Matter Workspace

The Matter Workspace is your central hub for managing an open matter. View key information at a glance, edit client details, generate documents, and track progress through workflow stages.

Opening a Matter

There are several ways to open a matter in the workspace:

1. From Recent Matters: Click a matter in the Recent Matters list on the home screen
2. From Search: Use the global search field (⌘ + F) to find and open a matter
3. From Finder: Double-click a .certum file in the matter folder
4. Via URL: Use a certum://open?matter=000108 link (e.g., from Notion)
5. After Creation: Click “Open Matter” on the matter creation completion screen

The Workspace Layout

The Matter Workspace is divided into three main sections, accessible via the sidebar:

Overview

The default view showing key information at a glance:

• Matter Card — Matter number, type, and description with copy button
• Client Card — Client name, address, and contact details
• Property Card — Property address (for conveyancing matters)
• Workflow Timeline — Visual progress through matter stages
• Pinned Matters — Pin frequently-used matters to the sidebar for one-click access

Shared Note

If Notion integration is configured, you’ll see the Shared Note from your Notion matter page. This note is visible to all team members and syncs bidirectionally — edit it here or in Notion.

@mentions in the Shared Note are highlighted in accent colour. Typing @Rodney in the editor creates a proper Notion mention (with notifications) when saved.

Details

The full form for editing all matter fields:

• Workflow Stage Tabs — Switch between stages (Intake, Contract, Settlement, etc.)
• Form Sections — Organised by category (Client, Property, Matter, etc.)
• Conditional Fields — Blocks and fields hide or show based on gating booleans (e.g., “Is Strata?” controls whether strata-related fields appear)
• Computed Fields — Some fields auto-calculate from other values (e.g., full name from given name + surname, GST from price)
• Read-Only Mode — When another user holds the matter lock, you can view all details but editing is disabled. A banner shows who has the lock.

Auto-Save

Changes save automatically after 2.5 seconds of inactivity. Look for the green “Saved” indicator in the footer. You can also press ⌘ + S to save immediately.

Tip

Use ⌘ + Z to undo individual field edits.

Documents

Browse and manage generated documents:

• Search — Filter documents by name
• Sort — By name, date, or type
• QuickLook Preview — Click the eye icon to preview without opening
• Batch Selection — Toggle selection mode to operate on multiple documents

Workflow Timeline

The timeline at the top of the Overview shows your progress through the matter’s workflow stages:

• Completed stages show a green checkmark
• Current stage shows as a highlighted dot
• Future stages show as grey circles

Click any stage to jump to its form section in the Details tab.

Note

The workflow stage is saved automatically and appears in the Overview status area.

Toolbar Actions

The toolbar provides quick access to common actions:

Action	Shortcut	Description
Email Client	⌘ + E	Compose email with pre-filled subject
Open Folder	—	Open matter folder in Finder
New Document	⌘ + N	Launch document generation wizard
Copy Matter #	⌘ + C	Copy matter number to clipboard
Print Summary	⌘ + P	Print A4 matter summary
Export ZIP	—	Package matter as ZIP archive
Open in Notion	—	Open the linked Notion page

Batch Document Operations

To work with multiple documents at once:

1. Click the selection toggle button in the Documents toolbar
2. Check the documents you want to work with
3. Use the batch action buttons:
   • Open All — Open selected documents in their default apps
   • Email All — Attach selected documents to an email
   • Show in Finder — Reveal selected documents

QuickLook Preview

Preview documents without opening them:

1. In the Documents section, find the document you want to preview
2. Click the eye icon on the document row
3. A preview sheet appears with the document content
4. Close the preview to continue working

Institutions (Estates)

For estate matters, the sidebar shows an Institutions section after the first workflow stage. This is where you track banks, super funds, aged care providers, and other asset holders.

Adding Institutions

Click the + button in the institutions toolbar to open the institution picker:

• Search by name, ABN, or address
• Filter by type (Bank, Super Fund, Aged Care, etc.)
• Institution logos load automatically
• Click to add, then enter account/member/policy numbers

Institution Lifecycle

Each institution progresses through phases:

1. To Notify — generate a Notice of Death letter
2. Awaiting Response — notice sent, waiting for the institution to respond
3. Awaiting Grant — institution requires Grant of Probate (not yet issued)
4. Ready for Grant — grant has been issued, generate Grant Letter
5. Awaiting Funds — grant letter sent, waiting for assets to be released
6. Complete — funds received

The current phase and next action are shown for each institution. When the Grant of Probate is recorded on the matter, a banner appears offering to batch-generate all grant letters at once.

Recording a Response

Click “Record Response” to capture:

• Response date
• Whether Grant of Probate is required (Yes / No / Unsure)
• Requirements notes (what the institution needs to release assets)

Tip

For a full guide to the institution workflow, see Institution Notifications.

AML/CTF Compliance

Purchase, Sale, and Estates matters include a Compliance tab (second workflow stage) with blocks for:

• Identity Verification — ID document type, number, expiry, verification method
• PEP & Sanctions Screening — Politically Exposed Person checks, DFAT sanctions
• Risk Assessment — Client, transaction, and jurisdiction risk factors (Low/Medium/High)
• Source of Funds — Funding source, transaction value, evidence sighted
• Source of Wealth — Only visible when Enhanced Due Diligence is required (High risk)
• Compliance Status — Overall status, red flags, SMR tracking

Click the shield icon in the header toolbar for quick access to the Compliance tab. Generate a CDD Report PDF from the shield menu.

Tip

For a full guide to the compliance workflow, see AML/CTF Compliance.

Print Summary

Generate a printable summary of the matter:

1. Click Print Summary in the toolbar (or press ⌘ + P)
2. Review the A4-formatted summary showing:
   • Matter and client details
   • Property information (if applicable)
   • List of generated documents
3. Print or save as PDF

Export as ZIP

Package the entire matter for sharing or archiving:

1. Click Export as ZIP in the More menu
2. Choose a save location
3. The ZIP file is created and revealed in Finder

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Switch to Overview	⌘ + 1
Switch to Details	⌘ + 2
Switch to Documents	⌘ + 3
Save	⌘ + S
Undo	⌘ + Z
Refresh Documents	⌘ + R
Email Client	⌘ + E
Print Summary	⌘ + P
Close Matter	⌘ + W

Troubleshooting

Changes not saving

Auto-save requires 2.5 seconds of inactivity. If you’re typing continuously, wait a moment or press ⌘ + S.

”Matter locked by another user”

Another instance of Certum Draft has this matter open. Close it there first, or dismiss the warning to open in read-only mode.

Documents not appearing

Click the refresh button in the Documents toolbar. If documents still don’t appear, check that they exist in the matter folder.

Shared Note not loading

Ensure Notion integration is configured in Preferences. The note requires an active internet connection and valid Notion credentials.