Matter Numbering¶

Configure how matter numbers are generated.

Number Formats¶

Choose from three numbering formats:

Year + Sequential (Default)¶

Format: 2025-00001

4-digit year + 5-digit sequential number
Resets to 00001 at the start of each year
Good for: Offices that want year-based organisation

Short Year + Sequential¶

Format: 25-00001

2-digit year + 5-digit sequential number
Resets to 00001 at the start of each year
Good for: Shorter references while keeping year context

Pure Sequential¶

Format: 013544

6-digit sequential number
Never resets - continues forever
Good for: Migrating from existing systems, long-running practices

Setting the Next Number¶

For Pure Sequential Format¶

When using Pure Sequential, you can set the starting number:

Open Preferences > Matters
Select Pure Sequential (6-digit)
Enter the next number in the Next Number field
Click Save Settings

Auto-Detect from Existing Matters¶

If you're migrating from an existing system:

Open Preferences > Matters
Select Pure Sequential (6-digit)
Click Auto-detect
Certum Draft scans your matters folder and finds the highest existing number
The next number is automatically set to continue from there

Example

If your highest existing matter is 013544, Auto-detect sets the next number to 013545.

How Numbering Works¶

Shared Counter¶

When your matters folder is on a shared drive, Certum Draft uses a shared counter file:

[Matters Folder]/.matter-counter.json

This ensures that if multiple people create matters at the same time, everyone gets a unique number.

Local Counter (Fallback)¶

If the shared counter isn't available (e.g., offline or permission issues), Certum Draft uses a local counter stored in your preferences. This is per-computer, so be careful when multiple people work on the same matters folder.

Folder Naming¶

In addition to the matter number, you can customise how folder names are constructed.

Default Template¶

{matterNumber} - {surname} {givenName} - {matterType}

Result: 013544 - SMITH John - Conveyancing Purchase

Available Placeholders¶

Placeholder	Description	Example
`{matterNumber}`	The generated matter number	`013544`
`{surname}`	Client surname (uppercase)	`SMITH`
`{givenName}`	Client first name	`John`
`{matterType}`	Type of matter	`Conveyancing Purchase`

Customising the Template¶

Open Preferences > Matters
Edit the Folder Naming Template field
Click Save Settings

Be Careful

Keep folder names reasonable in length. Very long names can cause issues with file paths on some systems.