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When you think about managing legal work, contracts, disputes, and compliance issues likely come to mind. But what underpins all of them is the process of how they’re initiated, tracked, and resolved.
Matter lifecycle management (MLM) is the structured process of handling legal matters from intake to closure. It ensures that every request follows a clear path, improving efficiency, visibility, and accountability. Without it, legal teams risk missing deadlines, struggling with prioritization, and spending too much time on administrative tasks.
In this guide, we’ll break down:
• What matter lifecycle management is
• The key stages of a legal matter
• Best practices for improving efficiency
• How technology, like Checkbox, can help
With the right approach, legal teams can work smarter, scale their impact, and demonstrate their value to the business.
Understanding the Matter Lifecycle: From Intake to Closure
Every legal matter follows a structured process, from the moment a request comes in to when it is resolved and documented. This is known as the matter lifecycle, and managing it effectively is crucial for keeping legal work organized, efficient, and visible to stakeholders.
A matter typically starts with an intake process, where legal captures key details and determines the best course of action. From there, it moves through various stages—assignment, execution, monitoring, and finally, closure. Each stage plays a critical role in ensuring legal matters are handled properly and nothing falls through the cracks.
Without a clear matter lifecycle management process, work becomes fragmented. Requests get lost in inboxes, priorities become unclear, and tracking progress is a challenge. A structured approach, on the other hand, ensures that legal teams can:
- Prioritize effectively – Every request is categorized and assigned based on urgency and importance.
- Stay efficient – Matters move through a defined workflow, reducing back-and-forth and delays.
- Gain visibility – Legal teams and business stakeholders can track progress in real-time.
The goal of legal matter lifecycle management is to create a seamless, scalable system that allows legal teams to manage their workload proactively and with accuracy.
Key Stages of Matter Lifecycle Management
1. Intake & Triage
At this first stage, every legal request is recorded and assessed. Think of it as the “front door” to your legal process. During intake, key information is gathered, and the matter is categorized—setting the stage for the next steps. This stage is essential for determining the matter’s urgency and complexity.
2. Assignment & Prioritization
Once a matter is logged, it needs to be assigned to the right team member. Prioritization happens here: legal teams decide which matters need immediate attention and which can wait. Typically, matters are prioritized based on their risk, importance, and time sensitivity.
3. Execution & Collaboration
After assignment, the matter moves into execution. This is where the work gets done. Legal teams collaborate, communicate, and execute the necessary tasks. Regular updates and checks ensure that everyone is on the same page, reducing delays and avoiding miscommunication.
4. Monitoring & Reporting
Real-time tracking is critical during the active phase of a matter. Monitoring involves keeping a close eye on progress, deadlines, and any emerging issues. Reporting provides transparency, allowing legal teams and business stakeholders to see where each matter stands.
5. Closure & Knowledge Management
The final stage is closure. Once a matter is resolved, all related documentation is finalized and stored for future reference. This stage isn’t just about closing a file—it’s about capturing insights and lessons learned as a closed matter provides valuable historical data to improve future legal processes.
Each stage in the matter lifecycle management process is designed to add structure, clarity, and efficiency to legal work. By moving methodically through these stages, legal teams can reduce risks, enhance collaboration, and demonstrate their value across the organization.
How Checkbox Can Help
Checkbox is a comprehensive web-based platform that addresses key aspects of matter lifecycle management for legal teams. It offers a Legal Service Hub that combines intake, workflow automation, and matter management.
A structured intake process, supported by Checkbox, helps legal teams centralize requests, categorize them appropriately, and route them to the right person automatically. This reduces confusion, ensures work is properly assigned, and prevents important matters from getting lost in inboxes.
Checkbox also allows legal teams to set up and customize workflows to ensure that matters move through a consistent process, reducing bottlenecks and increasing efficiency. Automating repetitive tasks such as tracking deadlines, following up on approvals, and generating routine documents not only speeds up response times but also allows legal professionals to focus on more strategic work.
Additionally, as a centralized tracking system, Checkbox gives legal teams real-time insights into matter progress, workload distribution, and key performance metrics. This allows for better decision-making and more effective resource management.
Finally, it's important to consider how matter lifecycle management fits into your existing workflows. A solution like Checkbox that integrates with the tools your team already uses—such as Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Salesforce—can help reduce friction and make adoption easier.