Best Matter Management Software: Top Solutions Compared

March 7, 2025

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In-house legal teams manage a high volume of matters. But without the right tools in place, tracking requests, workflows, and outcomes can become inefficient.  

And legal teams relying solely on email such as Outlook for tracking matters will most likely find that Microsoft Matter Management is not a sustainable or effective method of managing matters.

On the other hand, legal-specific matter management software helps legal teams centralize work, automate processes, and improve reporting.  

With many options available, finding the best legal matter management software depends on your team’s specific needs—whether it’s automation, integrations, or ease of use.

This guide compares the top matter management software solutions, highlighting key features and differences.  

Best Matter Management Software Compared

With many software options available to help with legal matter management, choosing the right one depends on factors like automation, reporting, ease of use, and integration capabilities. Below is a legal matter management software comparison of the top solutions, outlining their key features and considerations.

Checkbox Matter Management

AI-powered automation & in-house legal team tools

  • AI-powered intake to streamline matter requests and eliminate manual triage
  • Automated workflows for tracking and managing legal work efficiently
  • Real-time dashboards and reporting for visibility into workload and performance
  • Customizable workflows to fit specific legal team needs
  • Seamless integrations with business and legal tools like Microsoft 365 and Salesforce
Onit Matter Management

Enterprise-level workflow automation

  • Highly customizable workflow automation for large organizations
  • Strong e-billing and spend management features
  • Requires IT support for implementation and maintenance
CSC Matter Management

Corporate compliance & entity management

  • Focused on corporate legal teams managing regulatory compliance
  • Strong integration with CSC’s compliance and governance tools
  • Limited automation features for general matter management
Serengeti Legal Matter Management

Legal spend tracking & reporting

  • Robust spend management and outside counsel tracking
  • Advanced reporting and analytics tools
  • Complex implementation process
Mitratech Matter Management

Integrated e-billing & legal operations

  • Strong e-billing and legal operations management capabilities
  • Requires IT support for customization
  • More suitable for enterprise legal teams
CounselLink Matter Management

Budget control

  • Budget-focused solution with spend management features
  • Strong vendor and invoice management capabilities
  • Less customizable compared to other platforms
SimpleLegal Matter Management

Ease of use for medium-sized legal teams

  • User-friendly interface with e-billing and reporting
  • Lacks extensive workflow automation
  • More suited for mid-market companies
SharePoint Legal Matter Management

Integration with existing Microsoft tools

  • Customizable for legal teams already using Microsoft 365
  • Requires IT support for setup and maintenance
  • Lacks out-of-the-box legal-specific features
Salesforce Legal Matter Management

Integration with existing Salesforce CRM

  • Integrates with Salesforce ecosystem
  • Limited legal-specific features without customization
  • Best for organizations already using Salesforce extensively
HighQ (Thomson Reuters) Matter Management

Contract & document management

  • Strong document and contract management capabilities
  • Advanced collaboration tools
  • Lacks built-in matter intake automation
ServiceNow Legal Matter Management

IT-driven legal workflows

  • IT-focused platform with legal workflow add-ons
  • Strong automation capabilities
  • Requires significant customization for legal-specific use cases

LexisNexis Matter Management

Legal research-driven tracking

  • Integrated with LexisNexis legal research tools
  • Basic matter tracking features
  • Not as advanced in workflow automation
CoreMatter Legal

Budget friendly software

  • Cloud-based and cost-effective
  • Basic matter tracking and document storage
  • Limited automation and reporting features

LawVu Matter Management

Contract lifecycle management

  • Combines matter management with contract lifecycle management
  • User-friendly but less customizable
  • More suited for teams that prioritize contract tracking
Clio Matter Management

Tools for small law firms & legal practices

  • Designed for law firms rather than in-house teams
  • Strong time tracking and billing features
  • Lacks enterprise-level automation and reporting

Each of these solutions have strengths depending on your legal team’s priorities. However, Checkbox stands out as an AI-powered, fully customizable legal matter management solution built specifically for in-house teams—offering automation, real-time tracking, and seamless integrations without complex implementation.

How to Choose the Right Matter Management Software

Selecting the best legal matter management software depends on your team’s specific needs, existing workflows, and long-term goals. Here are key factors to consider—and questions to ask yourself—when evaluating matter management solutions:

1. Workflow Automation & AI Capabilities

  • Does the software automate matter intake and triage?
  • Can it streamline approvals, task assignments, and document workflows?
  • Does it use AI to improve efficiency and reduce manual work?

2. Customization & Scalability

  • Can the system be tailored to fit your legal team’s processes?
  • Will it scale as your team and workload grow?
  • Does it require heavy IT involvement for customization?

3. Visibility & Reporting

  • Does it provide real-time dashboards to track matter progress?
  • Can you generate reports on legal workload, performance, and trends?
  • Is it easy to share insights with leadership?

4. Integration with Existing Tools

  • Does it integrate with Microsoft 365, Salesforce, or other business tools?
  • Can it connect with e-billing, contract management, and document storage platforms?
  • Does it work within existing legal tech stacks without disrupting workflows?

5. Ease of Use & Adoption

  • Is the interface user-friendly for legal teams and business users?
  • How much training is required for adoption?
  • Does it support self-service capabilities for legal intake?

6. Cost vs. Value (ROI)

  • Is pricing transparent and aligned with your budget?
  • Does the software deliver measurable efficiency improvements?
  • Are there hidden costs for implementation, support, or additional features?

Making the Right Choice

If your team needs a comprehensive matter management solution that automates intake, enhances visibility, and scales with your business, a platform like Checkbox may be the best fit. It combines AI-powered automation, real-time reporting, and seamless integrations, making it an ideal choice for in-house legal teams looking to improve efficiency and demonstrate their value to the business.

How Can Checkbox Help?

Checkbox is a leading matter management software solution designed to help in-house legal teams streamline matter management with AI-powered intake and triage, automated workflows, and real-time reporting—all in a single, easy-to-use platform.  

Unlike traditional matter management software, Checkbox eliminates manual triage, improves visibility, and reduces reliance on IT for customization. Key features of Checkbox matter management include:

✅ AI-Powered Intake & Triage

  • Automates legal intake by capturing, categorizing, and routing requests
  • Reduces time spent sorting through emails and spreadsheets
  • Ensures business users submit complete and structured requests

✅ Automated Workflows & Approvals

  • Assigns matters, sets deadlines, and automates approvals
  • Standardizes processes while allowing for flexibility
  • Reduces administrative burden on legal teams

✅ Real-Time Tracking & Reporting

  • Provides a single source of truth for all matters and workloads
  • Offers real-time dashboards to track legal team performance
  • Generates detailed reports to demonstrate legal’s impact to leadership

✅ Seamless Integrations

  • Connects with Microsoft 365, Salesforce, Slack, and other business tools
  • Works alongside existing e-billing, contract, and document management systems (i.e. DocuSign)
  • Reduces the need to switch between multiple platforms

✅ Scalability Without IT Complexity

  • Easily customizable without coding or IT support
  • Grows with your legal team as workload increases
  • Supports legal teams of all sizes, from mid-market to enterprise

With Checkbox, legal teams can gain complete visibility into legal workloads, standardize and automate matter workflows, and scale efficiently without additional headcount.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive matter management solution that enhances efficiency and visibility, Checkbox can help. See how it works by scheduling a demo today.

Try Checkbox Now

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