Practice Areas define the legal area for a Matter, while Stages track the progress of a Matter.

A number of Practice Areas are automatically configured, with default Stages of Pending, Active, Inactive, and Closed. However, custom Practice Areas and Stages can also be created.

Both Practice Areas and Stages are mandatory for a Matter.

Creating Practice Areas and Stages

To create a Practice Area and its Stages:

1. On the sidebar, select System ().
2. Under Matters, select Practice Areas.

3. Select Create New Practice Area.

4. Enter a Name and Description for the Practice Area.
   
   
5. Select Add Stage to add Stages as needed, then enter a Name and Description; if this Stage closes the Matter, select Matter Closed.
   
   Please note, at least one Stage must have Matter Closed selected. Selecting this Stage when working on a Matter automatically closes the Matter. However, a Matter can be reopened at any time by selecting a different stage.
   
   Alternatively, to delete a Stage, select the Delete () icon.
   
   
6. When all information is entered, select Save.

Please note, if you have configured Security Roles, you can also select which Roles can access the Practice Area at this time.

If these fields are left unselected, every Security Role will be able to access the Practice Area.

(View the Security Roles article for more information.)

Editing and Deleting Practice Areas and Stages

Existing Practice Areas and Stages can be edited or deleted at any time.

However, if a Practice Area is currently in use on a Matter, it cannot be deleted until the Matter's Details have been changed to a different Practice Area.

(View the Matter Details article for more information.)

To edit or delete a Practice Area:

1. Select the Actions menu for a Practice Area, then select either Edit Details or Delete.
   
   Alternatively, select the Practice Area's name.

2. Make any changes as needed, then select Save; please note, if a Stage is currently in use on a Matter, it cannot be deleted, however its Name can still be changed.
   
   
3. Alternatively, select Delete to delete the Practice Area.

Keywords

Pending, Active, Inactive, Closed, Workflow, Access