# Matter Lifecycle and Status Management

## Purpose

This guide explains how authorized users move an existing matter through intake, conflict clearance, acceptance, active work, hold, closure, and archiving. Lifecycle controls extend the existing Matter Management workspace; they do not create a separate matter record.

## Permissions

| Activity | Required permission |
| --- | --- |
| View matters, lifecycle stage, and history | View Matters (`matters_read`) |
| Move a matter through intake, clearance, acceptance, active, and on-hold stages | Change Matter Status (`matters_change_status`) |
| Close, reopen, archive, or restore a matter | Close Matters (`matters_close`) |
| Edit ordinary matter details | Update Matters (`matters_update`) |

The interface only presents transitions available to the signed-in user. The server applies the same permissions and lifecycle rules to direct API requests.

## Lifecycle Stages

| Stage | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| Intake | The matter has been created and is being prepared for review. |
| Pending Conflict Clearance | Conflict review must be completed before acceptance. |
| Pending Acceptance | Conflict requirements are satisfied and the matter is awaiting acceptance. |
| Active | The matter has been accepted and ordinary work can proceed. Litigation records can only be created for active matters. |
| On Hold | Work is temporarily paused while all existing records and relationships remain intact. |
| Closed | Ordinary work is complete. The matter remains available but operational changes are blocked until it is reopened. |
| Archived | The closed matter is retained as a protected historical record. |

Existing matters stored with the legacy **Accepted** value are preserved. They can move to **Active**. New requests using the legacy Accepted action are recorded as **Pending Acceptance**.

## Allowed Transitions

The normal lifecycle is:

1. **Intake** to **Pending Conflict Clearance** or **Pending Acceptance**.
2. **Pending Conflict Clearance** to **Pending Acceptance**.
3. **Pending Acceptance** to **Active**.
4. **Active** to **On Hold** or **Closed**.
5. **On Hold** to **Active** or **Closed**.
6. **Closed** to **Active** when reopening, or to **Archived**.
7. **Archived** to **Closed** when restoring a historical matter.

Stages cannot be skipped. For example, an Intake matter cannot be moved directly to Active, and an Active matter cannot be archived before it is closed.

## Changing a Matter Stage

From the matters list:

1. Open **Practice > Matters**.
2. Find the matter and select the flag action in the **Action** column.
3. Review the current stage and available next stages.
4. Select the next stage.
5. Enter a reason when requested.
6. Select **Update status**.

From a matter profile:

1. Select the matter reference in the matters list.
2. In **Matter lifecycle**, select an available transition.
3. Enter a reason or justification when requested.
4. Select **Confirm transition**.

Blocked transitions remain visible with an explanation, such as a pending conflict clearance, rejected conflict review, open task, or unsettled invoice.

## Conflict Clearance and Acceptance

A matter cannot move to Pending Acceptance or Active unless its latest matter-specific conflict check is **Clear** or **Approved**.

If the latest check is **Pending Review** or **Rejected**:

1. Open **Practice > Matters > Conflict Checks**.
2. Review the latest matter-specific check.
3. Have an authorized reviewer approve or reject proceeding.
4. Return to the matter and complete the available lifecycle transition.

Moving a matter to Active records the accepting user and acceptance time. Conflict validation is enforced by the backend and cannot be bypassed with a direct API request.

## Placing a Matter On Hold

1. Open an Active matter.
2. Select **On Hold** in the lifecycle card.
3. Enter the reason for the hold.
4. Confirm the transition.

The matter's documents, tasks, communications, financial records, team, and litigation relationship remain unchanged. When work resumes, select **Active**.

## Closing a Matter

Only users with Close Matters permission can close a matter.

Before closure:

- complete or cancel every open task; and
- pay, write off, or cancel every outstanding invoice.

To close:

1. Open an Active or On Hold matter.
2. Select **Closed**.
3. Enter closure remarks of at least five characters.
4. Confirm the transition.

The system records the closure date, responsible user, and remarks. It does not delete or archive related documents, tasks, communications, financial records, or litigation information.

## Reopening a Closed Matter

1. Open the closed matter.
2. Select **Reopen as Active**.
3. Enter the reopening justification.
4. Confirm the transition.

The system records the responsible user, date, and justification. Existing records and lifecycle history remain intact.

## Archiving and Restoring

Only a Closed matter can be archived.

1. Open the closed matter.
2. Select **Archived**.
3. Enter the archival reason.
4. Confirm the transition.

Archived matters remain searchable and retrievable. Ordinary edits, team changes, and opposing-party changes are unavailable while the matter is archived.

To return an archived matter to the closed register, select **Restore to Closed** and provide a justification. Reopen it separately if operational work must resume.

## Lifecycle History and Audit Trail

The **Matter lifecycle** card shows transitions in chronological order. Each entry includes:

- the previous and new stage;
- the user responsible;
- the date and time; and
- the reason or remarks, when supplied.

Lifecycle transitions are also captured by the existing matter activity logging system. The **Activity Log** remains in the right column of the matter profile.

## Closed and Archived Matter Protection

Closed and archived matters remain accessible to authorized users, but ordinary matter editing, team assignment changes, and opposing-party changes are blocked. Reopen or restore the matter through an authorized lifecycle action before making operational changes.

Related records are preserved. Closing or archiving does not delete linked litigation cases, documents, tasks, calendar events, communications, e-filings, invoices, or expenses.

## Troubleshooting

| Situation | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| The lifecycle action is missing | Ask an administrator to grant Change Matter Status or Close Matters permission, as appropriate. |
| Pending Acceptance or Active is blocked | Resolve the latest pending or rejected matter-specific conflict check. |
| Closure is blocked by tasks | Complete or cancel every open task, then try again. |
| Closure is blocked by invoices | Pay, write off, or cancel every outstanding invoice, then try again. |
| A stage does not appear | The stage is not a valid next transition from the current lifecycle stage. |
| Matter fields cannot be edited | Closed and archived matters must be reopened or restored before ordinary changes are allowed. |
| A litigation matter is unavailable | Litigation creation only lists matters currently in the Active stage. |