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Guide to Matter Management
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Matter management and tracking software is a centralized system that helps in-house legal departments manage, track, and report on all legal work from intake to resolution.
It acts as a digital hub where legal teams can organize matters, assign tasks, collaborate with the business, and gain real-time visibility into legal operations.
For legal departments under pressure to scale efficiently and demonstrate value, this kind of software is essential. It replaces fragmented tools like spreadsheets or email with a single source of truth that enables better collaboration, visibility, and performance across the legal function.
What Can Matter Management & Tracking Software Do?
In-house legal departments need more than just a place to store matters. They need tools that actually drive efficiency, visibility, and control. Here’s what the best matter management and tracking softwares enable:
☝️ Centralized Intake-to-Resolution Tracking
Legal work should be traceable from the moment a request comes in to when the matter is closed. Centralized tracking and matter dashboards create a clear, auditable workflow and eliminates room for missed steps or hidden bottlenecks.
📊 Real-Time Dashboards & Actionable Data
Modern matter management and tracking platforms surface key insights (i.e. open matters, cycle times, and team workload) through dynamic dashboards. Legal leaders can make faster, more informed decisions without having to dig through data.
💡Pro Tip: Don’t wait until quarter-end to pull performance data. Use platforms with real-time reporting to run monthly or even weekly snapshots. This helps legal leaders proactively manage capacity and show value to the business on an ongoing basis.
⚙️ Workflow Adaptability Across Matter Types
Whether you’re handling contracts, compliance issues, litigation, or regulatory reviews, matter management software can adapt to fit the process. The best platforms for this are the ones that offer no-code capabilities so that you can customize your workflows without the need for IT support.
👁️ Visibility for Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
A single, transparent matter management platform keeps stakeholders aligned. Business users can submit and track requests easily, while legal professionals maintain oversight and control.
✅ Ease of Use for legal & Non-Legal Users
Adoption depends on usability. Matter management and tracking tools such as Checkbox are built to be intuitive for everyone, from senior counsel to business teams. This reduces training times and boosts engagement across your organization.
Why In-House Teams Are Replacing Legacy Tools
Many in-house legal departments still rely on spreadsheets, email, shared drives, or tools built for other functions like IT ticketing systems. While these tools may have worked in the past, they weren’t designed to manage legal work at scale. Using these for too long often leads to fragmented processes and limited visibility.
Key Risks of Outdated Tools
No visibility into legal’s workload or impact
Leadership can’t see what legal is working on, making it harder to justify headcount or budget.
Inefficient collaboration with the business
Intake via email or chat creates confusion and slows down response times.
Manual, repetitive tasks drain legal’s capacity
High-value legal professionals end up spending time on low-impact admin work.
Reporting is reactive and unreliable
Without real-time data, legal teams can’t provide timely or accurate updates to stakeholders.
Modern legal teams are moving away from patchwork systems in favor of platforms purpose-built for legal work like Checkbox. With AI-powered intake, customizable workflows, and real-time tracking, these platforms give in-house teams the visibility, control, and efficiency they need to operate at a strategic level.
Related Article: Learn about how to stay up-to-date with legal technology trends to get ahead of the game and deliver real value to your organization.
Want to learn more about matter management and tracking software for in-house legal teams? Contact one of our technology consultants today and see how Checkbox helps lawyers manage and track legal work more effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does this software automate legal matter triage and assignment?
Checkbox uses AI-powered intake forms to collect key details upfront, then automatically categorizes and routes matters to the right team member based on pre-set rules or priorities.
What features help me track legal work from request to resolution?
The platform provides centralized matter tracking, real-time status updates, and customizable dashboards so you can monitor progress, deadlines, and outcomes all in one place.
Can I customize workflows and reports to fit my in-house team’s needs?
Yes, matter management and tracking tools like Checkbox offer no-code workflow and reporting tools, allowing legal teams to tailor processes, fields, and data views without IT support.
How does AI enhance matter categorization and routing for efficiency?
AI analyzes intake inputs to identify matter type and urgency, enabling faster, more accurate routing to the appropriate legal resource, reducing bottlenecks and manual triage.
What integrations are available for seamless communication with my team?
Checkbox integrates with tools like Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Slack, and document management systems to streamline communication and keep matters moving across platforms.
Why do in-house legal departments need matter management and tracking software?
In-house legal teams need matter management software to replace fragmented tools, gain visibility into legal work, and operate more efficiently with real-time data, standardized workflows, and centralized reporting.