-down menu to customize how many updates you'd like to see on screen.
Use the three-button menu under Actions to Delete or Download the details.
Click on the Plus sign to bring up the Customize Table Columns menu. You can search for Available Columns and move them to the Selected Columns section. Click Apply to save or Cancel to back out. Click Reset to Default to go back to the original settings.
Allocations
Use the Allocations tab to view, add, and edit allocations.
The main allocations screen will display:
- Percentage (you’ll see the total percentage on the bottom)
- Legal Entity
- Cost Code
Click the up/down arrows next to each column to sort by that column. You can also use the Search bar to search for specific allocations.
Adding an Allocation
Click on Add Allocation to add an allocation to the matter. You'll have to fill in the Percentage, Legal Entity (drop-down menu), and Cost Code (drop-down menu). Use the three-dot menu to Delete an allocation. Click Save to save the allocation or Cancel to back out.
Editing an Allocation
Click on Edit Allocation to edit an existing. Update the Percentage, Legal Entity (drop-down menu), and Cost Code (drop-down menu) (if necessary). Click Save to save the allocation or Cancel to back out.
