Skip to content

Quick Start

This guide walks you through creating your first matter and generating documents.

Certum Draft helps you:

  1. Create matters with consistent folder structures
  2. Fill in client details once
  3. Generate documents that automatically include those details

When you open Certum Draft, the dashboard is your home base.

Certum Draft dashboard with the greeting at the top, the matters search bar, Key Dates, the Today and Recent panels, and Open Leads and Institution Notifications below

From the toolbar you can:

  • New Matter — open the new-matter wizard (⌘ + N). The chevron beside it lists the other New commands: New Document (⌘ + Shift + D), New Lead (⌘ + Shift + P, once your Notion Leads database is configured) and New Task (⌘ + Shift + T, once the Tasks database is configured)
  • Open — open an existing matter folder (⌘ + O)

The sidebar on the left switches between the app’s main destinations: Dashboard (⌘ + 1), Matters (⌘ + 2), Leads (⌘ + 3), Reference (⌘ + 4) and Tasks (⌘ + 5).

The search bar sits above Key Dates; under it, the Today panel holds your tasks and the Recent panel your matters, with Open Leads and Institution Notifications below. NSW Land Registry and court processing times live under Reference. The Dashboard page covers each part.

  1. Press ⌘ + N or choose File → New Matter
  2. Select the matter type (e.g., Estates, Conveyancing)
  3. Enter the client details:
    • Client name
    • Address
    • Contact information
  4. Add any matter-specific details the template requires
  5. Choose where to save the matter
  6. Click Create Matter

A new folder is created with:

  • A unique matter number
  • The folder structure for that matter type
  • A matter file containing all the details you entered

When you open a new matter for the first time, Certum Draft offers a guided interview — a step-by-step walkthrough that asks for the essential information. You can skip to the full form at any time.

  1. Open your matter folder
  2. Press ⌘ + Shift + D or choose File → New Document
  3. Select which templates to generate
  4. Review any missing information and fill it in
  5. Click Generate Documents

Your documents appear in the matter folder, ready to review and use.

ActionShortcut
New Matter⌘ + N
New Lead⌘ + Shift + P
New Document⌘ + Shift + D
Open Matter⌘ + O
New Task⌘ + Shift + T
Search Matters⌘ + K
Matters / Leads / Reference / Tasks⌘ + 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Settings⌘ + ,