A matter view page is the screen users land on when they open a legal matter, and structuring it well means putting the answers to the most common questions first: who owns this matter, where it stands, what happens next, and what it has cost. Everything else, from invoices and files to history, sits in clearly labeled sections below. When the page is built that way, a Matter Lead can check a matter in seconds, and finance, reviewers, and outside counsel each find their part without hunting.
Most ELM platforms let you configure which fields and sections appear and in what order. The default layout rarely matches how your department works, so this configuration deserves deliberate design.
What is a matter view page?
A matter view page is the main record screen for a legal matter, presenting its core details, people, work, money, documents, and communications in one place. It is where Matter Leads, reviewers, and other users spend most of their time in a matter management platform.
In Onit’s SimpleLegal, for example, matter records are organized into details and sections covering matter data, reviewers, subscribers, files, and related operational information, and users reach them from the Matters List, which shows the matters they are permitted to access. Matter management works when every piece of legal work rolls up to one matter record, and the page design decides whether people can actually use that record. Many teams are not there yet: a 2025 survey of in-house legal teams found over 76 percent of legal departments still rely on manual processes to manage their legal matters.
What should the top of a matter view page show?
The top of a matter view page should show the summary a user needs before deciding whether to read further: the matter’s identity, owner, status, next action, and key dates. A user should be able to answer “who owns this and what is happening” without scrolling.
- Identity. Matter name, matter ID, matter type, and legal entity.
- Ownership. The Matter Lead, responsible team, and business owner.
- Status and next action. The current status, priority, and the single next step with its owner.
- Key dates. Opening date, the next deadline, and any target close date.
Keep the summary to six to ten fields. Every extra field in the header pushes something important further down the screen.
Which sections should a legal matter record include?
A legal matter record should include a small number of clearly labeled sections, each grouping one kind of information, usually six to eight in total. Grouping by purpose lets each user go straight to the part they need.
- People and vendors. Reviewers, subscribers, outside counsel firms and contacts, and business stakeholders.
- Tasks. Open tasks with owners, priorities, due dates, and status, so remaining work is visible at a glance.
- Budget and spend. Approved budget, spend to date, accruals, and variance.
- Invoices. Related invoices with approval and payment status.
- Files and updates. Matter documents, plus comments and notes shared with the legal team and outside counsel.
Add a history section for status changes, assignments, and approvals. It is rarely opened day to day, and it answers every “who changed this and when” question.
How should matter sections be ordered for different users?
Matter sections should be ordered around the user who opens the page most, usually the Matter Lead, while other users get a direct route to their own section. Some platforms allow different layouts by role, and where they do, use it.
- Matter Leads. Summary, tasks, updates, and files first, because their daily questions are about work and communication.
- Invoice reviewers. Invoices, budget, and spend first, since their job is approving bills against the budget.
- Finance users. Spend, accruals, and legal entity details first, with matter content kept out of view.
Conditional UI design shows each user the fields that apply to them, which keeps a single matter record usable by very different audiences.
How do you keep matter pages readable as matters grow?
Matter pages stay readable as matters grow by showing essential information first and placing detailed history in tabs or expandable sections. A litigation matter can accumulate hundreds of invoices, documents, and updates over several years, and a flat page becomes unusable long before that.
Show recent items by default, such as the last ten invoices, the open tasks, and the latest five updates, with a link to the full list. Use tabs for sections that are large and occasionally needed, such as full invoice history and audit history. Link related records such as invoices, vendors, and tasks to the matter, and avoid copying their details into matter fields, so each piece of data lives in one place and stays current. Review the layout after the first three months of live use, once you can see which sections people really open.
How should files and updates appear on a matter record?
Files and updates should appear as their own sections on the matter record, close to the summary, because they are where most day-to-day matter activity happens. Lawyers look for the latest document and the latest message more than any other information.
In SimpleLegal, matter documents are uploaded, viewed, and managed from the Files tab on each matter, and the option to share matter files with external collaborators is enabled or disabled by admins at the system level. The Matter Updates feature lets legal teams and outside counsel exchange comments and notes on a matter through SimpleLegal and Counsel Exchange. Agree a simple file naming convention so the newest version is obvious, and ask firms to post status updates on the matter at agreed intervals. Counsel Exchange is the portal outside counsel use to submit invoices and collaborate with Onit customers.
How should sensitive content be handled on matter pages?
Sensitive content on matter pages should be placed in restricted sections and governed by role and relationship, so the same page can safely serve lawyers, finance, and outside counsel. Layout and security design need to be agreed together.
- Privileged notes. Keep internal legal notes in a section visible only to the legal team.
- Financial detail. Show budgets and rates to legal and finance users, and keep them away from business stakeholders who only follow progress.
- External views. Confirm outside counsel see only the information meant for them, in the portal.
Write down which profile can see each section. That one-page matrix becomes the basis for security testing.
How do you surface overdue work on a matter record?
Overdue work is surfaced on a matter record by placing open tasks, pending approvals, and aging invoices near the top of the page and making their dates visible. A Matter Lead should spot anything late within a few seconds of opening the matter.
Sort tasks by due date with overdue items first. Show the oldest pending invoice and the number of days it has waited. Where your platform supports conditional formatting or flags, use them for overdue items; where it does not, a portfolio report of overdue tasks and aging invoices by Matter Lead does the same job. If you rely on scheduled reports, tell users how often they refresh. SimpleLegal’s out-of-the-box Matter Analytics report, for example, refreshes once every 24 hours.
How do you test matter page layouts with real users?
Matter page layouts are tested by asking real users from each persona to complete common tasks on realistic matters while you watch where they look and where they get stuck. Five or six personas, with two or three users each, are usually enough.
- Task-based walkthroughs. Ask users to find the Matter Lead, the next deadline, the latest invoice, and the current draft, and time each one.
- Persona checks. Run sessions as a Matter Lead, reviewer, finance user, outside counsel user, administrator, and business stakeholder.
- Data completeness. Count matters missing a lead, vendor, legal entity, status, or key date, since empty fields make even a good layout look broken.
Thirty-minute sessions are plenty. Matter management implementation succeeds when configuration follows how lawyers actually work, and these sessions show you exactly how they work. Short, task-based guides support adoption better than long standard manuals.
Conclusion
A well-structured matter view page answers the first questions in seconds and keeps everything else one click away. Lead with identity, ownership, status, next action, and key dates, then group people, tasks, spend, invoices, files, and updates into clearly labeled sections. Order them for the user who opens the page most, restrict sensitive content by role, surface overdue work near the top, and test the layout with real users before go-live. The result is a matter record people actually use, which keeps the data in it accurate.
How Basla can help
Basla provides delivery teams for enterprise legal management and eBilling software implementation, covering legal technology consulting, business analysis, matter record and page layout design, field and section configuration, role-based visibility, user testing, documentation and training materials, and hypercare after go-live. The team runs persona walkthroughs with your Matter Leads, reviewers, and finance users, then configures and tests the layout each of them needs.
Basla has delivered matter management and eBilling across more than ten global jurisdictions, where clear matter layouts helped regional teams find what they needed in a shared platform.
Frequently asked questions
What is a matter view page?
A matter view page is the main record screen for a legal matter, showing its core details, people, tasks, spend, invoices, files, and updates in one place. It is where Matter Leads and reviewers spend most of their time.
What should appear at the top of a matter page?
The top of a matter page should show the matter name and ID, matter type, legal entity, Matter Lead, status, priority, next action, and key dates. Six to ten fields is usually enough.
How many sections should a matter record have?
A matter record usually works best with six to eight clearly labeled sections, such as people and vendors, tasks, budget and spend, invoices, files, updates, and history.
Where are matter documents stored in SimpleLegal?
Matter documents in SimpleLegal are uploaded, viewed, and managed from the Files tab on each matter. Customers on a Matter Management plan can also share matter-specific files with external collaborators.
Can different users see different sections of a matter?
Different users can see different sections of a matter when visibility is governed by role and relationship. Privileged notes, financial detail, and external views should each be restricted to the profiles that need them.
How do you test a matter page layout?
A matter page layout is tested by asking users from each persona to complete common tasks, such as finding the Matter Lead or latest invoice, and noting where they struggle. Two or three users per persona is usually enough.
*This article is provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Basla Solutions provides legal technology implementation and support services and does not practice law.*