Creating a New Matter

When you take on a new client or matter, the first step is creating a matter in Certum Draft. This sets up the folder structure, records client details, and optionally syncs with Notion.

Starting the New Matter Wizard

There are two ways to create a new matter:

1. Keyboard shortcut: Press ⌘ + Shift + N
2. Menu: Choose File → New Matter…

You can also start a matter from a Potential New Matter (PNM): open the Lead in the inspector and click Convert to Matter. See Potential New Matters for the lead-to-matter flow. When the wizard opens from a Lead, the matter type, person acting and matter name are pre-filled from the Lead — you still pick the client explicitly.

Step 1: Select or Create a Client

The wizard opens at the client step. You can:

• Pick an existing client — type in the search field and choose from matching results. If Notion is connected, this searches your Notion clients database.
• Add a new client — click Create New Client to enter details manually.
• Add multiple clients — after selecting or creating one client, click Add Another Client to add more parties (couples, co-purchasers, co-executors).

When you have all the clients you need, click Next.

Step 2: Choose Matter Type

The next screen shows available matter types (also called templates). Each type has:

• A specific set of fields to collect
• A predefined folder structure
• Associated document templates

Common matter types:

• Estates (deceased estates, probate)
• Conveyancing (purchase / sale of land)
• Wills, POAs & Enduring Guardians
• Lease (tenant or landlord)
• Advice (general legal advice)

Note

The available matter types depend on what your administrator has set up in the Templates folder.

Select the appropriate type and click Next.

Tip

If you have many matter types, use the search field to filter the list.

Client Details (Create New Client)

If you clicked Create New Client, enter the details:

• Title (Mr, Mrs, Ms, Dr, etc.)
• Given Names
• Surname
• Address (street, suburb, state, postcode)
• Contact details (mobile, landline, email)

Address Autocomplete

The street-address field offers MapKit suggestions as you type. Picking a suggestion fills the suburb, state and postcode for you. You can still edit any field by hand if MapKit’s match is approximate.

Note

The wizard’s address autocomplete is an assist — it does not stamp the address as verified. Address verification (the verified-address marker shown on a client card) happens later in the Matter Workspace.

Multiple Clients

For matters involving couples or multiple parties (co-purchasers, co-executors):

1. Enter the first client’s details and click Add to matter
2. Back on the client step, click Add Another Client
3. Enter the next client’s details
4. Repeat for additional parties

Folder Naming: Multi-client matters automatically include both names in the folder: 000108 - SCHRUTE Dwight & SCHRUTE Angela - Sale of Schrute Farms

Contact Numbers

Certum Draft collects mobile and landline numbers separately:

Field	Use For
Mobile	Mobile phone number
Landline	Home or work phone

Tip

When syncing with Notion, both numbers are combined with a pipe separator: 0412 345 678 | 02 9876 5432

Step 3: Matter Details

These fields are specific to the matter type you selected.

For Estates

Field	Description
Deceased Name	Full name of the deceased
Date of Death	When the deceased passed away
Matter Description	Brief description (used in folder name)
Person Acting	Solicitor with carriage

For Conveyancing

Field	Description
Property Address	Address of the property
Purchase/Sale Price	Transaction amount
Settlement Date	Expected settlement
Other Party	Name of vendor/purchaser

For Wills

Field	Description
Matter Type	Will, POA, EG, or combination
Person Acting	Solicitor with carriage

Note

The fields shown depend on your matter type’s configuration. Your administrator can customise these.

Step 4: Shared Note (Optional)

If Notion integration is configured, you can add an initial shared note:

• Visible to all team members in Notion
• Syncs bidirectionally with the Matter Workspace
• Supports @mentions for notifications

Step 5: Review and Create

The final screen shows a summary:

• Matter Number: Auto-generated (e.g., 000108)
• Folder Name: Based on your naming template
• Location: Where the folder will be created
• Notion Status: Whether matter/client will be created in Notion

Review the details and click Create Matter.

What Gets Created

When you create a matter, Certum Draft:

1. Creates a folder with the matter number and name
2. Sets up subfolders based on the matter type
3. Creates a .certum file for quick access from Finder
4. Saves a matter file containing all details
5. Copies starter files if configured
6. Creates in Notion (if configured):
   • New matter page linked to client
   • New client page (if client doesn’t exist)
   • Team members tagged
   • Certum link saved to matter page

Example Folder Structure

000108 - SCHRUTE Dwight - Estate of Mose Schrute/
├── 000108.certum             ← Double-click to open in Certum Draft
├── 000108-matter.json        ← Matter data
├── Correspondence/
│   ├── Incoming/
│   └── Outgoing/
├── Working Documents/
├── Accounts/
│   └── Office_Accounting.xlsx
└── Safe Custody/

Finder Colour Labels

If your administrator has configured colour labels, the folder is automatically tagged:

• Based on the “Person Acting” field
• Visible in Finder with the assigned colour
• Configured in Preferences → Matters → Finder Colour Labels

Next Steps

After creating a matter, you can:

• Open Matter — Opens the Matter Workspace for this matter
• Show in Finder — Reveals the folder in Finder
• Generate documents using the client details
• Edit matter details in the Matter Workspace

Guided Interview

When you open a newly created matter, Certum Draft detects that the form is mostly empty and offers a guided interview mode. This presents one form block at a time from the first workflow stage, with a progress bar and Back/Next navigation.

• Skip to full form — click “Skip to full form” at any time to go straight to the tabbed workspace
• Complete — when you reach the last step, click “Complete” to land on the Details tab with all your data saved
• Auto-save — your answers are saved as you go, just like the regular form

The interview is ideal for standardising intake across your practice — everyone answers the same questions in the same order.

Quick Entry Mode

If you only need the essential fields right now, the Matter Workspace has a Quick Entry toggle (shown above the Details form when the template defines quick-entry fields). With Quick Entry on, only fields marked quick_entry: true in the template are visible. You can leave the wizard’s Matter Details step lightly filled, create the matter, then finish data entry incrementally in the Workspace.

Tip

The Matter Workspace auto-saves as you type, so adding information piecemeal is safe — see Matter Workspace.

Troubleshooting

”Matter number already exists”

The auto-detected next number conflicts with an existing folder. Certum Draft will automatically increment to the next available number.

”Failed to create in Notion”

Notion creation is non-blocking — the local matter is still created. Check:

• Internet connection
• Notion integration token validity
• Database permissions

Folder not appearing in expected location

Check the Matters folder setting in Preferences. If you used “New Matter Here” from Finder, the matter is created in the selected folder instead.